ECNL Florida: Texas Defenders with Great Potential

<p>The 2026 year will come fast and furious for teams competing in the ECNL League, as the first National Event of the year for the Boys is set to take place in the very first weekend of the year, from January 3-5, in Florida.</p>   <p>Designed for teams in the U16, U17 and U18-19 age groups, the showcase will be held in Lakewood Ranch, in the Sarasota area, having the Premier Sports Campus facility as the venue.</p>   <p>The event will reunite 230 teams, and Texas will be largely represented, accounting for 19 of them, from five clubs in the Lone Star State - [program_tooltip program_id='283274' first='BVB' last='IA Texas'], [program_tooltip program_id='283311' first='Dallas' last='Texans'], [program_tooltip program_id='283317' first='[program_tooltip program_id='280767' first='DKSC' last='']' last=''], [program_tooltip program_id='283648' first='FC' last='Dallas'] and [program_tooltip program_id='283397' first='[program_tooltip program_id='278668' first='Lonestar' last='']' last='SC'].</p>   <p>With the ECNL Florida showcase starting in just a few days, it's time we know some of the Texas players who will be in action in Lakewood Ranch. Today, we'll look into the defenders:</p>    <p class="text-gray-700">Ingram plays for the [program_tooltip program_id='283648' first='FC' last='Dallas'] White team that will be tested against Maryland United FC, Connecticut FC United and Florida West FC in Lakewood Ranch in the U16 age group. He plays as an outside back for them, primarily on the right, and does a good job of using his superior athleticism to impact the game on both sides of the ball. 'CJ' is a tall outside back, who uses his height to clear long passes and help defend the penalty box in crosses, while also being very physical and firm to win duels. Also capable of playing as a winger, he does a good job of dribbling the ball forward, displaying solid control and using his long legs to quickly cover ground and progress into the final third.</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/CraigDIngram/status/1967964714979438641/ </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Quince is a part of the DKSC U17 team that is scheduled to face LVU Rush, FC Wisconsin and Concorde Fire Platinum in this week's event. Capable of playing in central defense or in the midfield, he's a pillar in their defensive system, delivering solidness with his consistent and efficient game. Combining nice size, great decision-making and quickness to react, Quince has interesting tools in his game and is very difficult to beat inside and around the penalty box. He's very proactive and incisive in possession, too, always looking to get on the ball and be involved in the team's buildup and displaying great vision and precision to connect long passes out of the back.</p>      <p class="text-gray-700">Having McNeal-Noumane in the backline, [program_tooltip program_id='283274' first='BVB' last='IA Texas'] will play against NTH NASA, Pipeline SC and NCFC Youth Academy in the showcase's U17 division. A center back, he's solid defensively and brings a lot to the table with his quality on the ball. Defensively, McNeal-Noumane stands out for his ability to read the game and step up to make interceptions, but he can also be patient and hold his position, waiting for the right moment to make a play for the ball. He's very confident and dynamic in possession, and, besides having a solid passing range, can also take the ball upfield by dribbling it from the backline.</p>      <p class="text-gray-700">Cox and his [program_tooltip program_id='283397' first='Lonestar' last='SC'] Red team will have Match Fit Surf, NCFC Youth Academy and South Carolina Surf as their opponents in the event's U18-19 age group. A center back, he's extremely clean and timely with his defensive actions, and stands out for his ability to efficiently stop plays, even when faced against quicker or more physical opponents. Also capable of playing in midfield, Cox reads plays very well and quickly blocks passing lanes, registering many interceptions every time he steps on the field. He also has a great deal of quality on the ball, thriving with his distribution out of the back, but also showing calm and confidence to dribble opponents to create space when under pressure.</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=7RxDnYadm4I </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Severson will be with [program_tooltip program_id='283648' first='FC' last='Dallas'] White when they play Arlington Soccer, South Carolina United and Colorado Rapids Central in the U18-19 division. A player with an interesting physical profile and a solid all-around game, he mostly plays right back for them, but can be used anywhere across the backline and even in midfield. Severson uses his size very well to dominate in the air and win physical duels, but is also very efficient when defending on the ground, combining good mobility and nice defensive instincts. He also performs well on the ball, maneuvering it smoothly on the flanks and being capable of sending accurate crosses into the box.</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=dGZqcdmkQ6E </div></figure>

The 2026 year will come fast and furious for teams competing in the ECNL League, as the first National Event of the year for the Boys is set to take place in the very first weekend of the year, from January 3-5, in Florida.