Beach FC 07's Stellar Performance at ECNL Virginia

With all the excitement of the high school postseason in full swing for Virginia, it's notable that several of the Premier teams in the state would still be showcasing in ECNL events.  Nonetheless, Memorial Day Weekend was circled on the calendar for three Beach FC teams to travel up to their state capitol in Richmond and fend off the nation's best that planned to make a stand at ECNL Virginia.   Beach FC Boys 2007 would show their collective worth throughout the weekend, mixing distinctive attacking play with sound defending, as well as having their goalkeeper, Colin Rhodes, named to the Showcase match on Friday evening.  Their most complete performance came on Saturday afternoon, where a lightning shortened affair boasted a 3-0 victory for the Hampton Roads side.     In a hint of foreshadow, lightning struck twice for the 757 squad after twelve short minutes in the form of Jack Ottley. Initially the attacking midfielder opened the scoring with a beautiful 1 v 1 opportunity finished off calmly past the goalkeeper, followed up four minutes later on a connection with Shaban Kilci through the left middle portion of the penalty area.  The staggering changes of direction from Ottley provided him the space and time to make his marks, and the build up play with Kilci showed just how good this team can be when their playmakers are firing on all cylinders.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/05/IMG_20240529_085646_409-crop-537x353-1716988020.jpg?w=536" alt="" class="wp-image-176679" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Rich Images itsrichimages</figcaption></figure>   Beach FC would take further control through a Jashaun Johnson strike in the 28th minute, the combo forward/defender blitzing though the centerback gap and slotting it firmly past the goalkeeper with outside of his boot.  Kilci was again involved in this goal, dragging the opposition midfielders away from Johnson before slotting a ball into space where Johnson could make the dirty work happen.   On the defensive end, Beach showcased a masterclass in holding a lead and seeing out a match.  Their 3-5-2 approach acted as a basket in defense, catching the long balls and probing passes the opposition threw at them.  Connor Wolaver, Jace Asercion, and Thomas Dix IV held the line brilliantly, with all three showing bringing a different aspect to their defensive approach.   Wolaver excelled in recovering long balls played over as well as finding ways to secure possession from the attack and provide efficient starts to counter attacks.  His ability to handle the attackers pressure and still turn with a man on his back to find the safe and correct outlet frustrated the opposition all match.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/05/IMG_20240529_085657_260.jpg?w=750" alt="" class="wp-image-176680" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Rich Images, itsrichimages</figcaption></figure>   Alternatively, Asercion made the most of the physical and aerial battles, clearing balls back to awaiting midfielders and stepping in to disrupt penetrating passes into the middle areas of the attacking third.  He won several tackles using his body, moving attackers off the ball and decisively finding effective outlets to remove the danger in situations.   Dix often operated as a clean up man and an outlet for his defensive partners, finding space to receive headed passes and relieve pressure from the opposing forwards. In doing so, he offered glimpses of impressive ball control, weaving past supporting attackers to encourage counters through Kilci or wingback Cole Schuler.   Propelling the ball forward was the aforementioned wingback as well as Nolan Brown. Schuler and Brown both worked tirelessly to protect the flanks of Beach's defense, both aggressive in their standing tackles and a willingness to stick a foot in or make a slide tackle when called upon. They both excelled at winning possession back for their team from opposing forwards and then finding opportunities to start counter attacks.   The area where the two players differ the most is Brown looking to combine with central midfielders and spring attacks either down the line or to the opposite corner, while Schuler often found himself directly involved from box to box, providing a wide outlet for his attacking partners and looking for ways to penetrate inside to pull defenders and spring the forwards in behind.   Both the Beach forwards had significant moments in the game, [player_tooltip player_id='114785' first='Luke' last='Jones'] provided a source of assistance in the buildup for one of Ottley's goal while Christian Robertson made a nuisance of himself to the opposing centerbacks, finding chances for shots and putting himself in dangerous positions that allowed his teammates to take advantage of the vacated space.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/05/IMG_20240529_085634_260.jpg?w=750" alt="" class="wp-image-176682" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Rich Images, itsrichimages</figcaption></figure>   Alternatively, the center of the pitch truly showcased all the different ways this squad can hurt you. Michal Korba and Johnny Lanza make an audacious pairing, Lanza being asked to do a ton of scrappy defensive work but showing patience and intention on the ball when he won it back, a trait that not all players in his role master. Korba pushed and probed with the ball at all opportunities, seeking to spring his teammates into action and maneuvering the ball from one side of the pitch to the other.   The most effective rotation was Kilci played together with Graham Campbell, a player wearing the number 10 but showing up as a true number 8. His pursuit of the ball and bullish defensive attitude forced the opposition backwards more often than not, and every 50/50 pass on the ground was his to win. He made his presence felt and his willingness to sacrifice for the team provided the ultimate lift for Kilci with the space and time needed to influence the match.   It was evident that he was missed in the Friday morning 0-0 draw, and his effect was felt within the first five minutes with Beach going on the attack early and often. While he was the puppeteer pulling the strings, he still did his side justice in his defensive work rate and fearlessness in putting his body on the line for a ball. It was a sight to see his movement off the ball and how he was able to find the gaps where he could receive and turn into space with having very little time to see how the opposition had set up early in the match. His instincts and abilities were on full showcase from the first whistle.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/05/IMG_20240529_085638_847.jpg?w=750" alt="" class="wp-image-176681" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Rich Images, itsrichimages</figcaption></figure>   Notably, this was the most complete match for this squad, and a great testament to what they can achieve when they are on form. As a whole, this puts them in a great position moving forward towards the National Playoffs qualifiers in the coming months.

With all the excitement of the high school postseason in full swing for Virginia, it's notable that several of the Premier teams in the state would still be showcasing in ECNL events. Nonetheless, Memorial Day Weekend was circled on the calendar for three Beach FC teams to travel up to their state capitol in Richmond and fend off the nation's best that planned to make a stand at ECNL Virginia.

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Beach FC 07’s Stellar Performance at ECNL Virginia

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