DPL expands nationally to include top clubs in key markets

ECNL should make a deal with the NCAA in a hurry or partner with US Soccer somehow.

Despite the fact that ECNL had a huge head start and that they have done a wonderful job building their platform, DA/DPL is US Soccer. US Soccer is not going to allow ECNL to occupy the top of any pyramid.

The ONLY chance ECNL has to remain viable in the long term is to find a partner that is not deeply embedded with US Soccer - so not MLS, not NWSL, not USL, not DA - perhaps the NCAA???

Even that is unlikely to be viable.

I am NOT predicting the demise of ECNL in the next year or two, but I cannot see how it survives as a significant player in 5 years.

Boys ECNL and ECNL 2 are only going to accelerate the outcome.
 
ECNL should make a deal with the NCAA in a hurry or partner with US Soccer somehow.

Despite the fact that ECNL had a huge head start and that they have done a wonderful job building their platform, DA/DPL is US Soccer. US Soccer is not going to allow ECNL to occupy the top of any pyramid.

The ONLY chance ECNL has to remain viable in the long term is to find a partner that is not deeply embedded with US Soccer - so not MLS, not NWSL, not USL, not DA - perhaps the NCAA???

Even that is unlikely to be viable.

I am NOT predicting the demise of ECNL in the next year or two, but I cannot see how it survives as a significant player in 5 years.

Boys ECNL and ECNL 2 are only going to accelerate the outcome.
Listening to your customers is one of the keys to beat your competition in any business. I have not seen any evidence that US Soccer listens to their customers (at least on the girls DA side).
 
I was a proponent of DPL as a secondary league. My dd participated in the first year of the league and we know a number of girls in the league this past year. Clearly DA and ECNL are a better destination if your focus is getting to play in college. DPL offered a good structure from my perspective for secondary teams. I am skeptical though of the move to Regional and National Showcases and the costs involved. College coaches are already torn between attending ECNL and DA showcases along with other major tournaments. Will they really attend DPL Showcases? To me the better endgame for DPL would be for it to be officially part of the the DA and to allow for a free flow of players between each league (with some rules about not playing more than a certain amount of games in a weekend). This would allow the end of the DA bench to get playing time and would also allow DPL girls even more chances to earn their way into the DA. The goal here is to manage a pool of about 30 players or so for each age group.
 
I was a proponent of DPL as a secondary league. My dd participated in the first year of the league and we know a number of girls in the league this past year. Clearly DA and ECNL are a better destination if your focus is getting to play in college. DPL offered a good structure from my perspective for secondary teams. I am skeptical though of the move to Regional and National Showcases and the costs involved. College coaches are already torn between attending ECNL and DA showcases along with other major tournaments. Will they really attend DPL Showcases? To me the better endgame for DPL would be for it to be officially part of the the DA and to allow for a free flow of players between each league (with some rules about not playing more than a certain amount of games in a weekend). This would allow the end of the DA bench to get playing time and would also allow DPL girls even more chances to earn their way into the DA. The goal here is to manage a pool of about 30 players or so for each age group.
My bet would be that they combine a DA/DPL showcase. In that manner the coaches don't have to go to an "extra" showcase.

This year in Feb or March (I forget) DPL had a combined DA/DPL showcase. Bad weather forced its cancellation.

It is interesting to see the growth of DPL/FDL however. The fact that it is now moving into the East is telling. Tells us the DA clubs like it and find value in it. I know a variety of parents that have been pretty happy with what DPL offers vs just being a part of a local AZ league.
 
My bet would be that they combine a DA/DPL showcase. In that manner the coaches don't have to go to an "extra" showcase.

This year in Feb or March (I forget) DPL had a combined DA/DPL showcase. Bad weather forced its cancellation.

It is interesting to see the growth of DPL/FDL however. The fact that it is now moving into the East is telling. Tells us the DA clubs like it and find value in it. I know a variety of parents that have been pretty happy with what DPL offers vs just being a part of a local AZ league.

All that “National DPL” tells us is that the clubs think they they can sell expensive travel soccer to a group of players/families not selected for their top teams. I guess it will be less expensive than the bribes some families pay to get their kids into Yale, but is it really worth it if you are from SoCal and on a second team? Look at map on the link, there are so many SoCal teams that Eagles gets placed near Monterey! If there were SoCal club directors that had the best interests of their players in mind, they would insist that the Arizona teams be placed in the Texas division. They don’t, so they won’t (better to get a percentage of the travel costs).
 
My bet would be that they combine a DA/DPL showcase. In that manner the coaches don't have to go to an "extra" showcase.

This year in Feb or March (I forget) DPL had a combined DA/DPL showcase. Bad weather forced its cancellation.

