New faces aplenty for Placer 05/06 boys

The 2022/2023 ECNL season did not go great for the Placer United 2005/2006 boys team. However, that should not be an indication of how the upcoming season will go. There have been a lot of changes to the squad. Of the 21 players on the team, only three plays on the 2006 team, and two played on the 04/05 team.   That means there are 16 new players joining the club. The team may feel like a work in progress, but the team is very hopeful going into this Fall after a good showing at the Davis Legacy Showcase, making it to the semifinals in the Premier bracket, before getting knocked out 1-0 by a very good San Juan club.   "The boys are looking to continue to build off of a positive summer and compete every time they step out on the field this fall," Placer United coach Joel Williams said. "The year long ECNL schedule is only 19 games so every game is extremely significant. Our goal is to try and compete with the top of our league which was MVLA and Mustang last year. Although Salinas, Marin, Davis and San Juan all have talented squads. The boys are playing with a bit of chip on their shoulder to show that they can compete with these other outstanding squads."   This past weekend, the Placer squad won two of three at the Surf Cup in the Super White bracket, with the one loss coming to the team that won the tournament.   "They have had some success early, but their ceiling is still so much higher," Williams said. "The more they get to play together and grow together, the better they will continue to be."   Placer United will open up the 23/24 ECNL season on Sunday, August 20 with San Francisco Elite SC, which was just promoted to ECNL. Though the team would like to have a successful ECNL season, that won't be based on wins and losses.   "I don't like to put numbers and wins as goals for the season," Williams said. "If we get the culture right, the results will always take care of themselves. My goal for the boys is to play a style of soccer that is entertaining yet disciplined and organized. That they all play with freedom and joy so they can show their best qualities."   The team has a bunch of new talent, but here are six guys who should make a big impact.   Angelo Ghio, Attacking Midfielder/Striker, Pleasant Grove, Class of 2024   Ghio is a Pleasant Grove product, and is a very strong and athletic attacking midfielder. He has great vision and is able to play the ball to where teammates will be, instead of where they are, setting them up to be successful. He has stepped in as a No. 9 and has been excellent in linking up play. Ghio is unselfish on the ball, yet he understands when to keep the ball and create.   [player_tooltip player_id='7123' first='Beckham' last='Pointer'], Forward/Attacking Midfielder, Del Oro, Class of 2024   Pointer is a crafty wide player, who can move inside and play in the attack as well. He has a deadly shot from 30-35 yards out. Pointer understands how to find the space he needs to score goals. he is great at combining in tight spaces with teammates to unlock the defense for himself and others. Pointer plays his high school soccer at Del Oro.   Everett Shanklin, Defensive Midfielder, Whitney, Class of 2024   Shanklin is an old school holding mid. He is strong with great size and is very capable of blowing up the opponent's possession and disrupting their play with his excellent and aggressive tackling. He's also very solid on the ball, and is very good distributing the ball to all areas of the pitch. Shanklin plays high school at Whitney.   [player_tooltip player_id='7790' first='Jake' last='Tyberg'], Central Defender, Whitney, Class of 2024   Teammates at Whitney with Shanklin, Tyberg is a modern day center back. He is strong challenging for the ball and in aerial duals, but where he really excels is as a ball-distributing center back. He is flexible and versatile and can play anywhere on the back line. He really distributes the ball with great accuracy to all levels of the pitch, and can do so with both feet.   [player_tooltip player_id='7207' first='Cade' last='Vickers'], Outside Defender, West Park, Class of 2024   Vickers, who plays high school at West Park, is a strong, fast and athletic outside back. He could easily be described as a wingback because he works combination play well and likes to drive the ball forward. He really loves to get up in the attack. Vickers crosses the ball well, and is perfectly capable of scoring goals in the run of play.   [player_tooltip player_id='7702' first='Hiroshi' last='Yang'], Central Midfielder, Wheatland, Class of 2024   Yang is a Sacramento State commit who is one of the best box-to-box midfielders in Northern California, playing at Wheatland High. He is a smooth player, who is excellent with either foot. He anticipates the way one likes a center mid to do. He anticipates play before it happens. Yang is willing to get stuck in on tackles, and also has a great shot from distance, with both feet.

The 2022/2023 ECNL season did not go great for the Placer United 2005/2006 boys team. However, that should not be an indication of how the upcoming season will go. There have been a lot of changes to the squad. Of the 21 players on the team, only three plays on the 2006 team, and two played on the 04/05 team.