Matthew Merrill '14 Recruiting Profile

I love the game of soccer. I am currently a 5'11" 150 lb. midfielder from Mission Viejo, California and I will graduate in the 2014 class at Santa Margarita Catholic High School. I am a starter and Captain playing on the varsity soccer team in the Division 1 Trinity League, in Orange County, California. I am also a starter for my club team, Pateadores Academy where we play in the SCDSL Flight 1. For 2013 Club League, I finished #7 in most goals scored and I am the league leader in assists. The Trinity and SCDSL Leagues are two of the most competitive soccer leagues in the nation.

I model my playing style after Juventus professional player, Andrea Pirlo and US International and Roma player, Michael Bradley. I maintain an excellent conditioning level and I play the full 90 minutes primarily as a center midfielder where I range from box to box. My sprint speeds are consistently near the 20 MPH range as recorded by adidas MiCoach. I have a 28" inch vertical leap and win many headers.

 I have a mental toughness that allows me to remain calm and make good decisions in high-pressure situations. I am most effective as a holding mid where I excel at ball distribution as the central play maker but can also score. I can also play on the right or left. I have had success scoring on the left side of play using my left foot.

I lead my teams in assists where I take free kicks and corners and consistently play in well placed balls that result in numerous shots on goal. I have a solid work rate and a great understanding of the game. I am a competitor and I like to win.

My coaches like my playing style because I am capable of understanding coach's instructions and implementing them during live game play. My coaches tell the wingers on my teams to "Make a run if you see that Matt has time on the ball because he will always get the ball to you"! I have an excellent first touch and have above average ball skills. I am capable of holding on to the ball to slow down play and can also speed up play to control the tempo of the game.

Most of my time is dedicated to soccer and school but I do make time to volunteer for the Top Soccer organization where I teach soccer to disabled children. I also volunteer at Loaves and Fishes and Catholic Worker through my church and school where we feed the needy.

It is my goal to play soccer in college. I am interested in engineering as my major and plan to attend a school that offers mechanical engineering where I hope to design future sports equipment when I graduate. I am open to both big and small schools, but I would like to attend a school where I can succeed on the soccer field as well as in the classroom. Ideally I would like to play at the highest competitive level that I possibly can and play where I can make an immediate impact on the team while earning my engineering degree.

Sincerely,

Matt Merrill