ECNL NW Conference Powerhouses: XF & Seattle United Battle

Two of the biggest club names in the ECNL boys Northwest Conference went toe to toe last Saturday to open up their 2024/2025 seasons. The 2023/2024 ECNL boys overall club champion, XF Academy, was in dominate form once again. The match featured the new look B07/06 teams for what will be some of these boys' final season before college. This anticipated match did not disappoint with a combined 5 goals scored and very aggressive play throughout. These clubs have a history of fantastic games against one another while they jockey for the top spots in the conference standings each year.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Game Highlights:</h2>   Seattle United struck first with a brilliant header by Natan Gebreamlak that just cleared the outstretched diving arms of the XF keeper, [player_tooltip player_id='285095' first='Kenneth' last='Pierpoint'], and snuck under the top post. The service and assist from [player_tooltip player_id='17761' first='Dashiell' last='Stein'] was outstanding.   XF Academy was not phased by the early deficit. [player_tooltip player_id='271297' first='Aaron' last='Leon-Bedolla'] answered with multiple goals of his own this game. The first being a top bins rocket from about 8-10 yards out that Seattle United's GK, Otto Richter, had no chance to make a save on.   The XF back line saved the day not once but twice in the second half by clearing the ball off the goal line with the keeper out. The XF centerbacks, [player_tooltip player_id='288219' first='Vitaliy' last='Polyukh'] and Zackary Meier were focused and disciplined in every part of the match and they ultimately changed the final scoreline with their heads up play.   Keeper play was strong on both sides of the field with multiple quality saves for both GK's. Richter and Pierpoint endured dangerous shots and crosses from their opponents throughout. Seattle United recently added former XF goalkeeper, Jackson Bankers, to the mix which will strengthen the keeper group and provide an argument for being the top GK group in the conference.   Anthony Garcia added another quality goal for XF in the second half to start putting it out of reach.   When the dust settled, XF came out on top with a convincing 4-1 victory. The score did not entirely tell the story of the tight and physical match that transpired. The combined double digit SOG stat gave a sense that these teams wanted to win at all costs.   These two teams will meet again on November 23rd at 1pm @ Marymoor for what should be an epic rematch!   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   Here's a deeper dive into some players from each team that impressed:   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">XF Academy B07/06:</h2>    Rocky is constantly in the mix in the midfield. He has great vision to find his teammates and even better ball control. His physicality was top notch and he had no problem shedding contact. Wells is one of the younger players on the squad which says a ton about his potential and development.     He is a vulture in the box. Can finish shots from all angles and body positions with accuracy. This ECNL 1st Team All-Conference player from last season is vying for those honors again and there is no indication that goal will not be achieved. Look for Aaron to be a goal scoring machine this ECNL season.     The defensive awareness that Vitaliy has is elite. He has fantastic ball control and is calm in the box. He knows where he needs to be in dangerous game situations and has a knack for saving goals off the line. The Hazen HS standout has done this in high school and at the club level. He is a game changer when the match is on the line.      <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Seattle United B07/06:</h2>    Badh is a quality player that moves very well up and down the pitch. His speed is notable and first touch is smooth. He can beat you skillfully and also deliver a fantastic cross into the box. Kaviraj gives his forwards an opportunity to score when he is on the field.     Stein, who is committed to Gonzaga University next fall, is a dynamic and versatile player. His crossing abilities into the box are dangerous and has the ability to put rocket shots on frame from both feet. Silky smooth touches accompanied by his speed make him a very talented forward. Dashiell was ECNL 1st Team All-Conference last season.    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/Sports_Recruits/status/1805708612733440428 </div></figure>    Natan is a speedy forward who has a great feel for the game. He places himself in positions to score with his head or feet. His ability to place the ball accurately on goal with his head from crosses is menacing. Gebreamlak's speed is a problem. If he is not constantly marked and contained, he will get free and attack goal quickly and efficiently. Look for Natan to get on the score sheet frequently this season.

Two of the biggest club names in the ECNL boys Northwest Conference went toe to toe last Saturday to open up their 2024/2025 seasons. The 2023/2024 ECNL boys overall club champion, XF Academy, was in dominate form once again. The match featured the new look B07/06 teams for what will be some of these boys' final season before college. This anticipated match did not disappoint with a combined 5 goals scored and very aggressive play throughout. These clubs have a history of fantastic games against one another while they jockey for the top spots in the conference standings each year.