ECNL Boys Texas: Albion Hurricanes FC 09 vs. HTX 09

The club soccer season continues to progress at full pace and teams from around the country are competing in their respective leagues in the first of several months of traveling and playing.   We, at Prep Soccer Texas, will follow as many matches and players as possible, paying close attention to everything that happens in the MLS Next, ECNL National and Regional Leagues and Girls Academy League, as well as showcases and tournaments, giving the talented players from the Lone Star State the exposure they deserve.   On Sunday, October 27, we followed the ECNL Boys League, catching the Houston battle between the Albion Hurricanes FC 09 and HTX 09.   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2024/10/ecnl-boys-texas-albion-hurricanes-fc-09-vs-htx-09-photos/">ECNL Boys Texas: Albion Hurricanes FC 09 vs. HTX 09 - Photos</a></li> </ul>   Playing at home, Albion started the match on the front foot and found the back of the net in the second half, when [player_tooltip player_id='148816' first='Kade' last='Taylor'] made a nice play on the left and found Francisco Acosta on the far post to score. In the second half, HTX took control after some substitutions and came back to win 2-1, with Eloy Vieyra picking up a rebound inside the penalty box to even the score and Dylan Price getting the game-winner with a powerful shot.   The victory moved HTX up to second place in the Texas Conference, with 22 points (seven wins, one loss, one tie). Albion are ninth with 14 points (four wins, two losses, two ties).   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Players of the Match</h2>    Jaimes had a solid shift playing as a left-sided center back for HTX. He was very active defensively, cutting passing lanes efficiently, putting pressure on opposing attackers and being successful in his duels. A lefty, he was very proficient with his passing and that helped his team in a very important way. Jaimes always took his time on the ball and was consistently able to find good passes between the lines, helping HTX break Albion's pressure and progress the ball through the middle. He did a solid job helping his team sustain their opponent's pressure near the end of the match.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/10/IMG_1126.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-270973" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Albion Hurricanes FC 09 vs. HTX 09</figcaption></figure>    Joy was very active for HTX in his role as the team's right back. She showed great endurance to keep a high level of intensity during the entire match and worked well on both sides of the ball. Joy was very solid defensively, consistently finding himself in great spots to make defensive actions, and having a very success rate in duels. The right back also displayed interesting qualities to contribute offensively, making strong overlapping runs and finding great through balls from wide areas of the field.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/10/IMG_1139.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-270979" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Albion Hurricanes FC 09 vs. HTX 09</figcaption></figure>    Price made a difference for HTX, participating in both the team's goals. Playing as a right midfielder for most of the time, he was very aggressive when on the ball, pushing it forward to make plays. One of his plays generated the team's first goal as he fired a dangerous shot that hit the post and rebounded for Vieyra to score. Price later moved to the left and scored the game-winning goal there, coming centrally to hit a powerful and precise shot in the second half. On either side, he was always very disciplined, tracking back to help on defense.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/10/IMG_1150.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-270983" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Albion Hurricanes FC 09 vs. HTX 09</figcaption></figure>    Playing opposite to Price on the left, Balderas was also very influential on HTX's offense, but in a very different way. An excellent passer, he got on the ball a lot and helped set up several offensive plays, be it hitting long diagonal passes or combining with left back Ty Fernandez. Balderas also did a very good job with his set pieces, sending dangerous crosses inside Albion's penalty box.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/10/IMG_1090.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-270965" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Albion Hurricanes FC 09 vs. HTX 09</figcaption></figure>    Vieyra came off the beach and added a new dimension to HTX's offense, helping them create the conditions to turn things around and win the match. He played more centrally, but had a lot of freedom to move in the final third and used it to make runs on and off the ball and create plays. A lefty, Vieyra was very good at dribbling the ball, progressing with it at a good pace and using his body well to shield it. He also displayed a good presence inside the penalty box to pick up the rebound on Price's shot and score the team's first goal.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/10/IMG_1153.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-270985" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Albion Hurricanes FC 09 vs. HTX 09</figcaption></figure>    Bennett was very active in midfield for Albion and helped shield the team's backline with his intense and strong game. He helped dismantle many of HTX's pushes through the center of the field, getting tackles and winning duels. Bennett played with great energy and kept his work rate elevated the entire time. He also did a fine job in possession, moving the ball well and making very few passing errors.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/10/IMG_1108.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-270968" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Albion Hurricanes FC 09 vs. HTX 09</figcaption></figure>    Acosta scored Albion's goal in the match and was an active piece in their offensive system. He played as a right winger, but moved a lot in the final third and displayed a very high soccer IQ to consistently get into good spots and make himself available for his teammates. Acosta scored his team's goal by making a good run behind the backline and displaying calm in front of the goal. He also did a solid job defensively, tracking back and fighting for the ball.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/10/IMG_1181.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-270993" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Albion Hurricanes FC 09 vs. HTX 09</figcaption></figure>    Taylor spent time on both wings and was probably Albion's most dangerous player against HTX. He displayed great pace and excellent ball control, creating problems for his opponents with his runs and often drawing fouls around the penalty box. Taylor was probably the most dangerous when playing on the left, where he could bring the ball inside and make diagonal runs into the penalty box. In one of these plays, he did an excellent job of getting on the end of a long pass, bringing the ball inside and feeding Acosta with an inch-perfect through ball to score Albion's goal.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/10/IMG_1205.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-270999" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Albion Hurricanes FC 09 vs. HTX 09</figcaption></figure>

The club soccer season continues to progress at full pace and teams from around the country are competing in their respective leagues in the first of several months of traveling and playing.