ECNL Florida: Texas Midfielders with Game-Changing Ability

<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. The midfielders are up next:</p>    <p class="text-gray-700">Murdock and his [program_tooltip program_id='283274' first='BVB' last='IA Texas'] team will meet Richmond United, Alabama FC and Union KC in their three matches in the U16 division in Florida. A central midfielder who can also play on the backline, he has a well-rounded game and brings a lot of different things to the table when he's on the field. Murdock is very smooth on the ball and his ability to beat opponents in tight spaces often helps his team relieve pressure. He's also a solid passer who needs no time to identify the best option and deliver the ball to his teammates. When playing defense, Murdock does a good job of anticipating plays and stepping up from his spot to press opponents and force them back.</p>      <p class="text-gray-700">Harrison plays for the DKSC team that will play against LVU Rush, FC Wisconsin and Concorde Fire Platinum in the U17 age group of the event. A dynamic and technical central midfielder, he's the heart and soul of the team, having a big weight in what they do on the field. Harrison does a lot in possession and is capable of dropping back to get the ball from the defenders to initiate plays and to deliver final passes in the attacking half equally well. He's also a goalscoring threat, stepping into the box to finish chances, finishing very well from outside the box and being a force in the air in set pieces. He also does a lot defensively, patrolling the center of the field with his big frame and being very precise and firm to win duels. </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=F1Ko0wTdy4g </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Miranda will be with [program_tooltip program_id='283397' first='Lonestar' last='SC'] Red when they play Chicago Magic, XF Academy and Sporting Nebraska FC in the U17 age group in Lakewood Ranch. A center midfielder, he has a very interesting profile, standing at 6'5" and having tons of quality in his left foot. He operates very well as a deep-lying playmaker, using his passing range and vision to move the ball up the field, but also delivers goals, finishing with power and precision from outside the box and getting into it to convert chances with his head and feet. He's more mobile and smoother on the ball than one would imagine for a player of his size and appears well defensively too, reading plays extremely well and being very accurate with his actions.</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=zMeEqy7jvdo </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Diaz and the [program_tooltip program_id='283311' first='Dallas' last='Texans'] Academy U18-19 team will have Charlotte SA, NTH NASA and Florida Kraze on the other side of the field in Florida. A left-footed central midfielder, he brings intensity and quality, getting heavily involved in all they do in the attacking half. Diaz tends to play more to the left side of his team's offense, but he diversifies a lot how he attacks opposing backline, at times playing centrally and distributing the game and on other moments getting wide to make plays in 1v1 duels. An excellent passer, he also has a strong scoring presence, firing dangerous shots from distance and getting into the box to finish chances.</p>      <p class="text-gray-700">Olmedo plays for the [program_tooltip program_id='283648' first='FC' last='Dallas'] Red team that's set to face East Coast Surf SC, Louisiana Fire Soccer Club and Potomac Soccer Association in Florida. A defensive midfielder, he does solid two-way work for them, combining intensity and quality on the ball. Olmedo is very disciplined tactically and stands out for his defensive game in the center of the field, covering a lot of ground and shielding the backline with strong tackles. He also takes good care of the ball, supporting the team's buildup and showing nice vision to deliver accurate long passes behind the backline.</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=cFFwRM0MyQ0 </div></figure>   <p></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.