ECNL Boys Texas: 16s – Standout Forwards
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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’ve been taking a little bit of a deeper dive and featuring the positional standouts in the 16s division, completing the series today with the forwards:
Raul Longoria
Raul Longoria
‘Nico’ Longoria was the striker of the Classics Elite team that ended the weekend with two losses and one tie. With the team having a man down during the entire event, he didn’t get much service, but still managed to contribute and show interesting offensive skills. Longoria was very important with his ability to get on the end of long passes and hold the ball until the arrival of a teammate. He connected well with the other offensive players, had a good presence inside the penalty box and also made smart diagonal runs from the middle to wider positions. Longoria also spent some time in midfield and did a good job in helping cover space there.
Sebastian Gonzalez Sebastian Gonzalez M TX
Sebastian Gonzalez Sebastian Gonzalez M TX
Gonzalez was an important offensive weapon in his Lonestar SC Red team that got a win and two losses in Round Rock. A lefty, he displayed good versatility, playing basically everywhere in the attack and bringing what each position needed. Gonzalez was at his best playing on the left as he would beat defenders off the dribble, take the ball to the end line and send dangerous crosses into the penalty box. He also worked well with his back to the goal, did a good job in set pieces and fired some powerful shots on target.
Korbyn Brody Gill
Korbyn Brody Gill
Gill was very active offensively for his FC Dallas Red team that completed their schedule undefeated with two wins and a tie. Playing as a right winger, he was very quick and intelligent with his movement, at times making aggressive diagonal runs into the penalty box. He displayed great quality to dribble and finish with both feet, which created problems for defenders trying to stop him. Gill also showed great tactical intelligence as at times he would move all the way to the left, overloading that area of the field and disorganizing opposing backlines with his movement.
Playing on the right, Weston was an interesting offensive outlet for BVBIA NTX as they navigated the event with tremendous efficiency, getting three wins and scoring 11 goals. He used his pace extremely well to attack the space and also showed great ball control and craftiness to dribble in tight spaces. Weston was also dangerous when he brought the ball inside, also because of his ability to finish well from distance. The winger was also very committed defensively, tracking back every time the team lost possession.
Hart was the focal point of the offense of the Dallas Texans Academy team that got one win, one tie and one loss in Round Rock. A player with great physical skills, he worked very hard to win possession and make things happen for the team up top. Hart did a good job of getting on the end of long passes and also used his pace to get the ball behind the outside backs when they were a bit higher up on the field. The striker also worked hard without the ball, putting a lot of pressure on opposing center backs when they had possession.