Albion Hurricanes G10 and SA City G10 even ahead of season start

The club soccer season is just a few weeks away from starting, and preseason matches are starting to pop up around Texas every weekend. These matches are great opportunities to watch teams in the early days of the new season and also offer an interesting perspective as teams from different leagues go against each other.   On Saturday, August 9, ECNL side [program_tooltip program_id='283243' first='Albion' last='Hurricanes FC'] G10 hosted Girls Academy team [program_tooltip program_id='283457' first='San' last='Antonio City SC'] G10 at the Campbell Road Sports Park, in Houston. With both teams scoring early in the first half, the match ended in a 1-1 tie.   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2025/08/texas-preseason-albion-hurricanes-10-vs-sa-city-sc-10-photos/">Photos: [program_tooltip program_id='283243' first='Albion' last='Hurricanes FC'] G10 vs. SA City SC G10</a></li> </ul>   Albion got their goal in the third minute of action, after midfielder [player_tooltip player_id='214145' first='Ashley' last='Baxter'] intercepted a pass in the attacking half, dribbled the ball forward and delivered it to forward [player_tooltip player_id='214146' first='Bridget' last='Asekomhe'], who scored with a powerful cross shot. Ten minutes later, SA City fired back, with forward Lexi Brown taking a corner kick from the right and the ball finding forward Elise Owen, who scored with a first-time finish.   Albion controlled most of the possession in the second half, but didn't have much success making it past SA City's backline and were stopped by goalkeeper Kalia Kemp when they did - their best chance came when forward [player_tooltip player_id='210626' first='Caroline' last='Barrow'] shot from a difficult angle and hit the post. The team from San Antonio was dangerous in transition plays, but couldn't get a good shot on target.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Players of the Match</h2>    The dynamic forward didn't get as much service as on other occasions, but was still a constant threat to SA City SC's backline while she was on the field. Asekomhe moved a lot in the final third, and even when tracked closely by defenders, still managed to use her pace and dribbling ability to make plays out wide. The forward also worked well with her back to the goal and was very intelligent when combining with her teammates, connecting good passes and immediately moving to attack the space. Asekomhe converted the only good chance she had with a well-placed shot and scored Albion's lone goal in the match.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/08/2J4A0148.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-315969" /></figure>    Playing in the center of Albion's backline, Kates did a great job of protecting the team's penalty box and not allowing much to happen there. She was always in good spots to clear crosses and also benefited from her excellent positioning to defend in transition during the second half, when her team dominated possession. The center back also did good work on the ball, at times stepping into the attacking half to support the offense, and almost scored the game-winning goal on a header after a corner kick.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/08/2J4A0173.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-315978" /></figure>    Playing on the left side of Albion's back three, Gibson was dominant on defense, showing great ability to read the game and intelligence to make the right plays. She used her big frame very well to control opponents who tried to make plays in her zone and won most of the duels she was involved in, often coming out with the ball. Gibson had the most freedom among the three center backs to push forward, and she did it in the second half, making nice runs down the line on the left and adding an extra body in the attacking half when her team had the ball.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/08/2J4A0141.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-315966" /></figure>    Villegas was extremely reliable in the backline for SA City SC and played a major role in the team's defensive performance. She played as a center back for most of the match, but also contributed at right back during the second half and was very solid in both positions, displaying great defensive skills and intelligence to make stops. A very quick defender, she made a key play near the end of the match when she tracked back and prevented Asekomhe from finishing from very close range. Villegas also made herself available for her teammates in the buildup and connected good passes out of the back.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/08/2J4A0212.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-315995" /></figure>    Kemp had a very good match between the posts and helped SA City SC deal with Albion's pressure in the second half. A tall goalkeeper, she covered the goal area very efficiently and was very firm and confident when dealing with the opponents' many long-distance shots, handling them well and not giving up rebounds. Kemp also displayed excellent reflexes between the posts and made a couple of impressive saves in the final minutes. The goalkeeper kept communicating with her teammates during the entire match and made sure things were organized in the backline.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/08/2J4A0208.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-315993" /></figure>    SA City SC's most creative player, Franke was the focal point of their game when they had the ball. A skilled attacking midfielder, she displayed great quality on the ball and excelled at both distributing the ball with solid passing and beating defenders off the dribble in the central area of the field or out wide. Her ability to keep the ball was of great value for the team, especially in the second half, as it helped relieve Albion's pressure. Franke also showed great commitment and determination to play defense, dropping back to support her teammates and winning possession on some occasions.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/08/2J4A0210.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-315994" /></figure>

The club soccer season is just a few weeks away from starting, and preseason matches are starting to pop up around Texas every weekend. These matches are great opportunities to watch teams in the early days of the new season and also offer an interesting perspective as teams from different leagues go against each other.