Reliable center backs lead Texas teams at MLS Next Fest

After months of playing inside their own conferences, the best MLS Next academies in the country will have the opportunity to test themselves against opponents from other regions over the next few days, at the MLS Next Fest event, in Indio, California.   From December 6-11, teams from all over the country will be in action at the Empire Polo Ground and the state ofTexas will have 31 teams getting on the field in event, with AC River, Austin FC, Capital City SC, Dallas Hornets, FC Dallas, GFI, Houston Dynamo, Houston Rangers, GFI and Idea Toros all represented.   There will be plenty of talent from the Lone Star State competing in California and we're taking the week to feature some of the most interesting names. Today we'll focus on the center backs:    Perez and his Houston Dynamo U15 team will play against the Portland Timbers, Real Salt Lake and Strikers FC. With the many talented center backs developed by the Dynamo recently, he's been flying a little bit under the radar, but is certainly a top-tier talent as well. His center back duo with [player_tooltip player_id='280654' first='Jackson' last='Bowman'] works very well as they complement each very well and, working together, have what it takes to handle any forwards. Perez, who typically plays on the right, is the most physical of the two and does a very good job of winning aerial duels and controlling the penalty box. He's getting more comfortable on the ball too and getting to contribute a little bit more in the team's buildup.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/11/IMG_2162.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-271966" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Houston Rangers U15 vs. Houston Dynamo U15</figcaption></figure>    Holtzclaw will be with Austin FC U16 in their matches against the San Jose Earthquakes, Connecticut United FC and the Seattle Sounders. He's been playing somewhat of a hybrid role with the team this season, defending wide, as a left back, and coming inside to form a trio with the center backs to initiate the team's buildup. His passing is one of his main strengths as Holtzclaw is not only very calm and efficient on the ball, but also very precise with his long, diagonal attempts. Defensively, the defender makes up for his slightly undersized frame with great pace and effort to win duels.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/10/IMG_9572.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-269867" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Houston Dynamo U16 vs. Austin FC U16</figcaption></figure>    Basile captains the GFI U17 team that is scheduled to face SC Del Sol, South Florida Football Academy and FC Westchester in California. A center back with strong physical tools, he does an excellent job of protecting the team's penalty box with his athleticism. Basile also reads the game well and is very good at stepping away from his position to take up space from opposing forwards, getting to win duels just outside the penalty box and blocking shots fairly often. The defender is also very calm and confident on the ball, making good use of the space in front of him when available and connecting intelligent passes out of the back.   <a href="https://sportsrecruits.com/athlete/antonio_basile">Highlights</a>     Alonzo and the IDEA Toros U19 team will appear against Napa United, Los Angeles Surf and Santa Barbara Soccer Club. The center back duo of Alonzo and [player_tooltip player_id='319307' first='Emiliano' last='Elizondo'] is one of the team's strengths as the two operate well together and provide the stability needed for their teammates to push forward. Alonzo, who plays more to the right, uses his good positioning to stop plays and, when he's beaten, he's quick enough to recover and challenge the opponent another time before he finishes or passes the ball. He used to play in midfield and had the ability to shoot from distance, as well as solid passing skills.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/11/IMG_2712.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-272706" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Houston Dynamo U19 vs. IDEA Toros U19</figcaption></figure>    Quezada will be with the AC River U19 team, which have duels against Intercontinental Academy of New England, Rochester NY FC and Cedar Stars Academy Monmouth in their schedule. He joined the team this season and is making an immediate impact in the center of their defense. Quezada thrives with his high soccer IQ, which allows him to make the right choices and to always be in the right spot to make defensive plays. A technical and confident player, he can play a major role in the team's buildup too, either connecting long passes out of the back or breaking lines with quick, shorter ones. Quezada is also very versatile, being capable of playing anywhere across the backline and in midfield.    <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=cDOgoIwkNNY </div></figure>

After months of playing inside their own conferences, the best MLS Next academies in the country will have the opportunity to test themselves against opponents from other regions over the next few days, at the MLS Next Fest event, in Indio, California.