Some insight by Nick Mohammed, the actor who plays Nate on his transformation from insecure wet blanket to backstabbing heel... looks like I was right in noticing his hair color change as well...
something I realized when reading this is both Nate and Keely have been given the same “break” into the soccer world and how each of them reacted in the complete opposite ways with their shot and how both of them handled how they left when it was time for them both to make their next step.