ECNL Boys Phoenix: Texas Midfielders to Watch

One week after the girls, it's now time for the Boys to appear in the fourth national event hosted by the ECNL League this season this weekend in Phoenix, Arizona, with teams from all over the country set to play from Friday to Sunday.   Having the Reach 11 Sports Complex and the Reata Sports Complex as its venues, 230 teams in the U15, U16, U17 and U19 age groups will come from the entire country to play three matches each and showcase their skills against some of the top talent in the country.   Texas will send 36 teams to the event, with sides from Albion Hurricanes FC, BVB International Academy, Dallas Texans, El Paso Locomotive, FC Dallas, FC Westlake, HTX, Rise SC, San Antonio City SC, San Antonio FC and Solar SC representing the Lone Star State in Arizona.   As we approach the start of the event, let's take a look at some of the top talent from Texas who will be heading to Arizona this weekend. In today's article, we'll mention some of the most promising midfielders in the state:    Guerra and his San Antonio City SC 09 team are scheduled to face LA Breakers FC, Legends FC and PacNW SC this weekend in Arizona. He's a versatile, all-around player, who can play multiple roles on the field, offering great tactical flexibility to his team. Because of his dribbling and finishing ability, Guerra is a dangerous weapon when used further up in the field, with just one line of defense between him and the goal. He plays with great determination and is a solid defensive player too, standing out for his work rate and his ability to make key stops and timely sliding tackles.      Paz will be a central piece in midfield for FC Dallas Red 08 when they face Colorado Rapids, Eastside FC and SDSC Surf in Phoenix. He's the prototypical center midfielder, doing a solid job of protecting the team's backline and contributing a lot to the team's offense. Paz is very good at progressing the ball through the middle and, despite not being extremely physical, uses his body well to win duels. He's also an excellent passer, who sees the game well and has the ability to connect long passes with great accuracy.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/IMG_4003.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-170912" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FC Dallas Red B08 vs. Real Colorado National B08 </figcaption></figure>    Oliveira will be with Albion Hurricanes FC 08 when they play LA Breakers FC, San Francisco Elite Academy and XF in the event. A very technical player, he dictates the team's pace with his accurate and intelligent passing and is often their offensive hub as everything ends up going through him. He's very patient on the ball, not forcing direct plays when they're not the best option and trying to create space in the opposing backline with smart passing and movement off the ball. Oliveira also has solid defensive skills and can play a little bit deeper, as a defensive midfielder, is his team needs him to.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/IMG_3946.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-170899" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Albion Hurricanes FC EB08 vs. Placer United B08 </figcaption></figure>    Faris' Solar SC Academy 07 team will be tested against Pateadores, LAFC So Cal and Legends SC over the weekend. He's a versatile player, who can appear in central defense, central midfield and left back. His skilled left foot allows him to have a great impact in the game when in possession with his ability to connect long passes and make shifts with incredible precision from midfield. A tall and athletic player, Faris is also very efficient defensively, winning duels and shielding the backline with great success. Expect his set pieces to be among the team's main offense weapons as he's very accurate and reliable with his deliveries.    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDbLMDiP4Y0 </div></figure>      Centeno and his Dallas Texans Academy 07 teammates will have La Roca FC, XF Academy and Seattle United as their opponents this weekend in Arizona. He's a new face on the team, having joined after several years with FC Dallas, where he earned a reputation as one of the top attacking midfielders in the state. Centeno is very dangerous in the final third, displaying great vision to find teammates with final passes. He's also a goal threat himself, consistently stepping into the penalty box to finish chances.

One week after the girls, it's now time for the Boys to appear in the fourth national event hosted by the ECNL League this season this weekend in Phoenix, Arizona, with teams from all over the country set to play from Friday to Sunday.

Having the Reach 11 Sports Complex and the Reata Sports Complex as its venues, 230 teams in the U15, U16, U17 and U19 age groups will come from the entire country to play three matches each and showcase their skills against some of the top talent in the country.

Texas will send 36 teams to the event, with sides from Albion Hurricanes FC, BVB International Academy, Dallas Texans, El Paso Locomotive, FC Dallas, FC Westlake, HTX, Rise SC, San Antonio City SC, San Antonio FC and Solar SC representing the Lone Star State in Arizona.

As we approach the start of the event, let's take a look at some of the top talent from Texas who will be heading to Arizona this weekend. In today's article, we'll mention some of the most promising midfielders in the state: