Five players from Virginia are showing as incredible standouts for their 2008 club teams and also for their high schools. With three from the class of 2026 and two from 2027 who are playing up and making an impact, this bunch is incredibly impressive with their athleticism, technical ability and passion for the game.
Leah Flannery
Leah
Flannery
M
VA
, Midfielder, Class of 2026
Flannery recently moved from center back to playing the No. 8 and settled in nicely. She combined with her teammates well to help get the ball out of tight, pressure situations and she has good vision to provide through balls or long balls into space for her teammates to run on to. As a former center back, she is definitely a good defender and on her own accord loves to make tackles and run players down. She has a great mental approach to the game which includes bonding with her teammates and remaining focused when on the pitch. She’s showing great improvement on striking the ball when the defense is bearing down on her and she is getting a feel for where to position herself in the midfield, so look for that to improve greatly. She’s fast, has technical ability and endurance, but wants to become even better in those areas. Flannery attends Mills E Godwin High and plays at Richmond United for the 2008 ECNL team.
Abby Huisman
Abby
Huisman
M
Robinson | 2026
VA
, Defensive Midfielder/Central Defender, Class of 2026
Huisman plays at Robinson Secondary School and plays club for the Fairfax Brave 2008 ECNL team. The sophomore is a versatile player who can play the No 6 or play as a center back, and she is a very good defender. Specifically, Huisman is very good at holding off players and keeping them in front. She is able to keep them from shooting or cutting off the angle of a good shot. She reads her opponents well, seeing plays and passes before they happen so she knows when to step and when to drop. She’s growing into her role in the attack, getting more comfortable with 1v1’s and is looking to go more directly to goal.
Giovanna Papadopoulos
Giovanna
Papadopoulos
5'7" | M
Robinson Secondary | 2027
State
VA
, Attacking Midfielder, Class of 2027
Papadopoulos is a teammate of Huisman at Robinson Secondary, and plays on the same Fairfax Brave club team. She is an outstanding No. 10 who shows an excellent first touch and is quite good with both feet. She shows great vision with the ball, comes at defenders with pace, and can get shots from distance and free kicks on target. She is growing as a defender, and is learning to process faster in 1v1 situations. As a freshman, Papadopoulos was an All-District selection and led her high school team in goals, and was an All-Conference ECNL player as well as playing this summer with the Washington Dutch Lions of the WPSL.
Zoe Sample
Zoe
Sample
M
VA
, Midfielder, Class of 2026
Sample is a highly ranked midfielder in the commonwealth of Virginia, as she has attended USYNT and GA talent ID camps. She plays GA at FC Virginia for the 2008 team and attends Fredericksburg Christian. She is a midfielder that distributes the ball well, and very quickly. She processes faster than anyone on the pitch as she sees the game a move before others, and makes smart decisions. She is not bothered when pressured in tight spaces as she is cool and composed, she turns out of trouble well and can get downhill quickly once she turns a defender. She anticipates well and will finish clinically when given the opportunity.
Lawson Watt
Lawson
Watt
6'2" | D
The Potomac School | 2027
State
VA
, Defender, Class of 2027
Watt is a talented, driven, prodigious talent who will go far in this game, as you can see on his YouTube page here. He plays high school at The Potomac School where he helped lead the team to a Mac Conference title and plays club at Virginia Union, and is a 2027 graduate playing up on the 2008 ECNL team. He is a versatile defender who can play centrally or on the outside. Watt is going to attract a lot of attention from colleges when that time comes, for many reasons. For one, he’s got great size as he is already 6-2, and he has great speed to win defensively and to recover nicely. He’s incredibly strong in the air, and will win the ball. He shows great composure when on the ball and has been often praised for how he makes good decisions when under pressure. Coaches love how he reads the game so well as he can assess an opponents attack plan and he keeps the defensive line organized and knows when to lead the counter. He possesses well in the back line, showing great poise, vision and passing accuracy. He is earning accolades in his young career, starting as a center back for ECNL National Playoffs qualifying team, helping that team see only three losses as they keep eight clean sheets against top opponents. He helped The Potomac School to seven clean sheets as a starter at center back, scoring a couple of goals and had an assist for a team that made the state semifinals.
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