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In the days leading up to the Pepsi Showdown College Showcase, partnered by YourSeason.com, I will be featuring players that will take part in the largest high school showcase in the Midwest.
Meet St. Charles North's Alex Bergmann and Latin's Ryan Malki, who are just two seniors that will be showcased on Nov. 28 at the Sports Zone in Melrose Park.
Bergmann's goal is to play college soccer for a Midwest school that offers a strong educational curriculum in math and science.
The 5-11, 160-pound senior defender owns a 4.15 GPA on a 5.0 scale. After being injuried most of the fall campaign, Bergmann returned for the final three games of the regular season and helped the North Stars advance to the state quarterfinals - a first in the program's history.
This past summer, he played forward for the U-17 Chicago Fire in the Y League. He also is a current member of the 1991 ODP Team, which won the Region II tournament. Prior to that, he played club for the Chicago Sockers.
Malki, a senior, is headed to Quinnipiac University.
"The coach is Portuguese, and the assistant coaches are from Columbia and Jamaica and played in the Premiership," Malki said. "The team is mostly foreign players, including two from Brazil. So I am excited."
As a member of the Chicago Magic, Malki has won State Cup three times. He also has been a Region II champion and national finalist. Currently, he is the youngest member of the under-20 U.S. National Team of Superclubs.
He was a Topdrawersoccer 2009 Top Recruit and included in the list of top 150 players in the 2009 graduating class for the National Collegiate Scouting Association (NCSA).
Most of all, however, he was a 2008 Chicago Sun-Times player to watch.
- Joe Trost
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Ryan Malki is honestly one of the best players out there. He has a winning combination of raw skill, strength, and a good spacial understanding of the field. He is definitely a player to look out for in the early 2009 season.