ECNL Boys Texas: 16s – Standout Goalkeepers
The ECNL Boys League hosted a national event from April 19-21 in Round Rock reuniting 90 teams in the 16s and 17s age groups for three days of action. Prep Soccer Texas covered the first two days of the event,…
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Continue ReadingThe ECNL Boys League hosted a national event from April 19-21 in Round Rock reuniting 90 teams in the 16s and 17s age groups for three days of action.
Prep Soccer Texas covered the first two days of the event, following several teams from the Lone Star State as they took the field against opponents from other states and provided daily coverage with photos and a report on the individual standouts of the day.
Now with the event over, we’ll take a little bit of a deeper dive and feature the positional standouts in the 16s division, starting with the goalkeepers:
Damian Eguez
Damian Eguez
Eguez and his Classics Elite team had only ten players available during the weekend and had a difficult time, ending the event with two losses and one tie. Because of that, the goalkeeper got to work a lot and had plenty of opportunities to show his skills. Despite not being very tall, he displayed good range between the posts, exploding to get to shots in the corners. Because of his team’s situation, the goalkeeper played a little advanced and successfully intercepted passes behind their backline.
Landon Maxwell
Landon Maxwell
With Maxwell in goal, Lonestar SC Red completed their schedule in Round Rock with a win and two losses. The goalkeeper used his size well to make stops between the posts and was reliable when he was tested from distance. Maxwell also did a very good job putting the ball back in play with long and accurate throws and when he had to use his feet to connect passes. The goalkeeper was always very vocal too, keeping the backline organized and connected to the game.
Juan Lozano Chacon
Juan Lozano Chacon
SAFC had one of the most solid defenses in the division, allowing just one goal in three matches to secure two wins and a tie, and Chacon played an important role in that. The goalkeeper was very agile between the posts and displayed great quickness and superior technique to get to the floor and top low shots. Despite not being very tall, Chacon was very confident and comfortable when dealing with crosses too, leaving his spot at the right time and navigating defenders and attackers with ease to get to the ball. His passing was always simple, but precise.
Adrian Cazares
Adrian Cazares
Cazares and his HTX team had a positive weekend in Round Rock, getting two wins and a loss with a pair of clean sheets. The goalkeeper worked well with the backline in front of him, stepping up to get stops when they were beaten. Cazares thrived for his positioning, always being in the right place to get to the ball. He was frequently on the ball and connected good passes out of the back, facilitating the team’s buildup.
Elijah Gradilla
Elijah Gradilla
Gradilla was one of the standouts in his BVBIA NTX team that had a perfect record over the weekend, getting three wins while only conceding two goals. A very technical and reliable goalkeeper, he transmitted a lot of confidence to the team with his play between the posts. Gradilla was never caught out of position and always made the right move to keep the ball away from the goal, displaying excellent timing and great athleticism. He used his feet well too and was very solid in the air.