MLSNext U17: Troconis and Favaloro push the Rangers past Toros

The MLS Next League season continues to progress across the country, with multiple matches being held every weekend. This season, we at Prep Soccer Texas have been following the matches involving the teams from the state very closely.   On Saturday, May 10, while several teams from the Lone Star State competed at the MLS Next Flex event in Baltimore, Maryland, we made it to Crossbar Academy, in North Houston, where the [program_tooltip program_id='283658' first='Houston' last='Rangers'] U17 team defeated IDEA Toros 2-0 in a league match.   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2025/05/mls-next-u17-houston-rangers-vs-idea-toros-photos/">Photos: [program_tooltip program_id='283658' first='Houston' last='Rangers'] U17 vs. IDEA Toros U17</a></li> </ul>   The Rangers started building their victory early in the first half, as in the 11th minute forward Rodrigo Troconis got on the ball just outside the penalty box and fired a low shot into the back of the net. The home team had a great opportunity to double their lead still in the first half, when defender Daniel Alexandre was taken down in the box, but Toros' goalkeeper Reymundo Quiroga stepped up to stop his penalty kick shot.   The Rangers had a second penalty kick called for them in the eighth minute of the second half, when forward Diego Favaloro was fouled by Quiroga inside the box. The forward went to the ball and sent it into the left upper corner, giving the Toros' goalkeeper no chance to do anything this time. Led by forward Lukka Tovar, the team from Edinburg played offensive-minded soccer for most of the second half, but couldn't get a goal.   The positive result made the Rangers complete their campaign in the MLS Next Frontier Division with 14 points (four wins, ten losses, two ties), getting to seventh place. They passed the Toros, who are eighth with 12 points (three wins, eight losses, three ties), but still have two matches in hand.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Players of the Match</h2>    The Rangers' most advanced player in the field, Troconis was the reference of the team's attack, but his constant movement brought an interesting dynamic to the team's offense. The forward started the match very well, giving his team an early lead with a well-placed shot from outside the box within the first 15 minutes. Troconis did a good job of drifting wide and creating space for his team's midfielders to infiltrate through the middle. He also worked well with his back to the goal and dropped deeper to get on the ball and engage in combination plays on some occasions. Troconis displayed good finishing ability, firing dangerous shots on target throughout the match.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/05/2J4A0223.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-287149" /></figure>    Favaloro connected very well with Troconis up top, and his constant movement off the ball gave his team a lot of offensive options. The forward was excellent at identifying open areas in the final third and getting into them to get on the ball and make plays. His quick thinking and his ability to beat defenders in 1v1 duels generated several chances for his team, including the play that generated the team's second goal, when he made a strong run on the right and was taken down by Quiroga before getting in front of an open net. Favaloro was very confident and precise in taking the penalty kick, sending a perfect shot into the upper corner to put his team in a great position to win the match.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/05/2J4A0263.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-287161" /></figure>    Majano anchored the Rangers' midfield, playing with tremendous quality and intensity on both sides of the ball. He did a good job of shielding the team's backline, making good reads from his defensive midfielder spot, and being very firm to win duels and stop plays. Majano did well on the ball too, playing a big role in the team's buildup as he consistently came close to the center backs to initiate plays and managed to progress the ball with his accurate passing. He was very accurate with his distribution throughout the game, making very few errors, and also used his body make turns and moves to create space in the center of the field.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/05/2J4A0299.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-287173" /></figure>    Alexandre had a solid shift on the left side of the Rangers' backline. He started the match on the left of the team's back three and was very active defensively, using his physical tools to dominate opponents and win possession. Alexandre also showed a tendency to go forward when he saw the space and supported the team's offense with strong runs on the ball, drawing a penalty kick in one of them near the end of the first half - he took it well, but saw the Toros' goalkeeper stop his shot. The defender moved to left wingback during the second half and increased his presence in the attacking half, connecting with his teammates and exploring the space out wide.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/05/2J4A0231.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-287152" /></figure>    Playing as a right wingback, Lucey was very active during the match and was among the Rangers' most interesting attacking options. He consistently pushed forward on the right and helped his team stretch the field, creating the space for their dynamic forwards to thrive in the middle. Lucey managed to get to the end line on many occasions, and set some crosses into the box, but also came inside and made diagonal runs, diversifying the team's attack. The wingback was tasked with defending the Toros' most dangerous player, forward Lukka Tovar, during part of the match, and did a good job of keeping him out of the penalty box.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/05/2J4A0267.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-287162" /></figure>    Quiroga had an excellent match in goal for the Toros and helped his team stay in the game against the Rangers despite their opponents' superiority. A big, athletic keeper, he handled crosses and shots with great efficiency and was very reliable with his actions. Quiroga was excellent at saving a penalty kick near the end of the first half, exploding for the ball and showing great confidence to catch it. He made a couple more big saves in the second half, stopping shots fired from very close range, and couldn't have done any better to avoid the two goals the team conceded. The goalkeeper was also extremely vocal during the match, consistently encouraging and instructing his teammates.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/05/2J4A0209.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-287144" /></figure>    Playing one age group up, Tovar was the main offensive weapon for the Toros against the Rangers. Even though the team didn't get to score in Houston, most of what they created went through him. Tovar started the match on the left side of the team's attack and had some success in 1v1 plays, taking the ball to the end line and making nice crosses into the box. He moved to the attacking midfielder role during the second half and had some good runs through the middle. The forward also passed the ball very well during the match, showing intelligence and vision to find teammates in good spots with diagonals and through balls.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/05/2J4A0302.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-287174" /></figure>    Playing as a right-sided center back, Hernandez had a good match for the Toros. A very mobile defender, he did well dealing with the Rangers' dynamic attackers and was solid when asked to defend in space and step up to cover his teammates. Hernandez also thrived with his positioning and appeared in good spots to make tackles inside and around the box. The center back did good work on the ball as well, showing calm and composure to connect passes out of the back, even when under pressure.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/05/2J4A0211_9386de.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-287145" /></figure>

The MLS Next League season continues to progress across the country, with multiple matches being held every weekend. This season, we at Prep Soccer Texas have been following the matches involving the teams from the state very closely.