Dallas Cup Impactful Boys Forwards

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the highlights of the club soccer season in Texas, the Dallas Cup wrapped up earlier this month, ending the 2026 edition of the tournament after eight days of high-level matches across North Texas.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the most prestigious and traditional tournaments in the country, the Dallas Cup reunited teams from all over the country and other nations, such as Canada, Mexico, England, the Netherlands and Brazil in its 20 divisions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prep Soccer Texas was in Dallas following the action earlier in the week, and we'll now report on the players who caught our attention while we were there.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong><a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2026/03/dallas-cup-day-2-boys-photos/">Dallas Cup - Boys Photos</a></strong></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/DWjZ9TAjrSc/","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"instagram","responsive":true} --> <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/DWjZ9TAjrSc/ </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This week, we've been featuring the standouts on the boys' side, and the forwards conclude our coverage of the event:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["295582"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69e249f63c1db"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Maldonado helped his GFI team progress all the way to the semifinals of the tournament's U15 Division. The forward was very good in the team's first match in the tournament, a 6-0 win over SPSA 2011 Red Elite Boys in the group phase. Maldonado played the striker role with a lot of mobility, dropping back to operate between the lines and drifting wide to get involved in the team's playmaking. He demonstrated great vision to explore the space available in the final third and to connect with his teammates, and excellent decision-making even when under pressure.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Isaac Guajardo","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"103","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"[program_tooltip program_id='283624' first='Capital' last='City SC']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69e249f63c365"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Guajardo was with the [program_tooltip program_id='283624' first='Capital' last='City SC'] team that fell in the U19 Division tournament's quarterfinals. A striker, he contributed to the team's 3-2 comeback win over Legends FC during the group phase. Tall and physical, he was very good in the air, efficiently redirecting long passes into the final third and getting the ball to his teammates. He also showed good quality and footwork when working outside the penalty box, beating opponents 1v1 in tight spaces. Guajardo scored a beautiful goal in the match, controlling a long pass with his chest before making a turn on a defender and firing a powerful shot from inside the box.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:image {"id":353835,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/03/2J4A0058_4706bc.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-353835" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Ramiro Varela","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'0u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"103","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"La Vega","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"[program_tooltip program_id='283648' first='FC' last='Dallas'] ECNL","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69e249f63c472"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Varela was part of the [program_tooltip program_id='283648' first='FC' last='Dallas'] Red B09 ECNL team that played in the U17 Division Championship game but finished second. The forward was consistently dangerous in his team's 2-0 win over Strikers Miami FC 2009 Elite Rios in the group phase. A tall and skilled left-footed forward, Varela split his time between the center forward and the left winger spots, showing the quality to deliver in both positions thanks to his ability to slide into pockets of space and combine with his teammates. He also demonstrated excellent shooting skills, scoring one of the team's goals with a beautiful finish from outside the box and taking a free kick that almost went in.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Cristian Cortes","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"103","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"[program_tooltip program_id='283657' first='Houston' last='Dynamo'] Academy","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69e249f63c59d"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Cortes played for the [program_tooltip program_id='283657' first='Houston' last='Dynamo'] team that didn't make it out of the group phase in the U19 Super Group. A winger, he had a solid performance for them in a 3-3 tie with Brazil's Botafogo. Cortes played on the left and was aggressive when going at defenders 1v1, using his dribbling skills to beat opponents and get into dangerous spots inside the penalty box. He assisted in his team's second goal in the match, passing the ball to midfielder Noah Betancourt after making a play on the left.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:image {"id":353874,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/03/2J4A0244_d41b8e.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-353874" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image -->