It is interesting to see the growth of DPL/FDL however. The fact that it is now moving into the East is telling. Tells us the DA clubs like it and find value in it. I know a variety of parents that have been pretty happy with what DPL offers vs just being a part of a local AZ league.
DPL in SoCal has been a inferior league overall. Look at the National Cup results. I believe only 1 DPL team left (Legends 02- great pre DPL team). There are multiple teams remaining from clubs where there is DPL in the age group (Beach 02, Legends 03, Beach 03 and RSC). How is ECNL in trouble when DPL isn’t the next best option to DA at these big clubs? The best competition for non DA teams at these clubs is CRL not the DPL league season.
 
This is comical. So, ECNL is a trouble because of a league of B teams? Wow. Tophat had to do something to keep their paying ECNL customers. They don't want to lose them to neighboring clubs. Honestly, this reeks of desperation on the clubs part. This is not a knock against families who choose to play in the league. I just find it comical the extent to which clubs gas parents up.
 
No.

ECNL is in trouble because from the looks of it US Soccer and DA aren't interested in ECNL remaining the top destination for girls soccer and they are making moves to counter ECNL's position.

And they will certainly do what they need to to snuff out any aspirations ECNL has on the boys side.

I don't think you can look at a snap shot in time or look at one market, particularly SoCal, to determine where this is headed.

US Soccer has a VESTED interest in DA and all of its pieces succeeding and they are reacting to moves ECNL is making and that should worry ECNL.
 
What I find comical is the over reaction on these boards.

A few clubs leave DA - “DA is dead in the water.”

A few clubs leave ECNL - “ECNL is on life support”

DPL goes National - “The beginning of the End for ECNL”

You guys must be writers for the local news!
 
I think it is too early to make any kind of judgement. DA came out with lots of hype but ECNL landed some good body blows by getting some top clubs (LAFC, PDA, Hawks, etc) to leave DA and go "ALL IN" ECNL. But DA came off the ropes with good counter punches and kept Top Hat and Real Colorado and now expanding DPL into Texas and the southeast. To continue the boxing analogy, it's only the second round and the score card is probably one round each. Long way to go.
 
No.

ECNL is in trouble because from the looks of it US Soccer and DA aren't interested in ECNL remaining the top destination for girls soccer and they are making moves to counter ECNL's position.

And they will certainly do what they need to to snuff out any aspirations ECNL has on the boys side.

I don't think you can look at a snap shot in time or look at one market, particularly SoCal, to determine where this is headed.

US Soccer has a VESTED interest in DA and all of its pieces succeeding and they are reacting to moves ECNL is making and that should worry ECNL.


The DOC of Real Colorado stated just last week that he would go ECNL if they could bring in two teams. I guess we all know ECNL's answer to that one. ECNL doesn't appear to be worried one bit, as they seem more than willing to let top clubs go (Surf, Real Colorado, and Tohpat) without even blinking. I honestly just wish we could all play each other and call it a day.
 
The beginning of the end of ECNL...
ECNL should make a deal with the NCAA in a hurry or partner with US Soccer somehow.

Despite the fact that ECNL had a huge head start and that they have done a wonderful job building their platform, DA/DPL is US Soccer. US Soccer is not going to allow ECNL to occupy the top of any pyramid.

The ONLY chance ECNL has to remain viable in the long term is to find a partner that is not deeply embedded with US Soccer - so not MLS, not NWSL, not USL, not DA - perhaps the NCAA???

Even that is unlikely to be viable.

I am NOT predicting the demise of ECNL in the next year or two, but I cannot see how it survives as a significant player in 5 years.

Boys ECNL and ECNL 2 are only going to accelerate the outcome.

How is DPL any different than ECNL2? A league for members to place their second teams.
 
Listening to your customers is one of the keys to beat your competition in any business. I have not seen any evidence that US Soccer listens to their customers (at least on the girls DA side).
Of course one of the historical problems with ECNL is that they listened to their customers too much and allowed clubs like Surf to have a monopoly over a large area while encouraging ECNL to exclude nearby clubs. While I think ECNL has a better product for the players than GDA at this time, remember that ECNL still has the same corrupt management. Of course, so does US Soccer. Maybe we need a new completely independent soccer organization? i9 Sports anyone?
 
Do you think DA maybe shoots itself in the foot a little bit by sanctioning this league (if they have) because now players have a potential alternative to playing DA and being able to play high school.

In theory if the showcases are of similar quality (let’s talk in terms of number of schools attending and quality of said schools) then there is an avenue for DA quality players to work their way back into playing high school and decent level club soccer.

Maybe it hurts them in terms of diluting competition in the DA.
 
Do you think DA maybe shoots itself in the foot a little bit by sanctioning this league (if they have) because now players have a potential alternative to playing DA and being able to play high school.

In theory if the showcases are of similar quality (let’s talk in terms of number of schools attending and quality of said schools) then there is an avenue for DA quality players to work their way back into playing high school and decent level club soccer.

Maybe it hurts them in terms of diluting competition in the DA.

No because all of the coaches will be watching the DA games and very few will be watching the DPL games.
 
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