Texas Shootout: 17s - Midfielders

Many of the top girls' club soccer teams in the state were in action in College Station over Memorial Day Weekend for the 37th edition of the traditional Texas Shootout Showcase.   <ul> <li><a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2024/05/texas-shootout-day-1-photos/">Texas Shootout: Day 1 Photos</a> </li> </ul>   <ul> <li><a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2024/05/texas-shootout-day-1-standouts/">Texas Shootout: Day 1 Standouts</a></li> </ul>   <ul> <li><a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2024/05/texas-shootout-day-2-photos/">Texas Shootout: Day 2 Photos</a></li> </ul>   <ul> <li><a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2024/05/texas-shootout-day-2-standouts/">Texas Shootout: Day 2 Standouts</a></li> </ul>   Prep Soccer Texas was there following matches of the 17s and 16s divisions on the first two days of action. We've already highlighted some of the players who had strong performances in the matches we got to watch, so now we'll expand it a little bit more, splitting the standouts by division and position. It's time we take a look at the midfielders who did solid work for their teams.    McCallister played an important role for her Sting Dallas Black 08 ECNL team that played one age group up and won both of their matches in College Station. She combined well in the center of the field with [player_tooltip player_id='147200' first='Helen' last='Lazaro'] and the two gave the team a solid offensive rhythm. McAllister was particularly good at dribbling the ball to break pressure and generating space for her teammates with her movement. She also contributed defensively, playing with good energy and helping the team regain possession.     El-Deir was a part of the Lonestar SC Black 07 GA team that had a win and a loss in the showcase. She was their main chance-creator, playing in a central position in midfield, and was very active offensively. El-Deir was excellent at making turns and quick dribbles to beat defenders and create space and displayed excellent vision to feed the attackers with quick passes and through balls. She also spent some time playing as a false nine and was very effective at dropping back to get on the ball and connecting good passes to the wide players.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/05/IMG_4999.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-175805" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Solar RL NTX G07 White vs. Lonestar SC 07 GA Black</figcaption></figure>    Challenge USC TX RL 07 got one win and two losses in the event, but Cruzco displayed some interesting skills for them. Playing as an attacking midfielder most to the left of their offense, she did a great job of going at defenders to create chances. Cruzco proved to be an excellent dribbler and she didn't need much space to make things happen, playing a major role in the team's attacking efforts. Her passing was also very effective, combining great vision and impressive accuracy.     Portillo was a key piece in the Houstonians FC USC TX RL 07 team that had a win and a loss in College Station. She operated as an offensive hub for them, getting the ball in the central area of the field and pushing it forward to create chances. Portillo is a very intelligent player, who makes good decisions around the penalty box and can be dangerous when initiating combination plays through the middle or making switches that catch defenders off-guard. She's also very effective in set pieces.     Thompson's FC Dallas ECNL 07 team won both of their matches on the weekend, scoring five goals. She was a big part of their offensive success, playing as a central attacking midfielder and connecting well with the players around her. Thompson did a very good of finding space to operate, connecting quick passes and moving extremely well off the ball, especially because of her ability to dribble and pass with either foot. She also had a good presence inside the penalty box, making good runs through the middle and getting into good spots to finish.     Gallegos was one of the top offensive players in her Rise SC 07 GA team that won all three matches played in College Station while scoring an impressive 12 goals. She was mostly used on the left of their midfield and used her dribbling ability to disorganize opposing backlines and create chances. Gallegos' impressive footwork allowed her to beat defenders off the dribble even when she got the ball facing her own field and it played a huge factor in Rise's offensive efforts. She was always very smooth with the ball and also displayed great vision with her passing when operating more centrally.    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/Melany2007G/status/1796185146443399438 </div></figure>    A defensive midfielder with Lonestar SC Red 07 GA, Araujo saw her team end the event with a win and a loss. She did a good job protecting the team's backline, covering a lot of ground and working hard to stop plays and regain possession - she was particularly efficient with her sliding tackles. Araujo also did a solid job when she had the ball, often picking simple, but effective passes, which kept her errors very low. She also displayed a very positive attitude on the field, being a vocal leader for her team, encouraging and instructing teammates very frequently.

Many of the top girls' club soccer teams in the state were in action in College Station over Memorial Day Weekend for the 37th edition of the traditional Texas Shootout Showcase.