2018-2019 SW ECNL Conference Discussion

are we still discussing which is better ECNL vs DPL? It comes across as DA fans trying to make themselves feel good about their choice to leave ECNL. Many top players did not go to DA or left the DA to return to ECNL. DA and ECNL are fairly evenly matched and DPL is their second team. It doesn't matter how much you try to say it isn't so. There are some strong DA and ECNL teams and some weak ones just like in any league.
 
Soccer43 said:
are we still discussing which is better ECNL vs DPL? It comes across as DA fans trying to make themselves feel good about their choice to leave ECNL. Many top players did not go to DA or left the DA to return to ECNL. DA and ECNL are fairly evenly matched and DPL is their second team. It doesn't matter how much you try to say it isn't so. There are some strong DA and ECNL teams and some weak ones just like in any league.
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You're 100% correct for the scene in SoCal. But this particular discussion is shedding some light on the scene in AZ, where there are now 4 teams at the DA/ECNL level in a geography where the player population could probably only field 1.5 or 2 elite level teams in any given age group. Theoretically, there will be more parity below the top couple of teams. My initial question was about the balance of talent between DA and ECNL in those 4 clubs.

With regards to DPL, I don't think it's much worth any discussion for the simple fact that, as you've said, the DPL teams are always the 2nd team at the club. No matter what league a club competes in, when your team is the 2nd team (b-team) there is almost no stability from season to season. This is true of the EGSL or "ECNL II" teams that we used to see all over the place, and true for all the 2nd teams playing Flight 2 or Silver Elite here in SoCal. What you get is a few players that are good enough to play at the next level and for some reason or other haven't been selected for the top team at that club (politics, inept coaching, "too small" for the A team coach). Rarely, some of them stick with the club and keep grinding until they get pulled up, but most of those players leave for the top team at another club. The rest of the team stays only as long as their parents continue to buy the idea that they will eventually get promoted, which is usually only one or two seasons. This is not a DPL problem, it's a "b-team" problem, and you see it at all clubs, at all levels. Managing your player's growth is a balance between ambition and satisfaction, and the DPL teams are doomed to always have too much of the first with too little of the second.
 
Desert Hound said:
I don't think you can say that for this year. A lot of movement this year at the ECNL and DPL level. To say that del Sol DPL is not better vs the ECNL teams this year is a stretch. And I certainly would not say it the other way as well. I think it is far to early to make that determination.
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Del sol DPL already has 2 losses to Arizona Thunder, 1 tie against AZ Inferno in state league 2 and tied Arsenals second team.
 
Soccer43 said:
are we still discussing which is better ECNL vs DPL? It comes across as DA fans trying to make themselves feel good about their choice to leave ECNL. Many top players did not go to DA or left the DA to return to ECNL.
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Same could be said about players leaving clubs that went All In for ECNL to stay DA. Let’s all stop the nonsense about DA and ECNL.
 
Soccer43 said:
are we still discussing which is better ECNL vs DPL? It comes across as DA fans trying to make themselves feel good about their choice to leave ECNL. Many top players did not go to DA or left the DA to return to ECNL. DA and ECNL are fairly evenly matched and DPL is their second team. It doesn't matter how much you try to say it isn't so. There are some strong DA and ECNL teams and some weak ones just like in any league.
Click to expand...
Actually the original question was in relation to AZ and what is going on with the various teams there. It was not and the answers were not what is a better league (DA or ECNL) etc. Right now the best talent has gone to DA in AZ. The remaining talent is split between ECNL and DPL. At least at some age groups it is not clear if the ECNL teams are stronger or the DPL teams are stronger.

In this area we probably have enough talent for 2 maybe 3 teams. What we have now essentially are 6 teams per age group (DA, ECNL and DPL). At the age group I know best I can tell you that the current ECNL or DPL teams are not nearly as strong as last years Sereno ECNL team nor are they as strong as del Sol DA or RSL DA. We are experiencing major dilution.
 
Mystery Train said:
You're 100% correct for the scene in SoCal. But this particular discussion is shedding some light on the scene in AZ, where there are now 4 teams at the DA/ECNL level in a geography where the player population could probably only field 1.5 or 2 elite level teams in any given age group. Theoretically, there will be more parity below the top couple of teams. My initial question was about the balance of talent between DA and ECNL in those 4 clubs.

With regards to DPL, I don't think it's much worth any discussion for the simple fact that, as you've said, the DPL teams are always the 2nd team at the club. No matter what league a club competes in, when your team is the 2nd team (b-team) there is almost no stability from season to season. This is true of the EGSL or "ECNL II" teams that we used to see all over the place, and true for all the 2nd teams playing Flight 2 or Silver Elite here in SoCal. What you get is a few players that are good enough to play at the next level and for some reason or other haven't been selected for the top team at that club (politics, inept coaching, "too small" for the A team coach). Rarely, some of them stick with the club and keep grinding until they get pulled up, but most of those players leave for the top team at another club. The rest of the team stays only as long as their parents continue to buy the idea that they will eventually get promoted, which is usually only one or two seasons. This is not a DPL problem, it's a "b-team" problem, and you see it at all clubs, at all levels. Managing your player's growth is a balance between ambition and satisfaction, and the DPL teams are doomed to always have too much of the first with too little of the second.
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Best post I have seen in a long time. Worth repeating!
 
