ECNL Dallas: 16s – Center Backs

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The top teams in the ECNL Girls League in the country were in Dallas from February 17-19, where the league held its sixth National event of the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Over 220 teams were in action over the three days of the event and Prep Soccer was in attendance, following several matches a day and taking a lot at some of the top-level prospects in the country. On Monday, we were at the Toyota Soccer Center, in Frisco, where we got to watch 16 of the 50 teams of the 16s age group compete.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong><a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2024/02/ecnl-dallas-16s-day-3-photos/">ECNL Dallas: 16s – Day 3 Photos</a></strong></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We've already highlighted <a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2024/02/ecnl-dallas-16s-day-3-standouts/">the players that stood out in the encounters we got to watch</a> and now we'll expand that a little bit and list more prospects that left a strong impression, looking at one position at a time. Here are the center backs who left a strong impression:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["164462"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Vanags helped her team Richmond United have one of the most solid backlines in the event, letting only two goals in as they got two wins and a tie. I watched her in action in the match in which they were tested in a stronger way, a 1-1 tie with La Roca, and she was extremely solid playing as a left-side center back. The main reason that makes of Vanags a very solid defensive player is her ability to read plays and make anticipations, which allows her to win the ball back with great efficiency. She also did when she had to use her physical tools to defend, being particularly effective when clearing crosses with headers. The center back also displayed a good ability to strike the ball by sending some free kicks into the opposing penalty box.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65e65360b7cfd"} /--> <!-- wp:image {"id":163831,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/02/IMG_2275.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-163831" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">La Roca 08 vs. Richmond United 08</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Claudia Lauer","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'10u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"101","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Bishop Blanchet","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Seattle United","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Lauer was the defensive anchor of Seattle United's backline in the event - they had one win and two losses against strong competition. I watched her in action in their only triumph, a 1-0 win over Heat FC, and she was extremely solid, helping the team earn a clean sheet. Lauer is very tall and physical and performed extremely well in the middle of the team's back three. She was difficult to get by inside the penalty box, covering the space well and making clearances with her feet and head. Lauer also displayed good mobility to chase attackers away from the penalty box and quality on the ball to hit passes out of the back.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65e65360b7ded"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["27318"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Weaver did a solid defensive job for Challenge SC and helped the team earn two wins (with clean sheets on both matches) and one loss in Dallas. I got to watch her team in the only match they conceded, a 3-2 loss to Liverpool FC IA Michigan, but still could see how much she got to impact the game defensively with her play. Weaver was very good at winning duels, getting to the ball first and playing with good energy to dispossess opponents. She also displayed a very high soccer IQ as her center back partner [player_tooltip player_id='112758' first='Kayla' last='Morawietz'] would at times man-mark one of Liverpool's attackers, leaving Weaver with a lot of ground to cover in the center of the field, and she adjusted well every time.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65e65360b7e64"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["27052"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Wiele was one of the standouts of her Sting Austin team that got two wins and one loss over the weekend. I got to watch her team in their only upset, a 2-1 loss to Eclipse Select, but still thought she did a very good job. Sting was trailing for most of the match and had a very offensive approach, which left their backline exposed to transition plays. This is a situation in which most center backs struggle, but Wiele remained solid, using her positioning and her mobility to defend in space, keeping attackers away from the penalty box for most of the time. She also contributed to the team's offense with her good passing in possession and also with always dangerous set pieces.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65e65360b7ed4"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/18426256/65d92070420f9b0528be1d43' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65e65360b7f9f"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Tatum Miller","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"101","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Norwalk","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Sporting Iowa","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Sporting Iowa had a difficult weekend in Dallas, dropping all three matches and allowing 11 goals, but Miller did a fine job when I watched her in action against Classics Elite. Playing as a right-sided center back, she was very successful with her duels and limited their opponents to just one goal. Miller defended well inside the penalty box and also did a good job when she was pulled up higher in the field, denying opposing attackers the space they needed to make plays. The center back was also efficient with her passing, helping her team circulate the ball.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65e65360b8067"} /-->