Copa Rayados: Difference-Making Midfielders

One of the most traditional youth soccer tournaments annually held in Texas, the Copa Rayados took place over Thanksgiving weekend in the Houston area.   The 14th edition of the tournament organized by Mexican powerhouse Rayados de Monterrey reunited 358 teams from the U9 to the U19 age groups, representing Texas and other American states, such as Florida, California, Ohio, Colorado, Georgia, Washington, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Maryland, and international sides coming from Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico for five days of matches from Wednesday to Sunday in the region of The Woodlands.   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2025/11/copa-rayados-day-1-photos/">Copa Rayados : Day 1 Photos</a></li> </ul>   Prep Soccer Texas was in attendance on Wednesday, when we got to follow the debut of several teams from the Lone Star State that played at Bear Branch Sports Park, and shortlisted a few players in each position that demonstrated great potential to develop into top players for their clubs.   We're taking the week to share our findings, and it's now time we get to know some of the midfielders who did a lot for their teams:    Balboa captained [program_tooltip program_id='283612' first='Austin' last='FC'] in the U14 Supergroup, where they advanced until the semifinal round with a campaign of three wins, one loss and one tie. Playing as a defensive midfielder for them, he typically has a lot of ground to cover and shows enough energy to do it as he shields the backline with strong defensive actions. Balboa gets on the ball a lot when his team has possession and does a great job of quickly and efficiently moving it from one side of the field to the other with accurate and intelligent passing. He also likes to step into the attacking half to play direct passes and find the forwards in good spots.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/11/2J4A0023_791fed.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-342074" /></figure>    Knupfer was with the [program_tooltip program_id='283657' first='Houston' last='Dynamo'] team that finished second in the U14 Supergroup with an undefeated campaign of three wins and three ties. A high-energy defensive midfielder, he does much of the hard work for the team in the center of the field, covering a lot of ground and intelligently occupying the space. Knupfer does a great job of keeping opponents under pressure and typically picks the right moments to go at them with clean tackles, having a great success rate with his actions, while also avoiding unnecessary fouls. The midfielder also has solid skills in possession, moving the ball quickly and remaining calm and composed when under pressure.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/11/2J4A0067_d96526.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-342084" /></figure>    Zaragoza and his [program_tooltip program_id='283658' first='Houston' last='Rangers'] team ended up in second place in the U15 Supergroup silver bracket, producing a campaign of one win, three losses and two ties. One of the team's most dynamic players, the center midfielder is very active and makes an impact for them on both sides of the ball. Zaragoza is very disciplined and determined defensively, stepping out of his position to win the ball and stop plays with well-timed tackles. He also adds a lot offensively, distributing the ball intelligently, making strong runs through the center of the field and popping up in good spots around the box to finish chances.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/11/2J4A0120_8e359a.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-342099" /></figure>    Brea featured for the HTX team that finished second in the U15 Supergroup and ended the tournament with three wins, one loss and two ties. A box-to-box midfielder, he brings a lot of energy to the team with his ability to cover ground both defensively and offensively. Brea consistently steps into the final third to take part in the team's offense, and does it with great competence, popping up in good spots and demonstrating solid finishing skills and calmness in front of the goal. He's very disciplined defensively and does well when it comes to getting opponents under pressure.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/11/2J4A0094_cd8c2b.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-342091" /></figure>    Reyes-Martinez helped [program_tooltip program_id='338628' first='Houstonians' last='FC'] triumph in the U17 Blue division with an undefeated campaign of four wins and two ties. A left-footed attacking midfielder, he's very skilled and technical on the ball, being one of the most talented offensive players in the state in his age group. Reyes-Martinez likes to drop deep to get on the ball and is very difficult to stop when he pushes it forward because his movement is very quick, with constant changes of direction and he keeps the ball very close to his feet. He also has excellent vision to find passes behind the backline and precision to connect long passes and superior finishing skills.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/11/2J4A0273_c8cf92.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-342126" /></figure>

One of the most traditional youth soccer tournaments annually held in Texas, the Copa Rayados took place over Thanksgiving weekend in the Houston area.