Desert Hound said:
Actually the original question was in relation to AZ and what is going on with the various teams there. It was not and the answers were not what is a better league (DA or ECNL) etc. Right now the best talent has gone to DA in AZ. The remaining talent is split between ECNL and DPL. At least at some age groups it is not clear if the ECNL teams are stronger or the DPL teams are stronger.

In this area we probably have enough talent for 2 maybe 3 teams. What we have now essentially are 6 teams per age group (DA, ECNL and DPL). At the age group I know best I can tell you that the current ECNL or DPL teams are not nearly as strong as last years Sereno ECNL team nor are they as strong as del Sol DA or RSL DA. We are experiencing major dilution.
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Agree Del Sol DA is top in AZ in all age groups.
 
For the age groups I am aware of the ECNL teams are probably a little stronger. RSLs DPL teams had to dig pretty deep into players that were on state league 2 teams. I also know coaching played into some of those decisions.
 
AZ is able to support one competitive DA club (Tier 1) and one competitive ECNL club (Tier 2). The rest are koolaid drinking parents and employment for coaches and clubs.
 
Big weekend coming up with every club in action for the first time this season. Should be a good indicator of where everyone stacks up, no matter what age group you're looking at. Strikers, Blues, and Heat all have 5 teams in the top 4 (playoff positions) of their age groups. LAFC Slammers right there with them with 4 teams.
 
CrazySocccer said:
For the age groups I am aware of the ECNL teams are probably a little stronger. RSLs DPL teams had to dig pretty deep into players that were on state league 2 teams. I also know coaching played into some of those decisions.
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Truth be told our ECNL clubs are digging deep as well.

push_up said:
AZ is able to support one competitive DA club (Tier 1) and one competitive ECNL club (Tier 2). The rest are koolaid drinking parents and employment for coaches and clubs.
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I think this is close to being correct. Possibly ONE more club. But 2 has always seemed about right.
 
Mystery Train said:
Big weekend coming up with every club in action for the first time this season. Should be a good indicator of where everyone stacks up, no matter what age group you're looking at. Strikers, Blues, and Heat all have 5 teams in the top 4 (playoff positions) of their age groups. LAFC Slammers right there with them with 4 teams.
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Now that we're about halfway through the fall stretch of games, looks like we've got a legit challenger to the Blues' throne of age-wide dominance in the league: LAFC Slammers has teams in the top 2 positions of every age group now. Both clubs have 3 teams sitting in first. That's going to make Oct 21st a very, very fun weekend with a ton of talent on display when these two clubs go head-to-head. Also underscores what a win it was for ECNL to pull them away from DA.

A lot of parity below those two in the SW conference with a few surprising results here and there throughout the age groups. Special shout out to DMCV Sharks U17 this past weekend. Against that Blues team, getting a draw is a huge deal.
 
Lambchop said:
Clubs left DA because of $$$$$$$, don't think it was anything but that. It is always about the $$$$!
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You could probably say the same thing about all of the clubs that chose DA over their previous league affiliation. I would assume $ is the driving force behind most club soccer decisions...but that’s okay. We just need to be aware of what’s going on so we can make good decisions.
 
In the U14 and U15 age group kind of surprising to see Blues and the regular Slammers (NOT LAFC) in the positions where they are. Did those teams lose players?
 
Desert Hound said:
In the U14 and U15 age group kind of surprising to see Blues and the regular Slammers (NOT LAFC) in the positions where they are. Did those teams lose players?
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Blues '05 ECNL team is the 2nd team (DA is 1st), and I believe they had a large roster turn over. I don't believe they had a lot of success in summer tournaments, but that just may be a reflection of trying to get all of the new players to gel. They have talent.
 
Just saw that the Blues' U16, U17 and U19 ECNL teams combined have outscored their opponents 67-7 so far. Congrats to the Blues, but I can't imagine anyone is served by such a lack of parity. Sad to see what girls soccer has become.
 
SocalPapa said:
Just saw that the Blues' U16, U17 and U19 ECNL teams combined have outscored their opponents 67-7 so far. Congrats to the Blues, but I can't imagine anyone is served by such a lack of parity. Sad to see what girls soccer has become.
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Well 24 of those goals came against the 2 U17 ECNL teams here in the AZ. I'm still trying to understand whats going on here with the U17 age group. Both U17 ECNL teams combined have played 14 games and won 1. I think this is a perfect example of dilution here in AZ.
 
Mystery Train said:
Now that we're about halfway through the fall stretch of games, looks like we've got a legit challenger to the Blues' throne of age-wide dominance in the league: LAFC Slammers has teams in the top 2 positions of every age group now. Both clubs have 3 teams sitting in first. That's going to make Oct 21st a very, very fun weekend with a ton of talent on display when these two clubs go head-to-head. Also underscores what a win it was for ECNL to pull them away from DA.

A lot of parity below those two in the SW conference with a few surprising results here and there throughout the age groups. Special shout out to DMCV Sharks U17 this past weekend. Against that Blues team, getting a draw is a huge deal.
Click to expand...
Save the Special Shoutout the Sharks didn’t play Blues Baker 02 lol
 
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