Safe Hands: The Top 10 Florida Goalkeepers

<p>The Florida soccer scene is vibrant throughout the entire state. The clubs and academies have consistently competed for the top honors in the country at both the MLS Next and ECNL levels. The current crop of Florida goalkeepers is as good as I have seen in recent years. College scouts are flocking to the sunshine state to see these guys in action to evaluate and recruit them for the upcoming graduating classes. Lets take a look at the top 10:</p>    <p class="text-gray-700">Levi is a goalkeeper at the [program_tooltip program_id='283664' first='Inter' last='Miami CF'] MLS Academy. He is a monster in goal. Standing at 6'6" he takes up a lot of the goal. He also has athleticism to go along with his frame. He can get down low to shots around his feet and he can cover both posts. Levi can also distribute the ball quickly and start counter attacks. He is one of the top goalkeepers in the state of Florida. Levi has made his debut with the MLS Next Pro team already and is the starting goalkeeper for the Trinidad and Tobago U17 National Team.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Kaiden is a goalkeeper for the [program_tooltip program_id='283713' first='Orlando' last='City SC'] MLS Academy. He is a good shot stopper with clean hands and he can quickly come off his line when he senses danger. He has a great range of long passing and his goal kicks are well beyond the half line. The part of Kaiden's game that scouts are excited about is his ability to deal with crosses and manage his goal area. He makes the correct decisions when the ball is in wide areas and he makes tricky situations look routine. He would be a fantastic add for a college program.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Matteo is the starting goalkeeper for the Athletum MLS Next academy team. He can make some incredible game changing saves. He is really springy and and get to shots that are going into the top corner. Where Matteo stands out is his ability to save penalties. He reads the shooter's body language to anticipate the side correctly and then can quickly get down to make the save. He is also very accurate punting the ball out of his hands to forward runners.</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=FHvuPz2AU1g </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Brady is the starting goal keeper for the [program_tooltip program_id='283661' first='IMG' last='Academy'] U17 MLS Next team. He is a sure handed goal keeper who is always connected with his back line. His positioning allows him to close angles and is is very good in 1v1 situations. He has great reactions to shots from close range and has a never give up attitude while the ball is in his goal mouth. He has been on some MLS Academy trials and college coaches will know the name [player_tooltip player_id='160281' first='Brady' last='Lynch'].</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=KunNWNKUpk4 </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Steven is the starting goalkeeper for the U17 Weston MLS Next team. He is a solid shot stopper and can manage the game from the back. He has strong hands and is not afraid to parry shots into areas in order to not give up second chances. If there are rebounds, he moves quickly to reset and get in good positions to make another save. He has a high soccer IQ and can gauge the temperature of the game and his team to provide support. He has been instrumental in his team winning the U17 MLS Next Florida division.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/shorts/SEibHdduyqo </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Joel is the goal keeper for the Miami Rush MLS Next U17 team. He is a healthy blend of athletic ability and bravery. Standing at 6'2" he has a tall frame and he can throw his body around the goal to keep the ball out of the net. He is fearless in 50-50 challenges and will do whaat it takes to make the save. He can play out of the back with his feet and he will continue to improve as he matures. He is aa hidden gem in the class of 2027 and college scout should take a close look at Joel.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Rylan is the starting goal keeper for the Orlando City South MLS Next U17 team. He is an elite passer of the ball. He can drive passes over 40 yards directly to his target. He provides his team with an outlet at the back and can break pressure with one swing of his foot. He is also a solid shot stopper and has a great command of his box. He comes off his line quickly to close angles and is aggressive on crosses. He is appropriately named as he can be a true shield in goal for his team.</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=I13H05V6j7o </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Patrick is the starting goalkeeper for the U17 [program_tooltip program_id='283755' first='Tampa' last='Bay United'] MLS Next academy team. He is an athletic goalkeeper with great shot stopping abilities. He has quick reactions in close range shots and pushes rebounds into safe areas. Standing ta 6'1" he haas a good size and presence in the goal. He is clam in distribution and is a solid communicator. Playing up an age group has helped him with the physical nature of the game and college coaches should track the 2028 graduate.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Luan is a goalkeeper for the [program_tooltip program_id='283713' first='Orlando' last='City SC'] MLS Academy team. He plays with both the U16 and U17 academy teams. Luan is very good with the ball at his feet. He can build out of the back and play a variety of passes in building situations. He seems to have ice in his veins when under pressure. He is also an elite shot stopper. He can produce highlight saves from free kicks as well as make bouncing shots look calm and collected. He was recently called into the U15 US Youth National Team for an international tournament. He is one of the best young goalkeepers in the country and the best in Florida in his class.</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=OPWcNctJHpw </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Taylor is a goalkeeper for Sporting Jax that plays in the ECNL. He is an up and coming goalkeeper with immense potential and talent. He has a great size of over 6'3" and is very athletic. He can make some dazzling saves with his athleticism. Taylor is a player to track this fall as he will continue to get better and better each game he plays.</p>    <p></p>

The Florida soccer scene is vibrant throughout the entire state. The clubs and academies have consistently competed for the top honors in the country at both the MLS Next and ECNL levels. The current crop of Florida goalkeepers is as good as I have seen in recent years. College scouts are flocking to the sunshine state to see these guys in action to evaluate and recruit them for the upcoming graduating classes. Lets take a look at the top 10: