Copa Rayados: Forwards Who Led the Line

One of the most traditional youth soccer tournaments annually held in Texas, the Copa Rayados took place over Thanksgiving weekend in the Houston area.   The 14th edition of the tournament organized by Mexican powerhouse Rayados de Monterrey reunited 358 teams from the U9 to the U19 age groups, representing Texas and other American states, such as Florida, California, Ohio, Colorado, Georgia, Washington, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Maryland, and international sides coming from Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico for five days of matches from Wednesday to Sunday in the region of The Woodlands.   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2025/11/copa-rayados-day-1-photos/">Copa Rayados : Day 1 Photos</a></li> </ul>   Prep Soccer Texas was in attendance on Wednesday, when we got to follow the debut of several teams from the Lone Star State that played at Bear Branch Sports Park, and shortlisted a few players in each position that demonstrated great potential to develop into top players for their clubs.   We've been taking the week to share our findings, and today we end our coverage of the event by bringing the list of some of the most talented forwards we saw in action:    Moscon plays for the [program_tooltip program_id='283657' first='Houston' last='Dynamo'] team that ended the event in second place in the U14 Supergroup with an undefeated campaign of three wins and three ties. One of the team's main attacking options, he's a well-rounded offensive player who scores goals at a high rate and also contributes to their chance creation. Moscon mostly plays as a striker, and thrives with his ability to make runs behind the backline and superior finishing skills, but also contributes with solid holdup play. He also likes to drift wide and does a great job of getting a head start over opponents with fakes and body moves, being very strong in 1v1 plays out wide and often bringing the ball inside to finish.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/11/2J4A0252_00efe6.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-342122" /></figure>    Ray was with [program_tooltip program_id='283612' first='Austin' last='FC'] in the U14 Supergroup, helping the team make it to the semifinals with three wins, one loss and one tie. He is the focal point of the team's offense and does a great job with his movement off the ball, always being available for his teammates. Ray knows his way inside the penalty box and consistently tries to get separation from defenders. He's very intelligent with how he peels from the center of the field to the wings and uses his body to control the space and get on the end of long passes. Ray also stands out with his ability to get involved in plays through the middle, be it by working with his back to the goal or by dropping deeper to find the wingers with diagonal passes.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/11/2J4A0177_46be63.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-342108" /></figure>    Hurtado was one of the forwards in the [program_tooltip program_id='283658' first='Houston' last='Rangers'] team that ended in second place in the U15 Supergroup silver bracket, completing their campaign with one win, three losses and two ties. A striker, he gets very involved in the team's attacking plays and stands out for his mobility and presence in the final third. Hurtado consistently appears in good spots inside the penalty box and does a good job of engaging in quick combination plays around it. He can also operate further away from the box, using his body to shield the ball and dribble it past opposing defenders.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/11/2J4A0109_6e086b.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-342094" /></figure>    Ramos led the line for the [program_tooltip program_id='283639' first='Dallas' last='Hornets'] team that won the silver bracket of the U15 Supergroup, returning home with two wins, three losses and one tie. A center forward, he puts a lot of pressure on opposing backlines, playing on the limit of being offside and making strong runs in behind. Ramos is also very technically sound and can also be dangerous when he drifts wide to get on the ball, beating defenders off the dribble on the wings and combining with his teammates. He's a very good finisher as well, firing shots that combine power and precision and, more often than not, hit the target.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/11/2J4A0097_121059.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-342092" /></figure>    Munson played up top for the [program_tooltip program_id='283657' first='Houston' last='Dynamo'] team that triumphed in the U15 Supergroup with five wins and one tie. A striker with solid physical tools and superior mobility, he works very hard in the final third to get involved and facilitate plays for his teammates. Munson thrives with his movement in the final third, but also does well when he needs to drop a little deeper to get on the end of long passes and can also make strong runs on the wings. He's very good with his pressing too, often getting opposing defenders uncomfortable when in possession.

One of the most traditional youth soccer tournaments annually held in Texas, the Copa Rayados took place over Thanksgiving weekend in the Houston area.