Two-Way Outside Backs to Watch at Aggieland Friendship Cup

<p>The 2025-2026 club season is set to officially start within the next few weeks, and teams from all over Texas are currently finalizing their preparations for the upcoming matches and looking to get on the field and compete.</p>   <p>This weekend will mark an important step in the preparation for many teams in the Lone Star State, as they will be fine-tuning their games in friendly matches and tournaments ahead of the start of the season.</p>   <p>Several of them will be in College Station, where the 2025 edition of the traditional Aggieland Cup will be held between Saturday and Sunday. This year, the tournament will feature as many as 170 club teams from the U12 to the U19 age groups, coming from Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin and other areas, and representing the ECNL, GA and DPL leagues, among others.</p>   <p>Some of the best players in Texas will be competing at Veteran's Park this weekend, and we'll present some names for you to follow. These outside backs have the ability to help their teams on both sides of the ball:</p>    <p class="text-gray-700">Troilo and her [program_tooltip program_id='283296' first='Classics' last='Elite'] G10 team are set to face Dallas rivals Solar SC G10 and [program_tooltip program_id='283311' first='Dallas' last='Texans'] G10 during the event. Also capable of playing in midfield, she's typically an option at outside back for them, appearing mostly on the left. Troilo has solid defensive skills and does a great job of using her size and athleticism to keep opponents under pressure and not allow them much space to operate when they get into her zone. She's one to bomb forward frequently, but does a good job of supporting her team's offense with solid passing and intelligent distribution. </p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/02/2J4A0031_d32031.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-279668" /></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Nguyen will be with the SA City SC G10 side that will cross paths with [program_tooltip program_id='283243' first='Albion' last='Hurricanes FC'] RL G11 and [program_tooltip program_id='283317' first='[program_tooltip program_id='280767' first='DKSC' last='']' last=''] G11 Diaz in College Station. Originally an attacking player, she has a very solid all-around game and typically plays left-back for them. Nguyen has excellent defensive instincts and gets the job done on the defensive side of the game by using her excellent spatial awareness to anticipate plays and shut opponents down in 1v1 duels out wide. She's excellent in possession and can support the team's buildup by either connecting solid passes out of the back or beating opponents off the dribble, also appearing in good spots in the final third when she pushes forward.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCjmJbAUUis </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Colquitt will be a key piece for her Solar SC G09 team in their matches against [program_tooltip program_id='283296' first='Classics' last='Elite'] G09 and [program_tooltip program_id='283497' first='Sting' last='Austin'] G09 over the weekend. One of the top outside backs in the state, she recently committed to Baylor and makes a major impact in her team's play from her left-back spot. Colquitt is extremely skilled on the ball and has all the tools to create chances at a high volume, as she can beat opponents off the dribble, send dangerous crosses into the penalty box or find, direct, line-breaking passes from more of a central position. One thing that makes her game even more impactful in the attacking half is her high soccer IQ, which allows her to pick the right option every single time. Colquitt also stands out when playing defense as she's very determined and does a great job of getting opponents uncomfortable with her press.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/aricolquitt/status/1946395803817218321 </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Struyk is part of the [program_tooltip program_id='283243' first='Albion' last='Hurricanes FC'] G09 team that will be tested against [program_tooltip program_id='283397' first='[program_tooltip program_id='278668' first='Lonestar' last='']' last='SC'] RL G08 and Sting Black G09 at the Aggieland Friendship Cup. A recent Texas A&M commit, she's one of the team's main offensive weapons, despite playing as an outside back. Struyk is excellent at driving the ball forward and she's very difficult to stop when she gets going because she covers ground very quickly and is capable of switching directions in no time. Struyk, who can also play on the left, is very well-versed offensively, being capable of beating opponents out wide and crossing the ball into the penalty box or coming inside to finish chances. Her ability to cover ground also helps her when she needs to defend in transition, but she's also very strong in 1v1 duels, using her 5'9" frame to dominate opponents.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XY1Ug5rTKEk </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Garcia is one of the key players in the [program_tooltip program_id='283319' first='Dynamos' last='SC'] RL STX CL G08/07 team that will be faced with [program_tooltip program_id='283397' first='[program_tooltip program_id='278668' first='Lonestar' last='']' last='SC'] RL STX CL G08/07 and [program_tooltip program_id='283296' first='Classics' last='Elite'] RL STX CL G08/07 during the event. A defender with solid technical skills, she can play at both outside back spots, in central defense and even in midfield. Garcia puts a lot of effort into the defensive side of the game and is relentless at keeping opponents under pressure in the final third. She is very clean and efficient on the ball and appears in good spots in the attacking half, occasionally surprising opposing goalkeepers with long-distance shots.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.instagram.com/p/C9VtTu1PCTY/ </div></figure>

The 2025-2026 club season is set to officially start within the next few weeks, and teams from all over Texas are currently finalizing their preparations for the upcoming matches and looking to get on the field and compete.