Texas Elite Goalkeepers at MLS Next Flex

<p>The next few days are going to be huge for clubs competing in the MLS Next League, as between Friday and Tuesday, the last spots in the MLS Next Cup Playoffs will be in play during the MLS Next Flex, at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Maryland.</p>   <p>As many as 64 teams will compete in each gender. They were split into 16 pools with four clubs each, and the winners of each pool will earn the right to compete in the Playoffs, which will be held in Nashville, Tennessee, from June 14-22.</p>   <p>The state of Texas will have multiple teams competing in each age group, with a total of 14 representatives from the Lone Star State making the trip up North and getting on the field over the next five days - [program_tooltip program_id='283612' first='Austin' last='FC'], [program_tooltip program_id='283624' first='Capital' last='City SC'], [program_tooltip program_id='283639' first='Dallas' last='Hornets'], [program_tooltip program_id='283648' first='FC' last='Dallas'], [program_tooltip program_id='283654' first='Global' last='Football Innovation Academy'] (GFI) and [program_tooltip program_id='283657' first='Houston' last='Dynamo'] will all play for spots in the Playoffs.</p>   <p>Some of the top players in the state will be in action in the event, and we'll present a few of them who could be set for great performances in one of the biggest moments of the season. We start with the goalkeepers:</p>    <p class="text-gray-700">Sellers is one of the goalkeepers of the [program_tooltip program_id='283657' first='Houston' last='Dynamo'] U15 team that will compete with the New England Revolution, Miami Futbol Academy Rush and Modesto Ajax United in Group 6. He has a good size, which helps him between the posts, and is also very technical, always picking the right moves to deal with shots that go his way. Sellers stands out as a shot-stopper for his excellent reflexes and also does a good job when dealing with crosses. The goalkeeper communicates very well with his defenders and is also skilled and confident with his feet, connecting great passes out of the back.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/02/2J4A0052_875f39.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-278944" /></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Rios and his [program_tooltip program_id='283648' first='FC' last='Dallas'] U16 team will have the Chicago Fire, DeAnza Force and Wake FC as their opponents in Group 7 in Maryland. The top-ranked goalkeeper in Texas in his age group according to our Prep Soccer State Ranking, he's a difference-maker in goal with his excellent technique and ability to stop shots. Rios is very effective at reading opponents, which makes of him very good at stopping penalty kicks, something he recently showed at the Generation Adidas Cup. The goalkeeper is also very comfortable with the ball at his feet and makes good selections for his passes out of the back.</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/DIZZQ7wofxw/ </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Rodriguez is the starting goalkeeper of the GFI U17 team that will play against Barça Residency Academy Arizona, IMG Academy and Rochester NY FC in the event's Group 5. He's not super tall or physical, but is extremely agile between the posts to make stops and is very difficult to score on. Rodriguez also handles crosses very well, reading the path of the ball and finding ways to get through it inside the box, even when navigating crowded spaces in set pieces. He is also very good at putting the ball back in play after saves and often launches quick transition plays with his feet or hands.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/02/2J4A0226.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-278424" /></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Musil is one of the goalkeepers of the [program_tooltip program_id='283639' first='Dallas' last='Hornets'] U19 team that will try to succeed in Group 11, playing against Charlotte FC, Los Angeles FC and Midwest United FC. He's big and athletic and manages to get to shots in difficult spots of the goal thanks to his incredible length. Despite his size, Musil also has excellent reflexes and makes great saves in short-distance shots, some of which are made using his legs. He is very quick to leave his spot in 1v1 plays and does a great job of using his size to limit the options of opponents in front of the goal.</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/reel/DCnmYbQMTct/ </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Roney plays for the [program_tooltip program_id='283612' first='Austin' last='FC'] U19 team that will be a part of Group 6, alongside Players Development Academy (PDA), San Jose Earthquakes and Metropolitan Oval. Between [player_tooltip player_id='90881' first='Nico' last='Aristizabal'] and him, Austin has two solid options in goal, giving the team a lot of defensive strength. Roney is very long and explosive, and gets to cover a huge area between the posts with that combination. He's also very technical and is capable of making difficult stops under pressure. Roney distributes the game well with his feet and is very reliable in possession.</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/takasocials_usa/reel/DGtDUYKIdXd/ </div></figure>   <p></p>

The next few days are going to be huge for clubs competing in the MLS Next League, as between Friday and Tuesday, the last spots in the MLS Next Cup Playoffs will be in play during the MLS Next Flex, at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Maryland.