While the members of Paisley Academy’s 2014 (U12) girls soccer team are still in the early stages of their soccer career, it’s a group that has enjoyed nothing but winning in their time together.
Now, the girls of Paisley get to test themselves against some of the country’s best.
In a couple of weeks, the Kearny-based Paisley Academy is off to Tampa, Florida as one of 12 teams to compete in the 2025 Electrolit USL Youth U12 Finals that goes from Dec. 11-15.
The 12U level teams play 9-on-9 before moving to 11-on-11 starting next year.
While doing well and competing well in the tournament is obviously part of the goal, head coach Michael Sylvia is also focused on the bigger picture as the five days also represents a new experience both on and off the field for many of the players.
“This is all part of the process,” said Sylvia. “For many of them, this will be the first time getting on a plane, staying in a hotel that’s further than an hour or two away, waking up somewhere different, playing against teams you’ve never heard of before on a field in a different climate that you’re not used to.
“They’re really excited about it. It’s a great opportunity for them to showcase what they can do.”
Paisley punched its ticket to the event by going undefeated and winning the U12 North Atlantic A Division title over the summer.
Sylvia credits the team’s success to the team’s balance throughout the lineup. A majority of the roster is from Kearny, with the rest largely from surrounding areas such as Hoboken, Harrison and other nearby towns.
“This is not one of those teams (that relies heavily on one player),” Sylvia said. “This team has a lot of parity in this group, which is really nice to see. The way they played as a team is so special for this group. They could have struggled this summer, but they didn’t. They won their group fairly easily. They did really well and it’s because they spread it around a lot.”
That balanced attack starts up top with a pair of talented strikers in Valentina Escobar and Emily Brown. Escobar provides a unique matchup problem for opponents with her height and as a left-footed shooter. Brown, who is the youngest player on the team at the age of 10, brings rare speed.
Another speedster, who brings significant pressure and has been one of the top scorers is Adrina Cruz as a right outside midfielder. Devon Pelusio is on the left side and another scoring threat.
In the middle, Sophia Henriquez is more of the attacking midfielder and is a very skilled passer, while Tevel Amir has shown a knack for winning 50-50 balls and breaking up plays on the defensive end.
Kaiya Tinari and Riley Osterberg also see extensive time in the midfield, with Tinari also capable of playing in the back.
On defense, Emma Principe plays bigger than her size and is already a strong 1v1 defender who can also distribute on the attack. Veronica Zdon starts at the other outside back spot and is one of Paisley’s most versatile players.
At center back is Isabella Marte, who is a strong defender while also possessing the skills to handle center midfield if called upon.
Gia Salazar is the goalkeeper, who according to Sylvia is very aggressive coming off the line and has all the components to be a very strong goalkeeper.
Paisley opens group play with Rush Union Wisconsin on Dec. 11 at 11 a.m. They’ll also play the Michigan Rangers and Virginia Development Academy as part of Group C. In total, four teams will advance to the knockout stage.
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Jason Bernstein | Observer Sports Writer
Jason Bernstein joined The Observer as its sports writer in March 2022, following the retirement of Jim Hague. He has a wealth of sports-writing experience, including for NJ Advance Media (nj.com, The Jersey Journal, The Star-Ledger.)