City SC sends GA team to Virginia

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was quite a showing at the GA Playoffs in Riverside County for the City SC 2008 team, as the Girls Academy squad out of San Diego won all three matches to qualify for the National Finals in Virginia next month. They scored nine goals in the three matches, only allowed two goals which included an impressive 2-1 win over a good IMG Academy team from Florida. Here are some girls that stood out in getting City SC to the top of their group.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mayson Houseman, Forward</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Houseman was an impactful player as she did excellently in keeping possession and helping maintain the attack and moving it forward. She put some dangerous shots on goal, moving well and finding space. She found herself in the right places at the right time. She also continued to out work defenders, played extremely physically and was very active in the high press. She was a constant threat to win the ball in the opponents third and go to goal.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='82789' first='Caelan' last='Kenney'], Central Defender</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kenney was one of the defensive leaders, helping City SC win most of the 50/50 balls all over the field. She helped the defense stay organized and anticipate, minimizing opportunities for the three opponents last week. She was also a key player in helping the counter attack as she helped transition quickly from defense to offense. With three players in the back, Kenney was the central defender on the right and a key player to initiate any counters up the right side.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='146215' first='Cheyanne' last='Longwell'], Forward</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Longwell was constant movement off the ball and it was a big factor in terms of her being available in space and being able to put the ball into the back of the net. She scored two goals in the 4-1 win over St. Louis Development Academy, while scoring goals in the next two wins, and had an assist in the win over IMG Academy. Longwell brought energy on the attacking end and was a threat whenever she was on the pitch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='20206' first='Sloane' last='Phillips'], Attacking Midfielder</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Phillips continues to build her profile and boost her stature, as she featured a lot in the No. 10 spot and was very dangerous and creative, not just setting up her teammates with her excellent vision and ability, but also for herself. She displayed great quickness and agility with the ball at her feet, and was able to break lines on her own. She scored three goals in the three games to help City SC to their first ever finals. She also will experience the GA finals two years after the ECNL finals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='82782' first='Ava' last='Sumner'], Central Midfielder</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sumner was a very high work-rate player during the GA event, and she made sure her presence was felt in the middle of the pitch. She moved the ball well through the back line and also from side-to-side. She stayed composed and helped her team retain possession. She also worked hard on the other end, stepping in front and blocking shots as well as making strong tackles.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->