MLS Next Cup Playoffs: Preview - GFI U17

<p>After over nine months of action, the MLS Next season is about to come to an end soon as the MLS Next Cup Playoffs will take place in Nashville, Tennessee, from June 14-22, determining the league's 2025 champions.</p>   <p>The playoffs will feature 32 teams in the U15, U16, U17 and U19 age groups, reuniting MLS academies and other teams that compete in the league and rewarding those who got the best results during the season.</p>   <p>The state of Texas will be represented in all four age groups, with teams from [program_tooltip program_id='283612' first='Austin' last='FC'], [program_tooltip program_id='283648' first='FC' last='Dallas'], Global Football Innovation (GFI) Academy and the [program_tooltip program_id='283657' first='Houston' last='Dynamo'] making the trip to Tennessee to compete for the title.</p>   <p>In the days leading up to the tournament, we're previewing the Texas teams qualified for the MLS Next Cup playoffs:</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">GFI U17</h2>   <p>The team from the [program_tooltip program_id='283654' first='Global' last='Football Innovation Academy'] (GFI) out of Houston completed their Frontier Conference schedule with 27 points (eight wins, five losses, three ties). They earned their ticket to Nashville at the MLS Next Flex event in April and are set to begin their campaign in Tennessee against North Carolina's <a href="https://www.qcmutiny.com/">Queen City Mutiny FC</a> in the Round of 32.</p>   <p>Max Rodriguez and Edgar Cervantes are the goalkeepers in the GFI squad. The team has good options at center back, such as [player_tooltip player_id='319282' first='Antonio' last='Basile'], Ethan D'Elia, Joseph Aldana and Pablo Martinez. Andrs Karst, on the right, and Alfredo Aviles, on the left, occupy the outside back spots. In central midfield, Josue Martinez, Christian Velasco, Amaggai Agbu and Marcial Zepeda take up the minutes. Gabriel Rodriguez plays attacking midfielder for them, with [player_tooltip player_id='275229' first='Rocco' last='Alvarado'] operating on the left side and Maxsen Pregeant working on the right. The forwards are D'Engalo Mendoza, Santiago Chelala and [player_tooltip player_id='278489' first='Lorenzo' last='Maule'].</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Key Players</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">A defender with a strong combination of physical and technical skills, D'Elia is an important piece in GFI's backline. He typically plays somewhat of a hybrid role that gives the team some much-needed defensive balance, defending as a left back, but coming inside to help in the buildup and not pushing forward too much when they have the ball. D'Elia is very strong in 1v1 duels and has an impressive capacity to recover and make the tackle after being beaten. A lefty, he has good passing range and is very comfortable on the ball, helping move it upfield with intelligent distribution.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmpbdDom2u4 </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Martinez brings a lot to the table for GFI with his intense and dynamic game in central midfield. An elite defensive player, he not only covers a lot of ground in front of the team's penalty box, but is also very efficient with his actions, remaining patient in duels and timing his tackles extremely well to come out with the ball. An El Salvador Youth international, Martinez also does solid work in possession, moving the ball around with tremendous efficiency and quickly finding teammates with accurate passes from the center of the field. He likes to step into the final third when he has a chance and can be dangerous finishing chances from outside the box.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfNFyG0gFzc </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">A mid-season addition to GFI coming from the crosstown [program_tooltip program_id='283658' first='Houston' last='Rangers'], Agbu brought a lot of intensity to the team's game. A high-energy central midfielder with unmatched athleticism, he's excellent at keeping opponents under pressure and forcing them into making errors or playing back with his ability to cover ground. Agbu also contributes offensively, connecting accurate long passes that start quick transition plays for his team. He has good quality dribbling the ball forward too, moving quickly on the field and being able to beat opponents off the dribble and improvise when needed.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxZePcbfdIg </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">One of GFI's most skilled attacking players, Alvarado is one of the main forces in their offense, creating and finishing chances at a good rate. Typically used as a wide midfielder on the left, he's very difficult to stop in 1v1 duels thanks to his excellent ball control and his unpredictability on the ball. A right-footed player, Alvarado likes to stay wide, attacking the space behind the outside back with strong and well-timed runs. He's also very dangerous when he brings the ball from his own half, as, besides being able to take it to the end line to cross it into the box, he can also bring it inside to combine with teammates or shoot from distance.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MaReYTXLXA </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">GFI's striker Mendoza is a very mobile forward who keeps opposing backlines under pressure with high-energy and constant movement off the ball. He doesn't stick to his central role, often dropping back to combine with the midfielders and using his pace to make runs out wide. Mendoza moves extremely well into the penalty box too, consistently getting into good spots and making himself available for crosses, and he can finish at a high level with either foot. Despite being a short center forward, he's very good in the air, doing a great job of peeling away from opposing center backs to get on the end of crosses and heading the ball with power and precision. </p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqCvkwY7R94 </div></figure>

After over nine months of action, the MLS Next season is about to come to an end soon as the MLS Next Cup Playoffs will take place in Nashville, Tennessee, from June 14-22, determining the league's 2025 champions.