Houston Dynamo beat the Rangers in MLS Next U15 action

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 9, we were in attendance for the Houston Derby in the MLS Next League, following the U15 duel between the Houston Rangers and the Houston Dynamo at Crossbar Academy, in Tomball.   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2024/11/mls-next-u15-houston-rangers-vs-houston-dynamo-photos/">MLS Next U15: Houston Rangers vs. Houston Dynamo – Photos</a></li> </ul>   Playing at home, the Rangers scored first, with [player_tooltip player_id='211224' first='Keegan' last='Ahrens'] getting on the end of a free kick and heading the ball into the back of the net. The Dynamo leveled the score before the halftime break with [player_tooltip player_id='210663' first='Maddox' last='Choate'], who had to finish twice to score. The goal fueled them, who entirely dominated the second half and counted on a brace from [player_tooltip player_id='210673' first='Alexander' last='Munoz'] and one goal from Ecko Yurong to seal their 4-1 victory.   The Dynamo now rank fifth in the MLS Next Flex Frontier Division, with 17 points (five wins, one loss, two ties). The Rangers are seventh with 11 points (three wins, five losses, two ties).   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Players of the Match</h2>    The forward played a big role in the Dynamo's victory, scoring the team's first goal and being involved in the other three. Playing as a winger, Choate was very active and aggressive on the ball, going at defenders and creating chance after chance with his runs. He played on the right in the first half and moved to the left in the second, where he was even more dangerous by bringing the ball inside to his preferred right foot to finish and combine with his teammates. Choate had many good chances and should probably have scored another one, but he was blocked by the Rangers' backline on some occasions and saw his shots go just a few inches wide on others.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/11/IMG_2171.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-271971" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Houston Rangers U15 vs. Houston Dynamo U15</figcaption></figure>    Playing on the opposite side to Choate, Munoz wasn't as active as his teammate, but was arguably more decisive, scoring twice in a matter of minutes and helping the Dynamo put the game to bed. A lefty, Munoz displayed great finishing skills in his goals, coming inside the penalty box to score - in the second goal, he found the upper corner with a beautiful, one-time shot. The forward combined very well with the players around him and moved very well off the ball, consistently offering a passing option to his teammates. Although the Dynamo had the ball for most of the time, he showed good commitment to track back and help the team when they had to defend.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/11/IMG_2203.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-271981" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Houston Rangers U15 vs. Houston Dynamo U15</figcaption></figure>    The Dynamo's main playmaker, Gutierrez was very dangerous every time he got on the ball in the attacking half. Playing as an attacking midfielder with the freedom to roam around the penalty box, he pulled the strings for his team offensively and accelerated the game, finding the wider players in good spots with diagonal passes and through balls. Gutierrez was also very good at dribbling in traffic, making the Rangers' defenders struggle with his talented left foot. He was a little bit unlucky to not have scored as he saw a beautiful shot from outside the penalty box hit the crossbar in the first half and had some other dangerous finishes in the second part of the match.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/11/IMG_2087.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-271948" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Houston Rangers U15 vs. Houston Dynamo U15</figcaption></figure>    The Dynamo captain, Shannon helped his team dominate the midfield with his efficient game. Playing as a box-to-box midfielder next to Ecko Yurong, he saw the ball very often and was very direct and intelligent with his passing, not needing too many touches to find a teammate further up in the field and get the ball to him. Shannon also managed to progress the ball with nice runs through the middle, displaying an interesting ability to keep the ball close to his feet and to change directions. He was alert to help shut down the Rangers' transition attempts and did a very good job of not allowing their midfielders any space when they had the ball.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/11/IMG_2096.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-271953" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Houston Rangers U15 vs. Houston Dynamo U15</figcaption></figure>    With the Dynamo vastly dominating possession, Bowman's ability to defend in transition was of great value to his team. The left-sided center back displayed great mobility to chase long balls and was always around the Rangers' attacking players when they tried to hit on the break. Bowman also thrived with his positioning, reading plays well and stopping long passes even before they got to the opposing attackers. The defender was always very calm and patient on the ball, helping his team circulate the ball with efficiency. Bowman also had a strong presence in the attacking penalty box in set pieces.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/11/IMG_2161.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-271965" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Houston Rangers U15 vs. Houston Dynamo U15</figcaption></figure>    Playing as a left wing back, Ahrens displayed good energy and quality on the ball. He was involved in the Rangers' best moments in the match, scoring the team's goal and appearing inside the penalty box to finish on a few occasions. In the goal, he did a great job of reading the path of the ball after a long free kick and attacking it with his head before it got into the range of the Dynamo goalkeeper. Ahrens also worked hard on defense a.nd had some nice battles with the Dynamos' right back [player_tooltip player_id='210666' first='Brogan' last='Fitzsimons'].    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/11/IMG_2209.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-271983" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Houston Rangers U15 vs. Houston Dynamo U15</figcaption></figure>    A dynamic player, Villafano stood out for the Rangers in his role as a box-to-box midfielder. He was very engaged defensively and tried to compete in the middle, even when the Dynamo managed to overload the center of the field. A lefty, he showed great quality in dribbling and passing the ball and initiated most of the team's transition plays by generating space with his movies and trying to find teammates with long passes. In the second half, in a moment where the Rangers simply could not break the Dynamo's pressure and kept giving the ball back to their opponents, Villafano was the only player in the team to remain calm and composed and helped them find solutions with his passing.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/11/IMG_2079.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-271946" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Houston Rangers U15 vs. Houston Dynamo U15</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.