Girls Academy 09 Winter Showcase and Champions Cup Standouts

NORCO, California - The Girls Academy Winter Showcase and Champions Cup event were held at the Silverlakes Complex in Southern California over the past few days under the watchful eyes of hundreds of scouts. The 09 age group was in the spotlight as coaches and youth national team scouts looked to get a grasp on the 2027 class.    There were plenty of top individual performances from the event. Check out some of the players who stood out from the games below.     Guyton's play off the ball impressed me from the game on Friday. She was an impact player on both sides of the ball. She did well in making diagonal runs to slice through the defense and open up passing lanes for her teammates. She showed great defensive instincts, which resulted in an assist against FC United. She nearly doubled that assist a minute later with a splendid cross. Guyton has high upside with those soccer smarts.      Fraser is an exceptional center back. Strong defender, good pace, and excellent on the ball, Fraser was one of the top performers at the event. She stands out for her ability on the ball. She strikes the ball well from the run of play and can switch the point of attack with her accurate long range passing. She plays with a lot of confidence and always presents as an outlet for her teammates. She was one of the key cogs for the LaMo 09 side.      Torres is one of the best goalkeepers in the Girls Academy with playing the ball from her feet. She plays off her line - pretty advanced off her line most of the time, but she is able to do that thanks to her quick reflexes and keen ability to read and anticipate the next play. She's comfortable advancing the ball on the dribble to break pressure and will push up a line to help her side get into better attacking positions. Torres is a shot-stopper at the end of the day and she showed that she can do that at a high level against FC United with some incredible saves.      Rubio is a midfielder who impressed with her quality on the ball. She has a great first touch and always seems to know where to go with the ball next. Rubio impressed against FC United with her movement off the ball - she is in constant movement to try to get open to earn touches.     Besztery was outstanding against Lamorinda. She can play as an outside back or a center back. She is sharp in 1v1 duels. Moves her feet well, capable as a slide tackler, and uses her body well to keep the attacking player off the ball. She offers a high level tactical understanding of the defenders responsibilities.     Scott played in the defensive midfield role in the start of the win over Tonga Fusion. Thought she was exceptional in that position. Sharp on the ball and always in the right spot.      One of the captains of the Tophat side, Battagila showed her quality as center back. She was exceptional in her communication and organizing the defense.      Fishbein played left back against Beadling on the final day of action and stood out from the games for her two-way play. She was calm on the ball and broke the press through her passing and ability to win 1v1 on the dribble.     Dowler was one of the top center backs at the event. Utah Celtic only conceded two goals in the three games. The left center back for Utah Celtic had an outstanding showing against Beadling. She cut off crosses, shut down breakaways, and intercepted passes. Dowler is one to watch from this 09 group.      Palafox is a forward who made a number of great passes in the game against Beadling. She is almost an attacking midfielder in how she approaches the role. She drops back to receive the ball and gives her teammates time to make runs forward. She is clever with her passing and created a number of chances.     Rosenwasser impressed me with her exquisite passing in the game against Utah Celtic. She showed off a sharp soccer mind with the variety of passes she hit and the timing of her passes. She was also excellent in working off the ball to change her body position to see more of the field before receiving the ball.      Emswiler was one of the bright spots of the Beadling side. She had a number of outstanding plays in the shutout victory over Utah Celtic. Her ability to read the play and anticipate where to be is an elite trait and makes her a top center back in the 09 group.      On top of being a standout defender, Varlotta is also exceptional on set piece delivery. The center back provided an assist in one game during the Girls Academy Champions Cup and had a number of other goal scoring chances created in the other games with her delivery. She's lethal from dead ball situations and made a big difference on the way to helping her team win their group at the event.      The SVSA midfielder was electric against Keystone FC. She was all over the field with her silky skills on the ball. The playmaker was a key part of the SVSA side that went 3-0 at the event.      Gil is a midfielder on the SVSA who impressed during the event. There's a lot to like about her game from a skill and tactical standpoint, but it's the toughness she showed against top competition that revealed her character as a competitor. She's got the bite to her game to go against older competition and still shine.      Pettersson should be on the radar for scouts after her performance at the Winter Showcase. She's a physical center back with good strength and pace. She has a strong leg and provided an assist with her long kick on a free kick.

NORCO, California - The Girls Academy Winter Showcase and Champions Cup event were held at the Silverlakes Complex in Southern California over the past few days under the watchful eyes of hundreds of scouts. The 09 age group was in the spotlight as coaches and youth national team scouts looked to get a grasp on the 2027 class.