Dallas Cup Rock-Solid Girls Center Backs

One of the highlights of the club soccer season in Texas, the Dallas Cup wrapped up on Sunday, ending the 2026 edition of the tournament after eight days of high-level matches across North Texas.   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.   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.   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2026/04/dallas-cup-day-3-girls-photos-2/">Dallas Cup - Girls Photos</a></li> </ul>   <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/DWl-H8FjknH/?img_index=1 </div></figure>   This week, we're featuring the girls, and the center backs are up next on our schedule:    Hendrix was with the [program_tooltip program_id='283648' first='FC' last='Dallas'] ECNL G10 team that didn't make it out of their group in the U16 Division. She had a solid shift in central defense in a 1-0 group phase loss to [program_tooltip program_id='278027' first='Solar' last='SC ECNL'] G11, doing a great job of defending the team's penalty box. Hendrix stood out with her positioning and managed to clear many crosses, both in the air and on the ground. The center back also showed good defensive instincts, stepping up to intercept passes and block shots on the edge of the box. Hendrix was very reliable with the ball, too, passing it efficiently out of the back and driving it upfield when she had space to advance in front of her.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/03/2J4A0114_30ffc1.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-353988" /></figure>    Rodriguez was one of the pillars in the [program_tooltip program_id='278027' first='Solar' last='SC ECNL'] G11 team that won the U16 Division with an undefeated campaign. Solar didn't concede any goals in the event, and she was decisive in the success of their defensive system, delivering an excellent performance in their most challenging match of the week, a 1-0 win over [program_tooltip program_id='283648' first='FC' last='Dallas'] ECNL G10 in the group phase. Rodriguez was often matched up with [player_tooltip player_id='280889' first='Alaia' last='Harrington'] and did a good job against Dallas' star forward, holding her own in physical duels and avoiding that she turned and faced the goal. The center back also demonstrated quality on the ball to initiate the team's buildup and stepped into the attacking half on some occasions, firing a dangerous shot from outside the box.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/03/2J4A0089_6f5d71.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-353983" /></figure>    King played for the [program_tooltip program_id='283311' first='Dallas' last='Texans'] ECNL G10 team that advanced all the way to the semifinals in the U16 Division. Originally an outside back, she played center back in a 3-3 group phase tie against [program_tooltip program_id='283648' first='FC' last='Dallas'] ECNL RL G10 and was one of the team's standouts in that encounter. King used her excellent mobility and positioning to make defensive plays around the penalty box, stepping up to cover her teammates out wide. She also did well when defending centrally, having success in duels and coming up with timely tackles inside the box. A lefty, King supported the team's buildup with intelligent passing out of the back and some runs on the ball that helped the Texans move forward.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/03/2J4A0149_8b68b6.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-353992" /></figure>    Ellis played for the [program_tooltip program_id='278027' first='Solar' last='SC ECNL'] G10 team that made it to the semifinals of the tournament's U17 Division. I got to watch them in a 6-0 group phase win against [program_tooltip program_id='283648' first='FC' last='Dallas'] White ECNL RL NTX G09, in which their offensive power was obviously on display, but her solid performance in the backline didn't go unnoticed. With her team vastly dominating possession, Ellis saw a lot of the ball and consistently did good things with it, taking the space in front of her and setting up offensive plays with her ability to break lines with her passing. The center back also did well when Dallas tried to hit in transition, stepping up to intercept long passes and showing solid mobility to track opponents down in the defensive half and win the ball.

One of the highlights of the club soccer season in Texas, the Dallas Cup wrapped up on Sunday, ending the 2026 edition of the tournament after eight days of high-level matches across North Texas.