Girl's Academy Playoffs Standouts

It was a little hotter today in Norco as there were tickets punched to Virginia for a select few teams and heartbreak for the majority of others. Many teams went into today with a good or outside chance to qualify for the next phase and you could sense the desperation that some of these young ladies played with. Here are some players who played at a high level for their respective teams:    Antidormi had a great game against Keystone as she distributed the ball really well in midfield. She has great feet and is great at slipping her further players through the gaps of the defense. She was excellent with her free kick and corner deliveries and also converted a penalty. Her NEFC side advance in what was a very tough group to get out of.     Grandinetti pushes into space really well when she picks the ball up in deeper positions. As she dribbles into space she has a great nose for picking out a good pass. Sharp in the tackle and solid technically Grandinetti seems to be a major reason for NEFC's success in this tournament.     St James had a fantastic showing in a wild early morning KO game against Rochester. After a goalless first half 7 second half goals were scored by each team. St James was a catalyst for her teams success. She scored a goal and created a ton of chances for her team. She is excellent in tight pockets and pick out passes through tight windows.     Playing Left Wing Back for her Tophat side Kersh always draws a big crowd of scouts at her games. The youth national team player played well today against a very stout Almaden side. Her athletic gifts are eye popping. She's fast, strong, deceptive, powerful and can run through a defender or around them. Such a high ceiling for this young talent.     Jones was spectacular against TopHat in her outside back role. She flies up and down the pitch, gets stuck in and is very efficient on the ball. Her positioning is very good which gives her the ability to make a lot of plays on the ball.     The youth national team midfielder's talent was on full display against HTX. She can dribble in such tight windows and like any great attacking midfielder is not shy to shoot from distance. She showed excellent vision and timing with her passes she will play quick when needed and slow the game down if necessary as well. She has an extremely high soccer IQ and game understanding for such a young player.     Rubio is an absolute magician on the ball. Her first touch is butter and her ability to create space on the dribble is truly remarkable. The Youth Mexican International is so crafty on the ball and has a vast library of tricks to create space and chances for not only herself but her teammates as well.     Smith has all the tools to be successful at the collegiate level. She's tall, athletic and very technical. She's sensible with her passing and very difficult to beat defensively. Super high ceiling for this young player.     She was wreaking havoc for the Lamorinda defense and was able to get herself on the scoresheet and help earn her side the win. She is a fast, powerful player with a ton of upside. Lipsey should be very proud of her performance in this one.     Ballard had herself a day for Utah Celtic against Rhode Island Surf. She scored two goals to help her team to victory. She is a lethal finisher and really good at combining with her teammates in midfield.     Palafox scored and created a ton of chances for her team against Rhode Island Surf. She's very strong on the half turn and had several interceptions defensively. She reads the game very well and always seems like she was a half step ahead.     Baptiste was playing Left Winger against the Spokane Shadow and her speed is the first thing I noticed. Really fast burst that she combines with elite dribbling. She scored a goal and got to the end line to cross a handful of dangerous balls for her side.     She scored a good goal to put her side ahead against Spokane Shadow. She was a pest defensively and created a lot of chances with a couple of great through balls to her teammates. Has good game awareness and had an impressive motor in such hot conditions.     The Spokane Shadow outside back impressed me with her decision making and progressive passing from the outside back position. She battled defensively and was a very physical presence throughout the game. She played a handful of fantastic balls over the top that held up perfectly for her teammates to get on the end of.     She scored the best goal I saw all day. An absolute banger from about 30 yards into the top corner that had scouts and fans in awe. She is very tidy on the ball, plays excellent through balls and her set piece delivery was outstanding.     Morris has an excellent burst of speed and scored a great header off a cross right at the end of the first half against Columbus United. Her low center of gravity gives her the ability to gain a half step in almost every matchup she has. Definitely a winger to keep an eye on in the future.     [program_tooltip program_id='283391' first='LA' last='Surf'] have themselves a superstar. Freeman reminds me of Patrick Viera. She gallops up and down the field. She makes plays in every phase. She completes a ton of passes, her technique is fantastic, she wins headers, wins ground duels, and is a true leader. A midfield general who is committed to Northwestern, Freeman has endless potential to be a special player.     She was playing Left wing in this game and had a very lively performance. She scored a stunning goal and was a constant threat for her [program_tooltip program_id='283391' first='LA' last='Surf'] side. Really good at receiving the ball in pockets of space where defenders don't know if they should step or stay.     Bradford and Freeman really dominated this game together for [program_tooltip program_id='283391' first='LA' last='Surf']. They have an excellent midfield partnership and understand each other very well. Bradford plays a little further forward and dribbles into space well. She has a great engine and covers a ton of ground which is what is needed in the center of the park. She keeps the ball moving well and is very scrappy defensively winning the majority of her ground duels.     I am very happy I stayed for the 8PM Kick Off's as I got to see this young lady play. She is an absolute beast of a center back. As a 2010 born player I don't think I've seen a player physically dominate a game the way Nyambi did against Surf. She is very good on the ball as well. Has a good burst of speed and just moves strikers out of the way for fun. She is a division 1 talent.

It was a little hotter today in Norco as there were tickets punched to Virginia for a select few teams and heartbreak for the majority of others. Many teams went into today with a good or outside chance to qualify for the next phase and you could sense the desperation that some of these young ladies played with. Here are some players who played at a high level for their respective teams: