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SOCCER IN FLORIDA!
June 8, 2008
Two Of Florida's Best Young Players
One of the biggest reasons we started this website a few short months ago was to inform people about the great accomplishments of the young women playing soccer in our state. Most of the girls achieving great success in soccer are just like every other young girl, except they eat, sleep, and breath soccer. Sure they like to do the same things in their spare time, they like going to the movies, listening to music, and watching their favorite TV show. But, what makes the difference in these girls’ lives is that soccer comes first. Every day they are outside working on their skills. Whether it is with the team, a trainer, or on their own they are always training, juggling a ball, or working on fitness. Soccer to them is not something that keeps them from enjoying their spare time it is their spare time!
We have come across a couple of those girls and we would like to share a little of their story with you.
Morgan Brian and Kaili Torres are best friends who also play for the same club team the u-15 Ponte Vedra Storm. Through their hard work both girls have each achieved individual success that most young soccer plays only dream of. Morgan has attended the u-17 National Camp this year and has been invited to attend the next camp June 6-13 where she could be one of the 21 girls that will be selected to play in CONCACAF qualifying for the 2008 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. Kaili who will be training with the u-17 Puerto Rico National Team this summer as the team also gets ready for CONCACAF qualifying for the 2008 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. What is also amazing about these girls is that they are only 15 years old.
We asked their club coach Luis Torres to give us his thoughts on two of Florida’s most talented young players. “I have known Morgan and have been watching her play since she was 10 years old. She is an amazing young lady, she is like a daughter to me, and she is someone who I can always count on no matter what the situation. She is a true leader by example, and extremely humble despite all of the much deserved success she's recently had. She is definitely one of the most advanced players I have ever coached in terms of having the combination of an extremely high soccer IQ, and great skill. I let her know at a very young age that I really believed in her and that all of this was possible for her, I'm just glad she believed me. I am extremely proud of her, and lucky to be coaching such an incredible person, and great athlete.”
“It's always difficult to talk about your own daughter without sounding biased, but here it goes. Kaili is a great kid who just loves to play soccer, she still plays for the fun of playing and tries not to get wrapped up in the pressures of high level club soccer. She has had to overcome some pretty big obstacles recently. Last December she broke her right arm during a game and was out of soccer for 4 months, she worked really hard, trained throughout the summer and was playing great when in early August she was in a very serious car accident, spent 16 days in a Miami hospital and found out the she had re-broken her right arm. This took her away from t he field for another 4 months. Its only because of her heart, the passion she has for the game and the fact that she is extremely competitive that has enabled her to come back this fast. As for her soccer game, kaili has great feet and great speed, her ability to get out of trouble and hold a ball make her a very valuable central player, besides the fact that she is also a very strong 1v1 defender. Her speed is perhaps what really stands out, she is also a track runner and she just took 3rd in the 2a state high school finals in the 400, and anchored the state champion 4x400 team. I think that her having the opportunity to go to the CONCACAF Qualifier this summer with the Puerto Rican team is awesome; hopefully it will be a great experience for her.”
“As for both of them together, they are great friends, who have basically grown up together on the soccer field. They have made each other better players and better people, and they really appreciate each other on and off the field. As a coach it's great to have that kind of chemistry in your mid field, they complement each other, and they play with more heart than anyone "two" I know.”
