Texas Shootout: Day 2 Standouts

One of the most traditional showcases in the girls' club soccer scene in the state, the Texas Shootout continued on Saturday, with 125 teams from all over the Lone Star State and beyond taking the field at the Veteran's Park, in College Station.   <ul> <li><a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2024/05/texas-shootout-day-2-photos/">Texas Shootout: Day 2 Photos</a></li> </ul>   Prep Soccer Texas was on the ground in the second of three days of action of the event, watching matches in the 07s and 08s divisions. We'll have more detailed lists of top performers for each position in the next few days, but here are some of the players who left a strong impression on the second day of the Texas Showcase.   Sting Austin RL G08 1 - 3 FC Dallas RL NTX G08 White    McAninch was FC Dallas' main playmaker in the match, operating in a very central area of the field and getting on the ball a lot. She didn't have any issues in working under pressure as she used her body to protect the ball from opponents and was excellent at creating space with body moves and dribbling in tight spaces. McAninch displayed good vision with her passing, consistently making good choices and finding teammates in good spots. She also did a good job with set pieces.    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/grtorres/status/1794725463144976653 </div></figure>    Miranda worked hard in midfield and did her best to stop FC Dallas' offensive attempts. She covered a lot of ground defensively, playing with a lot of intensity, and had good success in her tackling attempts, especially when she used her body to shield the ball. Miranda also displayed good quality on the ball, supporting the team's buildup and making some smart switches to get them out of pressure. She was moved to the backline during the match and kept her solid level of play there as well.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/05/IMG_5119.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-176001" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Sting Austin RL G08 vs. FC Dallas RL NTX G08 White </figcaption></figure>   FC Dallas ECNL G07 3 - 1 Lonestar SC 07 Red GA    Belcher was extremely active in midfield for FC Dallas and almost every offensive play orchestrated by the team went through her. She was excellent at understanding the game and connecting intelligent passes, which kept the team in a strong offensive rhythm, while also keeping Lonestar under pressure. Belcher was at times marked very closely, but found ways to beat opposing defenders with quick moves to keep the ball and continued to create chances. She also worked well further up in the field, connecting quick passes around the penalty box and finding teammates in good spots.    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/grtorres/status/1794738938365739430 </div></figure>    With FC Dallas having the ball for the majority of the match, Ruthven didn't have a lot to work with offensively, but she made the most of it. The forward used her pace and dribbling to go at defenders and scored the team's goal in a beautiful transition play in which she got the ball out wide and brought it inside to finish with tremendous precision. Ruthven also displayed good quality when combining with her teammates in a more central position and timed her passes well, avoiding offsides. She used both feet well to pass, dribble and shoot, which expanded her possibilities.    Dallas Texans RL 07 0 - 3 Rise SC 07 GA    Cross helped Rise control the midfield with her technical game and physical skills, paving the way for the team's dominant performance. Playing in front of the team's backline, she did a good job of shielding it, using her height to deflect long passes and winning duels on the ground. The defensive midfielder was also very effective with her distribution, helping the team keep possession and initiating offensive plays. Cross connected a beautiful long pass that ignited the team's first goal in the match, finding a teammate wide open on the right.     Pino had a solid match playing as a left-sided center back for the Texans and managed to control her zone well, forcing opponents to the flanks or shoot from distance. She read the game well and made efficient defensive plays, combining quickness and good use of her body to fight for space and block opposing attackers. Pino also displayed excellent quality in hitting the ball with her left foot, connecting accurate passes out of the back and sending dangerous crosses into the opposing penalty box in dead-ball situations.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/05/IMG_5197.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-176025" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Dallas Texans RL 07 vs. Rise SC 07 GA</figcaption></figure>   Lonestar SC 08G GA Red 1 - 2 FC Dallas RL G08    Lavender was very dangerous playing on the right side of FC Dallas' attack and created a lot of problems for Lonestar's backline. She knew how to use her pace to get in behind the backline and timed her runs well, avoiding getting offside. She scored the team's first goal in a play like that, getting on the end of a through ball and finishing with calm and precision. Lavender displayed good quality in 1v1 situations and didn't need much time or space to fire dangerous shots on target.     Deegan was very active in the midfield for Lonestar and contributed on both sides of the ball. She was very good at stepping up and putting pressure on opponents to win the ball, managing to at least push them back with her actions. Deegan was an important piece for the team too, making good decisions every time she got on the ball and wasting no time to push the ball upfield with smart, direct passes. She scored the team's goal in the match in a play in which she beat two FC Dallas defenders off the dribble and fired a nice shot from just outside the penalty box.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/05/IMG_5230.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-176034" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Lonestar SC 08G GA Red vs. FC Dallas RL G08</figcaption></figure>   Dynamos USC TX RL 08 2 - 0 NTX Celtic 08G Long South    Sinclar made a big impact in the Dynamos' victory, coming off the bench to elevate the team's play. With her in midfield, Dynamos changed their offensive approach, switching their more direct style to a slower buildup. Sinclair contributed a lot with her passing and vision and also scored their first goal in the match with a beautiful shot from outside the penalty box. Playing in a box-to-box role, she also helped defensively, playing with good energy in the center of the field.     Griffith was one of the standouts in her NTX Celtic team, playing with good authority inside the penalty box and getting several stops. She was solid in making clearances and also avoided what could have been solid goalscoring opportunities for Dynamos by making key interceptions and blocking shots. Griffith also displayed good ability to defend outside the penalty box, showing good pace to track attackers down and timing her sliding tackles very well.    Solar RL NTX G08 White 3 - 1 Challenge USC TX RL G08    Playing on the right side of Solar's attack, Seiden was a constant threat to Challenge's backline. She was very aggressive on the ball and trusted her skills and her pace to beat defenders out wide and create chances. Seiden did some good runs off the ball too, exploring the space behind the backline and offering a passing option to her teammates. Her positioning helped Solar stretch the field and create space to make plays through the middle and she engaged in some nice combination plays as well.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/05/IMG_5274.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-176047" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Solar RL NTX G08 White vs. Challenge USC TX RL G08</figcaption></figure>    Even though her team was scored on three times, Rivera still had a solid match and avoided a few more Solar goals. A goalkeeper with good size and impressive agility, she did a good job during the match, handling well the shots that went her way and dealing crosses with efficiency. Rivera made a very impressive one-handed save in the second half that avoided what was going to be a beautiful goal on a shot from outside the penalty box.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/05/IMG_5269.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-176045" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Solar RL NTX G08 White vs. Challenge USC TX RL G08</figcaption></figure>

One of the most traditional showcases in the girls' club soccer scene in the state, the Texas Shootout continued on Saturday, with 125 teams from all over the Lone Star State and beyond taking the field at the Veteran's Park, in College Station.