BALTIMORE — They are the girls of summer.
“It's just kind of fun to watch, I think,” said Premier midfielder/forward Vanessa Alessi.
They are some of the best women’s soccer players in the Baltimore area.
“It's definitely a great area for competitive soccer,” said Premier forward Samie Scaffidi.
Together on the pitch.
“The players that play at this level, eventually they'll be at professional level in the next couple years,” said Premier Head Coach Val Teixeira.
They are Premier Soccer Club.
The organization boasts several different youth teams. The oldest women's group that competes over these summer months is the Eastern Development Super Club League Under-23’s. The team is comprised mostly of local talent, including college players home from school. Universities represented include Maryland, Loyola, Towson, La Salle Louisville and St. John’s just to name a few.
“The skill level is very high,” said Teixeira. “You're talking about some players that went on to play professionally. And it's just a league that they continue to practice their skills to play competitive games and get them ready before they return to college.”
“We're definitely an attacking-minded team,” said Alessi. “We like to do that and we like to be a little cheeky and stuff.”
Premier competes in the South Division of the Super Club League. They won it last year. They’re an undefeated 3-0 this year and trying to capitalize on an uptick in interest in women's soccer due to another successful World Cup run by Team USA. They say Baltimore has the talent to produce the next American superstar.
“Definitely our area is really a good area to be set in when you want to improve your skill with soccer,” said Scaffidi.
Alessi plays at Loyola. She used to train with USA forward Carli Lloyd growing up in New Jersey.
“The women's game has just changed completely. It's huge. Everyone's involved. A lot of professional athletes, male and female both, are just so involved and it's really cool to see how big it's kind of come,” she said.
USA plays England in the World Cup semifinals on Tuesday.
Premier plays its home games at Norris Field Stadium in Mt. Washington. Their next home match is on Sunday July 14, at 7:00 p.m., against Keystone. Admission is free.
Follow Shawn Stepner on Twitter @StepnerWMAR and Facebook
