Soccer Institute Montverde Academy (SIMA) hosted its annual SIMA Friendlies on campus from January 23-25.

Despite low temperatures, hundreds of people attended the event, including family, friends, alumni, soccer enthusiasts and an abundance of college coaches looking to identify talent to add to their rosters.

Eight highly skilled club teams participated, including four SIMA teams (Gold, Elite, Varsity, and Junior Elite), along with Ribero Moojen, Vaughn SC, Tampa Bay United SC, Cincinnati United Premier, WithYou USA, Charlotte SA and 2SV Sports, all taking advantage of the weekend's competition.

SIMA director Kevin Varnado reflected, "I think we saw standout performances from several players over the three days of competition. We spend a large part of the year working with the players to develop their ability to cope with challenging situations within the framework of the team. The collective effort of the team is what allows any individual to shine on a given day."
The following players had standout performances throughout the event.

Bryan Ramalho (2SV Sports, CB/HM, ‘26) – Played a pivotal role for the Brazilian outfit from his center back position. Ramalho maintained a strong defensive presence and was effective in building out from the back. He also displayed notable leadership attributes while competing against two high profile opponents.

Olyad Tesafe (Vaughan SC, W, ’25) – The dynamic attacking player excelled in tight spaces at the event. A constant outlet for his teammates, he was very creative on the dribble and with the pass. Responsible for creating several quality chances in the two matches and contributed an assist to a potent Vaughan attack.

Sammy Jadid (Tampa Bay United SC, F, ’25) – Jadid provided a versatile attacking threat across the front line. Dynamic dribbler in 1v1 situations that maintains a level of composure in the penalty area. Delivered a late game-winning goal in Saturday’s contest.

Pedro Henrique Otta (SIMA Elite, MF/W, ’25) – The young Brazilian put in two outstanding displays at winger and in the midfield. Otta was a constant energetic presence on both sides of the ball on Thursday evening and then was a relentless attacking threat on Saturday with a great individual goal in the 4-2 win.

Haruka Asano (WithYou, MF, ’25) – The Japanese midfielder put in two standout displays. He combined exceptional technique and vision to evade pressure and regularly set up teammates in the attacking third. Asano displayed tremendous stamina and endurance with his ability to cover ground defensively and disrupt opposition attacks.

Noah Sari (SIMA Varsity, MF, ’26) – Part of the SIMA Varsity squad, Sari had two mature performances in midfield. He showed great energy throughout, demonstrated a full passing range and even added a goal in Saturday’s contest against Charlotte SA.

Sean Phillian (Cincinnati United Premier, FB, ’26) – The fullback put in a great display of 1v1 defending throughout the weekend. He was adept at getting forward to join the attack without sacrificing his defensive responsibilities, another 2026 graduate who performed well above his years.

Henry Boner (Charlotte SA, MF, ’26) – Boner was a standout two-way midfielder for the North Carolina club. He played with an energy and intensity that drove his team forward, and was central to several of his team’s attacking sequences. Without the ball, he put in the work defensively from his central midfield spot..

Ibrahim Awal (SIMA Gold, MF, ’24) – Awal was an incredible disruptive force in central midfield, and was relentless with his desire to harass and pressure the opposition. His ability to generate turnovers led to the game winning goal in Friday’s match and he added the game-winner on Saturday.

Felipe Chaves (Ribeiro-Moojen PUS, FW/W, ’25) – Chaves was a pacy wide player that thrived in 1v1 situations. The Canadian attacker used good movement in the attacking half to constantly trouble the opposition’s back line.

On Thursday, January 23rd, SIMA Jr. Elite lost 8-0 to Ribeiro-Moojen Pus-2, while SIMA Elite defeated Tampa Bay United SC 2-0. On Friday, January 24th, SIMA Varsity won 2-0 against Vaughan SC, and SIMA Gold secured a 1-0 victory over 2SV Sports. On Saturday, January 25th, SIMA Elite triumphed 4-2 over Ribeiro-Moojen Pus-1, while SIMA Varsity lost 2-1 to Charlotte SA. The final match saw SIMA Gold win 3-2 against With You USA.

“Our goals are to provide a platform that positions our players for the opportunity to continue their career at the collegiate level,” Varnado remarked. “The SIMA Friendlies is one such platform, but we will continue to identify other avenues for additional exposure."

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