CA High School Girls: Homestead at Archbishop Mitty

It was a cool 50 degrees with sunshine in San Jose during a non-league match featuring the Homestead Mustangs at the 11th ranked Archbishop Mitty Monarchs in San Jose, CA.  To say that the Monarchs were stacked with a lot of top level club players would be an understatement.  They also had on their roster the #1 ranked 2028 Prep Soccer player in the state and #1 in her position.  All eyes were on [player_tooltip player_id='111097' first='Chloe' last='Miller'], a U.S. U15 Women's Youth National player.  Although she was only activated in the second half, she displayed high level skills which could only be found on the national level players.    Other players in the spotlight for the Monarchs were GK [player_tooltip player_id='199880' first='Layla' last='Tucakovic'],  ranked #15 in CA and #3 in position - 2027.  She made multiple stops at close range and closed in on attackers slipping through the defense.  She is a legit 5'10'”keeper with excellent anticipation, hands, and range.  [player_tooltip player_id='111177' first='Zuri' last='Brandt'], another 2027 ranked player at #32 in CA and #10 as a forward.  She showed technical skills in slicing through the defense, while scoring the last 2 goals in their 6-0 win over the Mustangs.   Lilly Jones, a freshman forward, applied high pressure by pressing defenders as soon as they received passes in the attacking third and made fast breaks and angled runs to the goal.  Brooklynn Collier scored the opening 2 goals, but made an impression by scoring one of the quickest goals I've seen in awhile, 27 seconds into the match.  That goal essentially set the tempo for her team and for the rest of the game.   The Mustangs led by coach Raquel DeJesus had a few quality chances on goal, but luck was not on their side.  Next up for Homestead will be a match at Los Gatos, the number #1 team in their league.  As for coach John “JT” Hanley and his team, they will be looking forward to winning another league title and making a long run in the CCS (Central Coast Section) playoffs.  Also, it is safe to say that Monarchs will have at least 3 more years of success as all featured players are either in their Freshman or Sophomore year.  They should be fine as they have been one of the most successful soccer programs in California by winning 26 league titles, 18 CCS Championships, and last year's 2024 NorCal title.      She has breakaway speed and slips behind defenders on timed runs.  Brooklynn also made a few connecting passes to free up space before accelerating towards the goal.  Her concentration once inside of the 18-yard box was spot-on as she scored the goals by placing it outside of the goalkeeper's reach.  She also sent a few quality corner kicks which placed players in scoring positions     She made some strong runs up the left wing and applied high pressure on defenders. Lilly has good dribbling skills and made diagonal passes to players making overlapping runs.  Jones showed good strength as defenders tried knocking her off the ball.  Also, winning the ball back and taking power shots on goal made the defense a bit nervous whenever she had the ball.     She showed technical skills in slicing through the defense and made precise shots on goals.  Checking back to receive the ball was one of the things she did well.  Brandt was able to make quick decisive moves to get into scoring range.  At times she seemed to be in constant motion as defenders weren't able to keep up with her pace.  She was always aware of her spacing before committing to making her runs on goal.  Great finishing skills as she slashed between defenders to score the last 2 goals.     Demonstrated great vision and shot-stopping skills.  Layla also anticipated runs and shut down breakaway runs towards the penalty box.  She didn't back down against players slipping through the defense and made a few diving saves off of quality shots.  Her presence in the goal was felt when she went up high to intercept or punch away on goal shot attempts.  Tukacovic is a top notch goalkeeper who will definitely rise in the rankings as the seasons goes on.     Great sense for the game, positioned herself well, and pushed up on counter attacks.  Chloe has great technical skills and composure.  She was calm and collective, but transitioned to attack mode during counter attacks.  Her ability to make precise passes from the back and sending through passes and passes over the top of the defense was a sight to see.  Connecting passes with the change of field kept the ball in their possession and alleviated pressure on her keeper.  One of her most notable runs was on a receiving pass just outside of the box.  She shook off a defender with some polished dribbling skills and took a long shot which was heading to the top far right corner.  Just as it appeared to hit the back of the net, the goalkeeper made a great save by going high to stop what would've made the crowd go wild.    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1892981725791179019 </div></figure>   <a href="https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1882682829739610600">https://twitter.com/BayAreaSocScout/status/1882682829739610600</a>

It was a cool 50 degrees with sunshine in San Jose during a non-league match featuring the Homestead Mustangs at the 11th ranked Archbishop Mitty Monarchs in San Jose, CA. To say that the Monarchs were stacked with a lot of top level club players would be an understatement. They also had on their roster the #1 ranked 2028 Prep Soccer player in the state and #1 in her position. All eyes were on Chloe Miller Chloe Miller 5'9" | D/M Archbishop Mitty | 2028 State #1 Nation CA , a U.S. U15 Women's Youth National player. Although she was only activated in the second half, she displayed high level skills which could only be found on the national level players.