On the subject of new ECNL players on new teams, Legends beat Blues 4-1 this weekend
How’s the 2023-24 season going?
- Thread starter CharlieMurfee
- Start date
Yes, Blues 2010 is not the team they were last year, or prior years for that matter. Sharks beat them last week as well.
MyKidsDriver
SILVER
And Heat tied Surf 1-1, unpredictable season so far, probably a good thing
RandomSoccerFan
PREMIER
Yep - So Cal Blues 2010G are going to have a hard time this season and next. 2nd hardest schedule nationally over past year (out of ~3,650 2010G teams), and their rating will continue to drop gradually as their results continue to be less than prior years.
Southwest ECNL G2010 has been wild since July. Lots of movement + teams that were dominate suddenly aren't and teams that were terrible are now showing up.
Regarding Blues I know many parents aren't (or weren't) happy with Abner in one way or another. I've spoken with the guy several times + he is surprisingly soft spoken. But, overall seemed like a nice guy. When we were chatting he overplayed his hand regarding the players he had at the time. (Many left at the end of the season)
Regarding Blues I know many parents aren't (or weren't) happy with Abner in one way or another. I've spoken with the guy several times + he is surprisingly soft spoken. But, overall seemed like a nice guy. When we were chatting he overplayed his hand regarding the players he had at the time. (Many left at the end of the season)
We were in talks before the beginning of the current season as well but we decided to stay with our current ecnl club. A Soft spoken nice guy is how he came across to me as well. I changed my mind when I noticed they lost their 2 best playmakers.
Very nice win for Legends.
A couple of those blues players are on that Legends team now. But that’s anecdotally what happens with Blues, they dominate in the Youngers but as the olders age up, players leave and they’re not as dominant as they were in the years leading up to 11v11.
AR and TB are two of the pioneers in girls' soccer in OC. He ran Laguna Hills Eclipse and personally developed Amy Rodriquez to the player she is today. Amy came to Blues college night to share her story about how Blues cut her, and she was sad but found the great Abner to make her the player she is. AR also developed the great Marta to become the player she is today. I got to see his practices up close for half a season and his practices were professional and very solid.
Last edited:
Oh really? In the old days no one ever left the Blues unless they quit, got cut or moved. It's amazing to see how things have changed in 2023. I will say the top, top clubs like Surf, LAFC, Slammers and Legends do offer the full rides and free gear and travel and that is very hard to compete with. I've heard from the grapevine that Blues might be offering a few rides to select few, but I can't confirm, and I heard it just from one dad.
We'll see how it goes.
As I said Abner seemed very nice. But im not sure his style holds up in the game the way its played today. The fact that he was blindsided by players leaving his team says a lot to me.
Stats don’t lie. They went from being one of
the top teams in the nation to an inconsistent average team in a spiraling downfall in just a matter of months.
Last edited:
Where did you get that photo? Awesome photo!
Shooting Star
SILVER
The way the game is played today by US Soccer … and we can debate all day if that will hold up!!
The thing about Abner is that he has proven ties to the USWNT and top colleges like UCLA. Ten years ago he had the Midas touch + if he pushed for a player they were moved to the front of the line. I doubt he's forgotten who to call to make things happen when he wants to.
Things are slowly starting to change. College soccer is starting to get played on TV + women's pro teams can actually fill the stands. Because of this the level of competition is going up. This puts pressure on recruiters to find more and more talent + king makers like Abner have less sway over who makes it to the next level.
The Midas touch lmao. It's sad to even think this type of stuff could still be happening, but I'm glad that women's soccer is becoming more popular.
There haven't been any changes to the roster since they beat Surf 2-0 or tied Koge 1-1. The talent is still there but the chemistry is definitely off so who knows if they can get it back or not. Yes players were lost last season but it was known they were leaving. Only time will tell if its just a bump in the road for the 2010's or not. The Offense vs Defense overall rankings are interesting though....
It's odd to see that the team has the same players but their teamwork seems off. Typically, when new players are added to a team, it takes time for everyone to gel. This particular team began the season impressively but started to wobble as games went on. It's possible that rival teams have analyzed their game and discovered their weak points. A lot of times in soccer, if a team isn't consistent, the issue lies with the midfield. They're crucial because they bridge the defense and the offense. If they're not making good passes or controlling the flow of the game, it affects the team's ability to score and defend. Not being able to get enough chances to score goals can mentally affect the defensive players, more so if they're younger. Always being on the back foot and trying to catch up in a match can add pressure. I noticed these midfield issues when I watched the two games at the SD showcase. The team's control in the midfield wasn't as sharp as it was in the previous season, and they struggled to create scoring opportunities. The ranking in offense & defense further highlights this observation. Strong teams may have a bad game here & there like Surf did vs Heat. But across multiple games they will stay consistent. The main thing to highlight is their inconsistency vs teams ranked way below them.
Trojan_mule
SILVER ELITE
@Lewis Andres any updates on Blues? I saw Abner out there at the Legends game ..