Is DA done?
- Thread starter SBFDad
- Start date
Can you please take your ECNL talk to the ECNL forum. This forum is for MLS DA
@watfly Aw crap you're right... my bad it's hard to tell which thread is what.. my eyes are still bleeding from reading the 50 pages of "DA ending" threads hahahahaha
Sorry, let me grab that stronger drink and head back to ECNL thread... and hopefully this post won't lead to any Covid-19 stat battles
Cheers everyone!!
jpeter
PREMIER
Can you please take your ECNL talk to the ECNL forum. This forum is for MLS DA
Dom migt want a make a new forum. Boys development academy had many members besides MLS.
The new MLS / USYS "elite" league is going to include non-mls teams also so not really that cut & dry.
ECNL does have the own forum but girls & boys are mixed.
For years, MLS DAs wanted to leave the DA to form their own league for the 26 MLS academies teams. The complaint from the MLS DAs was that the non-MLS teams did not offer meaningful enough competition.
What US Youth Soccer is doing is it is just creating a new league with clubs outside the DA, who are not necessarily the most competitive teams. Many of the better former non-MLS DAs already committed to the ECNL. The new MLS/ USYS elite league appears to be just looking for numbers; it is not going to offer more meaningful competition to the MLS academies.
Once again, two separate "elite" leagues just ensures us once again that the best teams are not playing against one another.
thedudeabides
SILVER
Not really apples to apples. CSL Premier is pretty strong top to bottom where the bottom of CRL is pretty weak because teams can get a favorable pool or have a lucky weekend and qualify . CRL is also a side league like NPL so I don't really consider it because it draws from all the other leagues. I have analyzed the primary fall leagues (DA, ECNL, CSL Premier, SCDSL Discovery, and Presidio flt 1) and CSL Premier was slightly above DA and ECNL and significantly above SCDSL and Presidio in YSR composite rankings for boys teams at 3 age groups. Interestingly many of the teams that get relegated in CSL Premier are former DA teams that aged out of academy. Instead of earning it over years they get a weak pool in CRL, qualify for premier then struggle. That was a good indicator the DA's were failing in developing quality players.
Aside from all that, people need to stop thinking their letters are better. I am only making a strong statistical and anecdotal case here for CSL because they have been trashed mercilessly by the DA and ECNL snobs when real results painted a different picture. The hard truth is promotion/relegation works because the necessity to win does foster development but it negates the effects of pay to play and politics. Let me say that again, winning and development are NOT mutually exclusive.
What really needs to happen on the boys side is the top 10-15 teams from all the various leagues within a 3-5 hour drive of an MLS team should be invited to compete in a league with that MLS team. It should be a promotion/relegation system with the MLS Academy not ever getting relegated. The other team are there to support the MLS team and they should naturally be near the top because they will constantly be recruiting players from the other teams and bringing them into hopefully a residential academy structure. It's simple and it would work.
jpeter
PREMIER
Yeah unfortunately some of that. MLS has the facilities, $$, and clout and they sorely need a way to try to recoup some of those millions they spend on youth development. This is one way they think they can get that under control and there is going to be a new solidarity type system put in place and some point.
It's like a merry-go-round... clubs that where put in DA tier-2 didn't like it and wanted to get out so a new league guarantee them tier 1 and the cycle repeats. Just like CSL granted some clubs premier after there da teams aged out or they agreed to bring teams over.
SCDSL seems to be no different they let "new" clubs jump the line. All this does is disillusion existing members which then seek to switch to some other newer league to get better status. The same clubs moving to ECNL did they same sort of thing in DSL. Like version 2 or something.
As far as who committed to what it's up to the players and parents. There is going to be a big shakeup. Just like the clubs that switched leagues players & coaches don't necessarily transfer over and the team are never the same. When a club is in many different leagues like CSL, Crl, Npl, Ecnl, Usl and this new one all at the same time players tend to move around. Some players won't be able to afford travel soccer anymore and without the DA club subsidies (20-30k per team) and travel scholarships it's going to get even more expensive.
In SoCal, I expect the new USYS venture is primarily for the girls DA clubs that aren't going to ECNL. It doesn't look like too many boys DA teams aren't already going to ECNL, the MLS league, or the USL league. If one formed, it seems like it would be San Diego and Arizona-oriented (although it might make more sense for those former AZ DA teams to join Boys ECNL and create a robust AZ section with the pre-existing four Boys ECNL teams in AZ).
