Young Blood: Analyzing MOBA's Latest Signings - Daniel Valenciano

Soccer is a sport that is loved all around the world. From right here in America to England to China to Australia to Brazil, you can find great players everywhere you look, but one of the greatest places for players in terms of development and spending their lives around the game is in the Central and South American regions of the globe. Soccer is adored by the people of this area, and this adoration tends to breed some amazing talent. Former FC Dallas and LA Galaxy great Carlos Ruiz is from Guatemala. Young FC Barcelona star Neymar Jr. is from Brazil. World soccer legend Lionel Messi is from Argentina. Some of the greatest players in the world come from this region, and MOBA's newest addition looks to join that prestigious group of athletes.

Daniel Valenciano - Dalton State College

Out of the great country of Costa Rica, midfielder Daniel Valenciano has lived his life surrounded by the game. Growing up in Heredia, Costa Rica, he played for Saprissa Academy, one of the best youth soccer academies in the country and a direct affiliate of Deportivo Saprissa, arguably the best professional team in Costa Rican football. Upon moving to the United States, Valenciano joined up with the prestigious IMG Academy, a top-class athletics school in Bradenton, Florida. IMG has been a hotbed of talent over the years, playing home to Atlanta United captain Michael Parkhurst and USL star goalkeeper Jeff Attinella. With the IMG PDL team, Valenciano recorded eleven goals and thirteen assists in 2014.

In 2016, Valenciano joined up with the Dalton State Roadrunners of the NAIA, one of the top teams in the league over the last few years. With the Roadrunners, Valenciano led the team in scoring in his first year with ten goals as well as two assists in fourteen games, including four two-goal games. He scored two game-winners, once at home against Montreat, and again against Faulkner. The Roadrunners finished the year 13-3-1, including a nine-game unbeaten streak to start the season in which they won eight of those nine. Dalton made it all the way to the SSAC Tournament final before falling to William Carey 1-0 on an own goal. Valenciano received various accolades for his outstanding season, including two SSAC Offensive Player of the Week awards, as well as being selected to the SSAC All-Freshman team and was one of four Dalton State players to be selected to the All-SSAC Tournament team.

A talented athlete with a high football IQ and a knack for scoring, the 5'9" center-mid brings to Peachtree City a wealth of potential. Valenciano will no doubt be able to make an impact from the first moment he steps on the pitch, as his scoring ability as well as his defensive capabilities will no doubt play a huge role in MOBA's success going forward. A player with PDL and international football experience will bring a solidifying block to an already incredibly talented 2017 roster for head coach Volker Harms.

#MOBAProud
Image from Peachtree City MOBA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MOBA Soccer Academy Becoming a Hub of PTC Sports

Image
In January 2015, it was announced that the German company MOBA Mobile Automation AG would be meeting with Peachtree City to discuss plans to build a new 50,000 square foot office building and soccer complex on Highway 74. A strange combination of projects, several months later, the project was approved, and construction began almost immediately. In a mere few months, it became arguably one of the best decisions the board has ever made. Fast forward to December 2016, the new MOBA Soccer Academy is nearing completion, and already the effect it was intended to have on Peachtree City sports is being felt. When the idea was proposed, Mr. Volker Harms said he hoped to provide Peachtree City and the surrounding area with an opportunity to unite out on the pitch, and that is just what happened. The facilities aren't even complete, but the fields are, and that's all we need. They may be soccer fields, but that doesn't mean only soccer has to be played on them. Elite Lacro
Read more

2016 MOBA Proud MOTY Award

Image
PDL Playoffs kicked off today, thus marking the transition between regular and post season. Now that MOBA's 2016 season is complete, it is finally safe to begin handing out recognition and awards for excellence in the sport, and there is no better prize than receiving the title of 2016 Man of the Year (the association football equivalent of MVP). The sport of football is based around two principles: Pride and Teamwork. However, teamwork does not mean that nobody deserves recognition for outstanding play. A team may work well together and share the ball, but there is always at least one player that truly stands out. And that player, more often than not, receives the Man of the Year award. And so, upon the conclusion of the 2016 Peachtree City MOBA season, the one-man panel here at MOBA Proud would like to recognize a player that met all the standards a MOTY should meet: Salomon Lorenzano. Lorenzano, a native of Peachtree City, started all 14 games for MOBA this year, accrui
Read more

Match Preview: Peachtree City Open Second Half of Season Against Memphis

Image
After such a promising start to the year that saw MOBA open 2-1-2 and reach the top of the table, back-to-back 2-0 away losses have sparked some fear that this season may degrade into a carbon copy of the previous two. As a result of the two losses and results across the division, South Georgia Tormenta FC and Mississippi Brilla FC are running away with the division, and if MOBA want to get themselves back into the race, it will require an immediate turn around and some immediate success. Thankfully, Peachtree City have back-to-back home fixtures against the perfect team. A common theme throughout Peachtree City's most recent loss to the Tri-Cities Otters was disorganization. All ten of the field players seemed to be on completely different pages, and it cost them dearly. While there is no official count, MOBA couldn't have completed more than maybe 60% of their passes, as time after time balls were getting played straight into the teeth of the defense. A part of the iss
Read more