Top 5 Players from COPA x Racing Louisville Talent ID Day

It was a beautiful day at the old Oakland Raiders and current Oakland Roots/Soul facility in Alameda, California on Sunday morning. Where around 30 high school aged girls got the chance to compete for a trial with Racing Louisville in the NWSL at a later date. Only one young player was guaranteed a trial. Like I described in my last article these girls were chosen through a process known as a COPA score where physical, mental, technical and athletic ability is tested at the COPA Soccer Training Center in Walnut Creek, California through various training modules/tests. Here are the top 5 players that impressed me the most:   1. [player_tooltip player_id='199883' first='Mercy' last='Karson']- Ultimately Karson was the one who got invited to Louisville for the trial and it was thoroughly deserved. She played on both sides at Center Back and no one could tell if she is left footed or right footed because she is equally proficient with both. Her ability to pick out a pass into midfield or hit a long ball into space is exceptional. Her defensive positioning was phenomenal and she won header after header. Two huge improvements in her game are her fast footwork to get out of trouble and her ability to break the oppositions forward line on the dribble to create her teams next offensive action. Karson combines a genius like soccer IQ with incredible communication and positive energy with her teammates. Her attitude is infectious, her mentality is elite and she has earned herself a trial with an NWSL club. 2. [player_tooltip player_id='146239' first='Rhea' last='Moore']- I have written about her and watched a ton of her highlights over the past year but Sunday was the first time I actually watched her play live and I'm really glad I did as she put on a show. Moore bagged herself the only two goals of the day. She's a problem for any defender to deal with. She is coming off a stint with Angel City at their preseason and you can see what all the hype is about. She's an explosive athlete who can not only bully you in tight spaces but can blow by you with her top end speed. She has an accurate but also powerful shot and her hold up play is really strong. I would be willing to bet that Racing will be keeping tabs on her as well moving forward.   3. [player_tooltip player_id='146238' first='Kendall' last='Conway']- It was my first time watching this young star live. She did not disappoint, her talent is undeniable. She has an extremely high motor and is very comfortable in possession. Conway finds pockets really well on offense and will hunt opposition down defensively. She can play 1-2 touch but then deceptively beat you on the dribble. She's an all-action do everything midfielder with a high ceiling and could probably play anywhere on the field effectively.   4. [player_tooltip player_id='202653' first='Everleigh' last='Porter']- Porter is a phenomenal playmaker. She has incredible foot skills and is really good at playing penetrating balls in behind the oppositions back line. The weight of her passes rarely lets her down and is very good at scanning for such a young player. Her off-ball movement is like watching a professional. She doesn't over run and finds space with exceptional precision.   5 Mia Sieminsky- Her game is improving every time I watch her. She is a Bay Area Surf product and Oakland Soul practice player who seems to get taller and taller any time I come into contact with her. She has exceptional foot skills for such a tall player, she is very tidy on the ball and has a very clean first touch. She has a rare athletic profile and it will be fascinating to see what kind of player she turns into when she grows into her body a little more. Very high ceiling.     <ol class="wp-block-list"></ol>

It was a beautiful day at the old Oakland Raiders and current Oakland Roots/Soul facility in Alameda, California on Sunday morning. Where around 30 high school aged girls got the chance to compete for a trial with Racing Louisville in the NWSL at a later date. Only one young player was guaranteed a trial. Like I described in my last article these girls were chosen through a process known as a COPA score where physical, mental, technical and athletic ability is tested at the COPA Soccer Training Center in Walnut Creek, California through various training modules/tests. Here are the top 5 players that impressed me the most: