Five Seniors to Watch Early in the Season

Metea Valley began their season with an impressive 6-1 win against East Aurora, while West Chicago did the same beating Benet 2-0. Both of these matches showed how important senior leadership and talent can be to a team. Below are some seniors who impressed me.    The back-line of West Chicago is packed with seniors and Pedro is a natural leader who commands the back. He is a work-engine, brave, and a physical presence that is an example for the rest. He plays well out of the back, is a good passer, has good vision, and is intelligent in his decision-making when trying to break lines and move up the pitch. He is a good tackler and has a good aerial presence and field awareness.     Alan is a calm and intelligent presence in the midfield. He can distribute the ball intelligently and quickly without making too many mistakes. He can play the 6, 8, or 10 position in midfield although, he is able to exploit the opposition more by playing deeper. He has good vision and covers well when defending making it difficult for teams to break lines and penetrate the midfield. Alan can lack the consistency in his play but if that can go away, he will be commanding the midfield.     Anthony is vital for Metea Valley. His ability to defend, cut off spaces, dispossess, tackle and cover spaces makes him a difficult player to play against in midfield. His defensive work as a 6 allows for Metea to recover quickly however, it's his ability to also be a threat in attack that makes him a top player. He will not have the most flair or skill on the ball but he will he has great technique. He retains the ball well hardly getting dispossessed and can play the longer pass or play short and keep possession. He is important for the tempo in which Metea Valley wants to play and with this, he will be essential to their success.     To have good pace is one thing, but to have electric speed is another. Cole is electric and is a scary winger to play against. One misstep and he can be around his defender. He can be a bit too eager on some occasions, however, is a good runner with the ball and uses his pace intelligently. He is a good shooter of the ball and will take his opportunity even with any little space that he creates himself. He will be a top goalscorer for Metea Valley and is a fun watch.       Metea Valley has really good pace and Jake is another reason why. His work rate in transition and the way he consistently presses with speed forces will continue to force mistakes in any back-line. He runs through the ball and will end up with the ball as a result of it. Jake will be another contributor of goals for the Aurora side as the No. 9 is relentless in the final third and loves to go at defenders. He makes good runs in between the channels to receive the ball in stride however, he could improve on his runs behind defenders, especially with the pace he has.

Metea Valley began their season with an impressive 6-1 win against East Aurora, while West Chicago did the same beating Benet 2-0. Both of these matches showed how important senior leadership and talent can be to a team. Below are some seniors who impressed me.