Players That Impressed: ECNL Boys Phoenix Fall 2023 National Event

The ECNL Boys held their latest National Event of the 2023-24 season over the weekend in Arizona. The event featured 180 teams from the league’s U15-U18/U19 age groups. (View Results)

Below are some of the top players from the weekend’s event sorted by graduation year. You can also nominate a player who stood out during the event through the following link.

2027

Alexander Luna Lopez | Midfielder
Davis Legacy 09 (CA)

Netted the game-winner for Legacy in their 1-0 win over Legends FC while adding a second in their 3-3 draw with the San Diego Surf. In even the smallest of spaces, Luna can be dangerous firing off shots from both short and long distance. He also has impeccable field vision and can pick out teammates with slick passes.

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London Ayala | Midfielder
Crossfire Premier 1 09 (WA)

Operating as a right winger, Ayala provided a consistent attacking presence all weekend for Crossfire. His brace in their opening day 7-2 win over FC Tuscon set the tone for a high-scoring weekend for the team. He added a third in a tough 2-1 loss against a strong San Diego Surf team. After coming up short in matchday two, they rallied defeating Utah Avalanche 3-2.

2026

Joaquin Greenhut | Goalkeeper
LA Breakers FC 07 (CA)

Earned two consecutive clean sheets over San Juan SC (2-0) and United PDX (3-0) to lift the Breakers to a winning record in the Showcase. Greenhut has excellent vision and can find his teammates in even the smallest of spaces down the field.

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Mateo Barroso | Goalkeeper
1974 Newark FC 08 (CA)

Booked back-to-back clean sheets in Newark’s wins over Del Mar Sharks (3-0) and Snohomish United (2-0). Barroso made smart, tactical decisions all weekend slowing down play when his team needed time to organize and picking up the pace when he spotted an opening.

2025

Mac Riley | Defender
Marin FC Blue 07 (CA)

Hammered home a hat trick for Marin FC in their 3-2 victory over Rio Rapids to start their time down in Phoenix. An asset to his team on both the defense and the attack, Riley can make the quick stop on defense and immediately transition his team into the attack. He was named to the 2022-2023 NorCal All-Conference team and previously participated in the ECNL National Selection Game last spring.

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Liam Johnston | Goalkeeper
West Coast FC  07 (CA)

Started his Showcase, blanking Santa Rosa United 5-0. The Southwest All-Conference 2022-2023 Second Teamer dominated inside of his eighteen all weekend, making several key saves to push his team to a 2-1-0 record. At 6’1″ he can more than hold his own on aerial challenges and runs a highly organized defensive line.

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Ryan Dugan | Defender
San Francisco Elite Academy 07 (CA)

Organized a tightly knit defensive unit for San Francisco that allowed just two goals over the course of the weekend, going undefeated and finishing atop the 06/05 age group (3-0-0, 9 points). Under pressure from attackers, Dugan remained calm and cool making several key clears to keep their perfect record.

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Dashiell Stein | Forward
Seattle United 07 (WA)

Buried a hat trick in Seattle’s opener, a 4-1 win over LA Breakers. Stein can do it all on the pitch and make it look effortless. His ball control and pinpoint passes coupled with his diagonal runs off of the ball, making him extremely difficult to cover. He can also hit shots with pace and speed giving goalkeepers nightmares.

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Julian Tototzintle | Defender
San Francisco Elite 07 (CA)

Limited opponents to just two goals over the course of the weekend, rocketing San Francisco to the top of the standings. An outstanding central defender, Julian can hammer long crosses out to his teammates in wide positions to start the counter-attack or make a short, timely pass inside.

2024