TX Preseason: Davidson's brace gets Challenge SC U17 past Rise SC

<p>After a quick break in the summer, the 2026-2027 club soccer season is about to start, with most of the boys' and girls' leagues having start dates between the end of August and the first half of September.</p>   <p>Prep Soccer Texas will continue what it's done for the past few seasons and will offer extensive coverage in the MLS Next, the ECNL, and the Girls Academy Leagues, attending matches and tournaments in the Lone Star State so we can follow the progress of the prospects in the state and be introduced to new ones, providing them with the exposure they deserve.</p>   <p>Before league play begins, we're covering preseason games, and on Saturday, August 8, we were at South Campus in Houston when Rise SC in the Girls Academy League and <a href="https://prepsoccer.com/program/challenge-sc/"><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='283282' first='Challenge' last='SC']</strong></a> in the ECNL League met in the U17 age group.</p>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><strong>Rise SC U17 vs. [program_tooltip program_id='283282' first='Challenge' last='SC'] U17 - <a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2026/08/tx-club-preseason-rise-sc-u17-vs-challenge-sc-u17-photos/">Photos</a></strong></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/Db6DysvDnda/?img_index=1 </div></figure>   <p>The match was played in three 25-minute periods, and Challenge scored twice in the second one to build their 2-0 victory. The first goal was scored in the third minute, after forward [player_tooltip player_id='293358' first='Callie' last='Cleveland'] crossed from the left, fellow forward [player_tooltip player_id='214143' first='Jazzlyn' last='Davidson'] challenged Rise's goalkeeper and picked up the rebound to score. Davidson scored again in the 16th minute, picking up the rebound after a corner kick and sending a left-footed shot into the upper corner.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Players of the Match</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Davidson came in during the match and was absolutely critical in Challenge's victory, scoring both of their goals - she almost got a hat-trick, but saw her show hit the post. The forward brought a lot of intensity up top for the team, making stong runs on and off the ball and consistently challenging Rise's backline. Davidson benefited from her great positioning inside the box to pick up rebounds and score both goals, hitting a difficult first-time shot in the first one as she was moving away from the goal and had multiple players between her and the net. She did well in constantly getting involved in her team's attacking plays and was a constant option for them.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/08/2J4A0163.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-384188" /></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">The versatile Orlandi was a stud in the backline for Challenge, providing them with great stability and balance with her well-rounded game. A Puerto Rican youth international, she started the match at right back and then moved to central defense when her team switched to a back three. Orlandi was very solid defensively in both roles, using her quickness to stop opponents with firm, well-timed tackles. She also showed quality on the ball, helping her team efficiently build out of the back and making plays in the attacking half when used as an outside back.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/08/2J4A0127.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-384171" /></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Babajanov played a different role than usual, working as more of a playmaker, and did very well, getting involved in many of Challenge'ss attacking plays. The left-footed forward would drop deeper to get on the ball, beat defenders with quick turns and deliver accurate passes behind the backline that got her teammates in great positions to score. Babajanov was also very good at making runs on the ball, quickly getting it into the final third so she could finish or pass it. The new role didn't make of her any less of a goalscoring threat, as she continued to make runs behind the backline, get into good spots inside the box and fire powerful long shots, hitting the crossbar in one of them.</p>    <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/Db3i45dTN_U/ </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Sincler helped Challenge contain Rise's offense and start the season with a clean sheet with a solid performance in central defense. She was very reliable in both systems used by her team and did well when defending the penalty box, using her height to dominate in the air and her positioning to shut opponents down. Sincler also stood out for her ability to read the game, and often popped up in great spots to cover her teammates. The center back was calm and composed on the ball and helped Challenge move it efficiently.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/08/2J4A0098.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-384159" /></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Playing as a box-to-box midfielder, Paredes was important for Rise as they wanted to keep possession and move the ball upfield when they had it. The Guatemalan youth international was very good at keeping the ball, making turns on defenders and using her first touch to get away from pressure. Paredes demonstrated excellent vision, too, managing to engage in quick plays through the middle with first-time passes and delivering good long balls into the final third. The midfielder was also very active defensively, playing with intensity and helping her team compete in the center of the field.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/08/2J4A0108.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-384163" /></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Playing as a center back, Miller did a solid job and helped slow Challenge down when she was on the field. She used her height to clear crosses in the box, was efficient at reading plays and also did well when she had to defend in space. Miller also contributed in the attacking phase of the game, engaging in nice passing exchanges in the attacking half, firing shots from outside the box and appearing in good spots in set pieces to finish off headers.</p>    <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/Db28mcmyRy2/ </div></figure>

After a quick break in the summer, the 2026-2027 club soccer season is about to start, with most of the boys' and girls' leagues having start dates between the end of August and the first half of September.