Six Texas ECNL Standout Performances

Over this past weekend we saw lots of talent out of the Texas ECNL boys tournament. Ranging from 06's to 10's, here are some of the standout performances from over the weekend.    Cameron is a big, physical right back that effectively uses his body to muscle defenders off the ball to regain possession. He does so without fouling or getting too physical, and times his challenges and tackles well when stabbing in. He is a presence in the air, winning lots of aerial challenges and is a serious danger on incoming corners and set pieces. Another aspect to Cameron's game is he is confident bringing the ball forward and starting counter attacks after winning the ball back, driving into the defense before picking out a pass.     Bernardo is a keeper who has some very sure hands in net. He not only can make some superb diving stops, but he either catches them or parries it away from goal, leaving no attackers any room to clean up scraps after a shot. He is no stranger to coming out and making claims on crosses into the box, another example of his stellar hands in net. Another good quality I saw out of Bernardo is his ability to get low, especially on one-on-one situations, and use his feet to make some quick saves. His reactions and coordination are amongst some of the top keepers in the nation.     Isaac looked stellar at center back in the east vs west all star game on Friday night. The center back was thwarting attacks from players on the East side all game, making timely challenges and getting to the ball first. Isaac is not shy to step up and press an opposing attacker into making a mistake, using his presence as a disruptor to win the ball back. His possession play out of the back is quality as well, making calculated passes into the midfield when on the ball. He likes to play the ball out wide, which is a trait I like, as some defenders can commit turnovers by forcing passes in the middle of the pitch. Isaac instead opts to spread the field out and utilize the wings.     Another impressive center back over the weekend, Juan looked like a wall in defense for his side. He frequently intercepts passes and long balls due to his speed and reading of the game. Juan knows where to position himself in order to get in front of passes or to get behind an attacker when anticipating along ball over the top. When he does win back possession, Juan opts to build possession from the back, knocking it around with teammates to build out the back. When in doubt though, he is not afraid to get rid of the ball in dangerous areas, and will clear it up the pitch when he sees fit.     A class center mid, Vincent is a distributor in the midfield and can cause havoc on opposing defenses with his passing. He can either play tiki-taka styled passing in the middle of the pitch or play long switch and through balls out wide to his wingers and forwards. He passes and moves off the ball really well, moving into space after playing a ball in order to get open and receive the ball again. His defensive work-rate is very high, tracking back well to disrupt attacks and work his way back up the pitch.     A tantalizing winger, Cameron uses a mix of his pace and dribbling skills on the ball to beat defenders and cause problems down the wing. During the East vs West all star game, Cameron broke out from about midfield and beat 3 defenders in a row before taking a shot at goal which forced a great save from the goalie. He can play some nice crosses into the box, as well as some squared ground balls across the 6 yard box that leave defenders scrambling trying to clear.

Over this past weekend we saw lots of talent out of the Texas ECNL boys tournament. Ranging from 06's to 10's, here are some of the standout performances from over the weekend.