MLS Next U19: Houston Rangers vs. Dallas Hornets

The club soccer season continues to progress at full pace and teams from around the country are competing in their respective leagues in the first of several months of traveling and playing.   We, at Prep Soccer Texas, will follow as many matches and players as possible, paying close attention to everything that happens in the MLS Next, ECNL National and Regional Leagues and Girls Academy League, as well as showcases and tournaments, giving the talented players from the Lone Star State the exposure they deserve.   On Saturday, November 2, we were at the Crossbar Academy, in the Houston area, catching some MLS Next action as the U19 teams of the Houston Rangers and the Dallas Hornets met on a rainy morning.   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2024/11/mls-next-u19-houston-rangers-vs-dallas-hornets-photos/">MLS Next U19: Houston Rangers vs. Dallas Hornets – Photos</a></li> </ul>   Playing at home, the Rangers got the first goal of the match, with [player_tooltip player_id='16410' first='Kaden' last='Martinez'] sending a header into the back of the net. After that, Hornets' forward Keane Cobuzio took over, scoring a hat-trick to give his team a 3-1 lead at the start of the second half. The team from Dallas saw their lead increase to 4-1 when [player_tooltip player_id='319294' first='Waleed' last='Hadj-Hamou'] scored an Olimpico before Ethan Hinds got another for the home team, setting the final score at 4-2.   With their second victory in MLS Next League play, the Rangers now appear in fourth place in the Frontier Division with six points (two wins, one loss). The Rangers are yet to score points and are sixth, with two losses.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Players of the Match</h2>    Playing as a left-sided center back, Atkins was one of the anchors of the Hornets' defensive system. The players around him in the backline changed during the match, but he remained steady and showed good chemistry with all of them. Atkins won some physical duels in the center of the field, but also displayed great mobility and positioning to make stops when the Rangers tried to attack with long balls behind his back. The left-footed center back was also very active in the team's buildup, consistently making himself available to his teammates and hitting good passes out of the back.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/11/IMG_1680.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-271499" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Houston Rangers U19 vs. Dallas Hornets U19</figcaption></figure>    Medina came into the match as a sub during the first half and helped strengthen his team's left side. Playing as a left back, he handled his defensive duties very efficiently, not allowing his opponents much space on the ball and having a great success rate in his defensive actions. Medina had an interesting role when the Hornets had the ball as instead of pushing forward near the sidelines as most outside backs do, he used to come inside and support the team's chance-creation from a more central role. In that capacity, he did a very good job of finding pockets of space to operate and connecting solid passes.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/11/IMG_1632.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-271488" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Houston Rangers U19 vs. Dallas Hornets U19</figcaption></figure>    Hadj-Hamou's presence in midfield helped the Hornets dominate the central area of the field and paved the way for their victory. The left-footed defensive midfielder was very efficient at dismantling the Rangers' attempts through the middle, using his great positioning and timely tackles to win possession. He was perhaps even more important when the Hornets had the ball as he dictated the team's offensive rhythm with great passes and excellent distribution - he assisted in the team's first goal with a beautiful long pass over the top of Houston's backline. Hadj-Hamou completed his stellar performance by scoring the team's fourth goal with an Olimpico.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/11/IMG_1617.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-271480" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Houston Rangers U19 vs. Dallas Hornets U19</figcaption></figure>    Jurek was the engine of the Hornets, playing with incredible intensity in the team's midfield. He never stopped running and covered a lot of ground in the center of the field on both sides of the ball. Jurek was very good at using his body to win duels and make turns on opponents, initiating dangerous runs. He also displayed interesting offensive qualities, passing the ball with intelligence, being very hard to dispossess when dribbling it and getting into the penalty box to finish chances.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/11/IMG_1618.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-271481" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Houston Rangers U19 vs. Dallas Hornets U19</figcaption></figure>    With a hat-trick, Cobuzio was hands down the Man of the Match, playing a huge role in the Hornets' victory. He displayed a very well-rounded offensive game, scoring in different ways and being a constant threat to the Rangers' backline. In his first goal, Cobuzio was excellent at timing his run and staying onside to get on the end of Hadj-Hamou's pass. In the second, he put pressure on a defender, won the ball and scored with a left-footed shot. And in the third, he got the ball with his back to the goal, made a quick turn and sent it into the back of the net. The striker was also very active defensively, putting pressure on opposing defenders and tacking back to help.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/11/IMG_1673.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-271497" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Houston Rangers U19 vs. Dallas Hornets U19</figcaption></figure>    Lozano was one of the Rangers' main offensive weapons while he was on the field. An offensive-minded left back, he pushed forward fairly often and created some dangerous plays on the left. He would at times take the ball to end line to make crosses and on other occasions bring it inside and in one of those, he almost scored in the first half, seeing his shot go just a few inches too high. He also played with good energy on the defensive side of the game and showed good quickness to get to the ball and chase opposing forwards.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/11/IMG_1626.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-271485" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Houston Rangers U19 vs. Dallas Hornets U19</figcaption></figure>    The Rangers' defensive midfielder was very active in the match and tried to counter the Hornets' strong play with a lot of intensity. Villarreal worked very hard on defense and got several tackles in the center of the field, showing great fighting spirit and tactical awareness. He also got very involved when in possession and helped the team's offense with his smart and efficient distribution. Villarreal also plays a major leadership role with the Rangers and constantly communicates with his teammates.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/11/IMG_1691.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-271502" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Houston Rangers U19 vs. Dallas Hornets U19</figcaption></figure>    Martinez scored the Rangers' first goal and was able to create some other chances with movement up top. In the goal, he benefited from his great positioning inside the penalty box to score with an easy header from very close to the goal. He moved very well off the ball and consistently found good spots to get on the ball on the wings and make plays. Martinez also worked well with his back to the goal, helping set up plays through the middle.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/11/IMG_1629.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-271487" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Houston Rangers U19 vs. Dallas Hornets U19</figcaption></figure>

The club soccer season continues to progress at full pace and teams from around the country are competing in their respective leagues in the first of several months of traveling and playing.