Virginia Standouts To Keep An Eye On

<p>It seems we are finally (maybe) done with snow and cold weather in Virginia and that can mean only one thing... Jefferson Cup is right around the corner, where virtually all of US youth soccer visits the Richmond area for a few days of high level footy between some of the top teams in the nation! The hotels next to River City Sportsplex are not there yet, but they are coming soon! For now, let's cover some of the top VA talent to look out for this Spring.</p>    <p class="text-gray-700">Being called one of the best players in your class in your state comes with a lot of pressure to perform week in and week out. Lexi has handled that wonderfully and put in the work necessary to keep herself at the top of the list. Newman is very clever on the ball, changing directions and manipulating the ball quickly with both feet. Her dribbling technique and footwork really keeps defenders of balance. She plays at a deceiving pace and builds the moment to blow by defenders. Once in space, she has great vision to find teammates with perfectly weighted through balls in dangerous positions. She can also finish clinically with both feet. Lexi also delivers set pieces into very dangerous positions, or simply into the net, regularly.</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://youtu.be/TxcW7xewECk?si=UoOvylTMp8qehXgb </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='223012' first='Finley' last='Smith'] has been making noise climbing the ranks of the 2028 class for over a year now. Finley is a very strong athlete on the wing with tons of pace. She has a great work rate to be first to crosses, 50/50 balls, and uses that high level of activity to be a menace for opposing teams when her team is out of possession. Smith finishes well with both feet. She has a very good understanding of time and space. When Finley receives the ball out on the wing, she does a great job to beat defenders 1v1 and play dangerous crosses in the area.</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://youtu.be/hC4oTfUzlXw?si=HxDkx5R0taESRtI3 </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='223020' first='Madison' last='Davis'] is a Forward for the 09 [program_tooltip program_id='283449' first='Richmond' last='United'] team. As a winger, Madison shows great ability to beat defenders 1v1, the ability and strength to play crosses into the box, and very good speed. Davis is also very comfortable finding space in the box to finish plays, and receiving the ball with her back to goal as a striker. This versatility makes it very difficult for defenders to keep track of her. She is very much a plus athlete, as she regularly wins aerial battles as well. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Emilia Afre is a midfielder for Beach FC ECNL and Collegiate School. Afre has also represented the Guatemalan national team at the U17 level. Emilia is a crafty midfielder that is clean with the ball and intelligent - knowing when to play the ball quickly and when to take space and drive forward. Defensively, Emilia is tough and has no problem when games get a little more physical. She has played a big role against quality players that were 2-3 years older on her Collegiate team, most notably a win against the eventual Class 6 state champions, Deep Run.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='347419' first='Kylie' last='Simpkins'] is a left footed center back for [program_tooltip program_id='283449' first='Richmond' last='United'] ECNL and Deep Run HS. She played an important role in the Deep Run state title last Spring as a freshman. Simpkins' intelligence as a defender is very impressive. She takes the right angles to keep players out of dangerous positions, tackles at the right time, and is rarely beaten on aerial battles. Kylie also takes free kicks and corners for her club team, as she delivers accurate services into the area. Her range of passing stands out during open play as well, playing accurate long balls when other teams are pressing high.</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://youtu.be/IDdqOkssARA?si=xugkwArAu0vxBmTh </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Annie plays center back next to [player_tooltip player_id='347419' first='Kylie' last='Simpkins'] on their [program_tooltip program_id='283449' first='Richmond' last='United'] squad. They do a great job of reading the game and communicating together, making sure they are on the same page. Annie is very aggressive on balls in the air, clearing out a lot of potential opportunities for opponents. Toole is also a very good passer, showing the ability to be the start of the attack by breaking lines with accurate passes to her teammates. Annie is also very good at taking the right angles to keep attackers out of the middle of the field and making sure they are uncomfortable.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Brianna is a versatile athlete with a very strong motor, probably best suited as a wingback at the next level. She has very good pace. Laratta stands out as one of those players that just always happens to win 50/50 balls. She excels at anticipating other players and the ball's movement, often times turning into a possession advantage for her team. Once she gets up the wing, she delivers quality crosses. She has a good knack for finding open space and finishing crosses when she is on the weak side of the attack. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='316020' first='Brynn' last='Groseth'] is a center midfielder that is very good on the ball. Brynn shows great spatial awareness, often times using her first touch to put the ball into open space, or to manipulate a defender and open a passing lane. She also shows great ability to pick out her teammates at all levels with accurate passes. Brynn reads the field very well, switching the point of attack at the right moments. Defensively, she shows great instincts to step in front of and intercept passes. She excels in transition moments to get her team on the attack. </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://youtu.be/JfzM4AKZZRs?si=UIyrlbEb0urI5xm7 </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Addie Sarantakos is a forward with a wonderful understanding of how to drop to combine with her teammates and get more numbers forward. She has a lot of the characteristics of a midfield player with her clean touches, great vision, and tidy work on the ball. Sarantakos is very good at finding open space in the box and excels at finishing off the dribble, or first time. Her brother, Nick, plays Forward at High Point University. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Logan is a midfielder and a recent USYNT Camp invitee. She is a midfielder that creates scoring chances for her team virtually every chance she gets. Her dribbling technique stands out right away, especially the way she is able to continue to beat defenders, change directions, and keep that control at higher speeds. Lombard is very good at keeping defenders on their heels, and she picks the right time to slip her teammates in on goal, once she has drawn a defender to open up the passing lane. If the defenders fail to step up, Logan is capable of finishing plays herself as well. </p>

It seems we are finally (maybe) done with snow and cold weather in Virginia and that can mean only one thing... Jefferson Cup is right around the corner, where virtually all of US youth soccer visits the Richmond area for a few days of high level footy between some of the top teams in the nation! The hotels next to River City Sportsplex are not there yet, but they are coming soon! For now, let's cover some of the top VA talent to look out for this Spring.