ECNL Boys Winter 2023 Florida National Event – Day 2 Recap

The second day of games at the ECNL Boys Florida National Event featured a highly competitive slate of action.

See below for a rundown of some of the top matchups from ECNL Florida.

Charlotte Independence SC vs Real Colorado National 1-0

At the 05/04 level, Charlotte Independence SC looked to start off their weekend with a second straight victory as they took on Real Colorado National. Following some great buildup play and excellent passing, Amin Ibrahim put home a great strike to put Charlotte Independence on top 1-0. Real Colorado hit the post on a great opportunity before halftime, but the Charlotte Independence defense was able to remain strong throughout the game and hold on to the 1-0 win.

“Our chance creation was good, our build up play was really good today as well, and I think we thoroughly deserved the result,” said Charlotte Independence Head Coach Jonathan Burns.

“There was a lot of good performances today,” Burns said. “Amin Ibrahim, who played along the front line, did a really good job linking up today and keeping the ball up there for us. Our three in the middle, Colin Evans, Aidan Morrison, and Kaden Weinhardt were super today, very industrious, and didn’t let the opposition breathe if the ball went central, so they were important.”

Loudoun Soccer vs Florida Premier FC 2-1

Also at the 05/04 level, Loudoun Soccer grabbed a narrow victory over Florida Premier FC. Loudoun grabbed the lead early on in the match and would later double it in the second half. Florida Premier battled back to make it 2-1 and generated some late opportunities, but Loudoun locked things down on the defensive end and held onto the one goal victory.

“I think we were compact behind the ball, counter-attacked really well, made the right choices with the ball at the right time, and scored two really good goals,” said Loudoun Soccer Head Coach John O’Hara.

“It was gritty,” O’Hara said. “It was what a U19 game should be, with two good teams who are doing well respective to their conference, and it was fun to be a part of.”

Loudoun midfielder, Matthew Guzman, believes the performances this weekend will help his team as they move forward in the year.

“I think we’ve played super well,” Guzman said. “I think coming down, spending the day around the team, it’s really helped us grow and we’re going to keep going for the rest of the season.”

United PDX vs FC Prime 2-1

United PDX and FC Prime each came into their matchup on Sunday at the 05/04 level looking to make it two wins in two days. The two teams battled it out in a tightly contested game that was knotted up at 1-1 late in the second half. United PDX put an excellent cross into the box that was initially deflected off the crossbar before it was fired home to give them a 2-1 lead that they would hold on to for the win.

“I talk about volume of opportunities in the box all the time with the guys. The more we can get the ball in the box, the more likely we are to score,” said United PDX Head Coach Matt Broadhead.

Broadhead also noted some of the standout performances from his team so far this weekend.

“Elijah Edelman has been outstanding. He had a goal and an assist yesterday and then a cross today that led to a goal,” Broadhead said. “Brian Rodriguez, our forward, he scored yesterday, he scored today, he’s scored every ECNL game he’s played in.”