Clubs putting DA teams in ECNL (or already had Boys ECNL too)
SD Surf
LA Surf
Real SoCal
FC Golden State
Legends
West Coast (OC Surf)
Pateadores
Strikers
Arsenal
Clubs putting DA teams in MLS operated league (some just rumored)
LA Galaxy
LAFC
LAUFA
TFA
Albion
Nomads
Clubs possibly putting DA teams in USL League
VC Fusion
Unknown and therefore candidates for a possible USYSA Elite league
Santa Barbara
San Diego SC
Murrieta Surf
City San Diego (LA Galaxy SD)
Chula Vista
Arizona DA teams?
Clubs putting DA teams in ECNL (or already had Boys ECNL too)
SD Surf
LA Surf
Real SoCal
FC Golden State
Legends
West Coast (OC Surf)
Pateadores
Strikers
Arsenal
Clubs putting DA teams in MLS operated league (some just rumored)
LA Galaxy
LAFC
LAUFA
TFA
Albion
Nomads
Clubs possibly putting DA teams in USL League
VC Fusion
Unknown and therefore candidates for a possible USYSA Elite league
Santa Barbara
San Diego SC
Murrieta Surf
City San Diego (LA Galaxy SD)
Chula Vista
Arizona DA teams?
vegasguy
GOLD
I think the theory is that LV and PHX/TUC are close enough and they are used to the longer travel. Just my thought. We travel to Surf 5.5hrs. Man City etc. For us Phx/Tuc is 6hrs or a 45min flight. You socal people would die being in a car in a desert for that long. That is a joke but there are a lot of complaints about travel. As for why the did what they did in CA is you all are at most traveling 4.5hrs or so. Balanced travel time I guess. If you look now in the ECNL age groups southwest used to be two divisioned prior to their recent change. PHX and RSZ AZ were tops in 03 for the last two years their other teams are quality too. why are they in t2?
As for the Championship qualifying, it was supposed to be the top 5 at 03 this year. Yes at the composite it becomes one but all of that has changed year to year to tweak things. I assume more tweaks to scheduling and qualifying are going to occur.
Again if it is super important to be in a top tier then great. Like I said, I have been happy with the exposure this year and South Carolina would have been really good too. My son loves the league and has friends at most of the teams across the landscape. I hope that continues as we head into what could be his last season.
jpeter
PREMIER
It's not one for one or one for all either can be in both. They will be at least 2 that are planning both from what I've been told.
Don't forget there can be cross play among the leagues now. Both ECNL and MLS/USYS have came out and said they will be "scheduling" games between clubs in each. Is that friendly games, tournaments or what exactly don't know yet?
thedudeabides
SILVER
There are several club teams in California that can beat the earthquakes and galaxy academy squads. The bottom 4-5 non-mls DA's were bad in SoCal. They aren't even top 50 in socal and the disparities between mls and non mls da's in other parts of the country are even more pronounced. Most of these non mls da's were simply being used so the mls da's didn't have to fly all over the place. The best club teams against the mls academies is the best approach if they make it promotion/relegation.
soccerfan123
SILVER
I do not think its tiers, it is regional grouping I thought but I cud be wrong. but one group wants to skip high school season
Kante
PREMIER
Have seen exactly what you talk about w/ the CSL prem and DA teams, and it makes sense. Looking at YSR, would argue that some of the DA teams scores are too low but only a handful. (does anyone disagree/have other inputs?)
So what's best way how to get more visibility about the boys CSL premier teams/players to college scouts?
Seems like the college scouts are looking for one/a couple big tournament(s) to go to and/or relying on existing relationships with connected docs/coaches.
ECNL Boys seems to be providing that and likely the MLS League will.
How does CSL premier compete with that? The core piece - the player quality/quality of play - is there and that's critical but not enough.
soccerfan123
SILVER
pro - rele would be gr8 but how do you do it with different groups. bottom one from each group?.adn would it be teams or clubs? Clubs only way to organize logistically I guess
soccerfan123
SILVER
YSR is very inaccurate for the older ages, like 14 and older. it rewards blowing out terrible teams way to much so hard schedule teams are not rewarded unless they are so good they beat everybody
Another complaint former MLS DAs had was that they did not want to run U12, U14, U5 programs. They wanted to operate only U17 and U19. Now it sounds like they are running a full league across all ages. If that is the case, will the new USYS league split up the U16 and U17?
I anticipate that ECNL will have U16, U17 and U18.
I anticipate that ECNL will have U16, U17 and U18.
Kante
PREMIER
could see MLS taking TFA, and maybe Barca (their location is a tough travel)
Kante
PREMIER
are there a couple examples of this inaccuracy you could cite? eg, teams that are ranked either too low or too high?
Good point. Inter-league play would be good (and would happen anyway in tournaments when those return), but having teams in two different leagues doesn't mean that both teams would be at the same level. It may just replicate the ECNL/ECRL divide for girls and then the question will be where are the clubs putting their A team.