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+---- Thread: About Ekon (Part 8) (/showthread.php?tid=9067)
About Ekon (Part 8) - rrf_1 - 2026-03-19
19 Mar 2026
The Academy season has officially ended, and the Victoria Falls Eagles finished 11-2-1 at the top of the table. The team has a lot to be proud of, including a 9-match win streak to finish the season and a +32 goal differential that is surely in the running for the most dominant Academy performance ever. What the VFE social media team is interested in learning this week is the players' personal victories within the broader success of the team:
Quote:What about your Academy season are you most proud of?
At the start of this season, I was asked to define goals for myself to guide my development as a football player. I set two primary goals: improve my technical skills in alignment with the needs of the fullback position, and improve my mental resilience when faced with pressure. I am most proud to report that as a member of the Eagles, I made noticeable progress in both of these areas.
Good defensive technique for a fullback involves many skills, but one that I specifically focused on improving is the skill of dispossessing the opponent. One way to win possession is by intercepting the ball on a pass, which requires good anticipation and positioning. Between the first half and the second half of the Academy season, I improved my interceptions per 90 from 2.1 to 3.6 and decreased my clearances per 90 from 2.0 to 1.3. I also led all 34 Academy outfielders in total interceptions with 40, which ties wing back Idris Emad at the top. Trending up over the season in this area and leading the Academy in the interception category are two clear indicators that I improved my skill in winning possession for my team through good off-ball decision making. Another way to win possession as a defender is by attempting tackles and converting those tackles with a high success rate, which requires good tackling technique and good discernment on when to make a challenge on the ball. I averaged a relatively steady 3.8 attempted tackles per 90 across my Academy season, but I improved my successful conversion rate from 77.6% to 93.6% from the first half to the second half of the season. This is a huge improvement that will require practice and discipline to sustain, but it's hard to deny that this trend is the outcome of an improvement in my tackling skill. The numbers tell a very clear story of growth in technical defensive ability.
My second goal focused on mental resilience, which is a bit more difficult to answer quantitatively, but I still have some good evidence of improvement in this area over the season. Around the 30th minute in matchday 2 against Istanbul, I made a decision to front my man in an attempt to block the passing lane. However, I lost all vision of their movements, and their offense schemed open a passing lane behind me. My man received the pass on a dive toward the net and had a clean look at the goal, which he easily capitalized on. We ended up drawing the match 1-1, and I felt full responsibility for conceding our only goal. This was clearly a lapse in focus when our goal was under pressure. As the season progressed, I worked diligently on improving my concentration and determination, and I was able to avoid committing any more major technical mistakes throughout the rest of the season. I think there is still a large hill to climb in this area, but I think I made progress, and I will continue to grow with more practice at maintaining focus against the best football players in the world.
Advancing my technical skills and improving my mental focus both enhance a defensive skillset that was already strong in other areas. This helped me achieve a lot of success in the Academy. I mentioned some of my statistical achievements above, but overall, I was very successful in producing a high volume of impact plays across the board, especially on the defensive side of the ball. I have included a breakdown of my marks for the season in the tables below. Here are the highlights I am most proud of:
- Of all players in the Academy, I had the most well-rounded defensive skillset. Looking at defensive metrics per 90 minutes and my rankings among the Academy class, I recorded 4.9 headers/90 (3rd), 3.0 tackles/90 (4th), 2.9 interceptions/90 (3rd), 1.6 clearances/90 (9th), and 0.6 blocks/90 (6th). Excelling in all of these areas at the same time is a level of defensive breadth unmatched by anyone else in the Academy: I was the only player to rank top 10 in each metric. I hope to continue building an identify of a do-it-all defender.
- In addition to leading total interceptions this season, I also led all Academy players in total headers. I also ranked 5th in header success rate, and 3rd in headers in key moments. Dominating aerial challenges is an area where I had a solid foundation coming into the Academy, and it was satisfying to see past skills translate into success at the next level of the sport.
- Lastly, my offensive contributions weren't nonexistent. I am certainly not an offensive asset by any means, and I am not motivated nor is it realistic for me to become a scoring champion for my club. However, this season I effectively created scoring opportunities for my teammates in a supporting role. Among all 34 Academy outfielders, I ranked 10th in key passes, 3rd in progressive passes, and 11th in dribbles, and I was one of only two outfielders (along with midfielder Curtis Yeager) that recorded more than 75 progressive passes and more than 10 dribbles this season, showcasing a unique aability to create both off the pass and on the dribble.
I have had great fun playing with Victoria Falls this season, and I am grateful for all the growth my teammates and my coaches have helped me achieve.
Scoring
| Goals | XG | Shots | On Target |
| 0 | 1.12 | 15 | 4 |
|---|
Creating
| Assists | XA | Key Passes | Progressive Passes | Dribbles |
| 2 | 3.10 | 26 | 102 | 26 |
|---|
Passing
| Passes | Attempted | Pass % | Crosses | Attempted | Cross % |
| 561 | 639 | 87.3% | 10 | 86 | 11.6% |
|---|
Heading
| Headers | Attempted | Header % | Key Headers |
| * 69 * | 92 | 75.0% | 12 |
|---|
Tackling
| Tackles | Attempted | Tackle % | Key Tackles | Presses | Attempted | Press % |
| 42 | 53 | 79.2% | 1 | 34 | 123 | 27.6% |
|---|
Defending
| Interceptions | Clearances | Blocks | Shots Blocked |
| * 40 * | 23 | 8 | 3 |
|---|
* = led all Academy players