OR... MLS and GA consolidate like DA was and all the top talent goes there. ECNL has exploited the loss of DA to their own benefit not allowing all the former DA teams to join and picking and choosing based on politics and grudges. When GA got created to give those teams a place to go ECNL actively tried to kill the league off through threats and intimidation. When clubs got MLSN and still maintained ECNL boys teams as second teams.. ECNL came up with administrative reasons to kick them out as they were insulted to not get the first team talent. Get what you give.
Is it just me, or are hubris and arrogance always the cause of leagues/clubs that disintegrate?
I have NO affiliation with Rebels but they definitely are doing a very good job with player recruitment. Take a look at the link below:
rebelssandiego.com
It was actually the other way around. ECNL existed before girls DA and USSDA tried to kill off ECNL but ended up folding. After DA collapse ECNL did not have to try to kill off GA as ECNL was already in the dominant position...all the top clubs were rushing to get into ECNL. I know how that feeling is when you're on the outside looking in as our club was not initially accepted into ECNL. And it sucks if you have players at that level. The only way to truly consolidate is under the US Soccer umbrella...but they tried and failed so I doubt we'll see that happen anytime soon.
Yes, the girls for some reason seem to get the short in of the stick in soccer
Well put, and especially the bit about US Soccer consolidation. US Soccer is truly the villain in all of this: an organization with an uncompromising combination of incompetence and impotence
This is true and good advice from my experience at least. My two cents on your last point which isn’t related to the title of this thread. One thing about the better league you are in is the leagues showcases get a better turn out of colleges attending but it’s not the end of the world if you don’t play in those showcases. My daughter played in a DA showcase and an ECNL showcase but by sophomore hs year she was on a DPL team with a club that didn’t have GA at the time and she moved there for the coach, to play close to 90 minutes a game, and play a position best suited for her to showcase her skills. She ended up with D1 offer she couldn’t turn down, a couple other D1 visits with potential offers and some D2’s and 3’s all off of open to everyone silverlakes and surf showcases. Her college coach at the small athletic conference, 1AA football, told her he doesn’t care about the club or league you play in if you can play you can play. She started there after the first couple of pre season games and made 2nd team all conference freshman and sophomore years. Her story and the coach may be the exception to the rule and for sure most if not all power 5 conference schools wouldn’t of come out to her fields at those showcases to watch her play without ECNL or GA on her profile but yeah if she went to their ID camps and tore it up then I believe they wouldn’t have cared what league she plays in.
No idea. But there seem to be several that have announced internally but GA hasn't posted on Instagram.
Sounds about right there might be others.
Its a business. Why pull up the deserving kid that's already paying when you can get a kid that is new to the club and is new money. Its honestly really sad about how this all works. Its nice when you get to the top of the heap but its definitely a battle if you don't start there.
Do we think they will go straight into the main GA conference or put in GA Aspire first? They might do this to make a statement about the club pathway from DPL - GA Aspire - GA.
I'd be pretty shocked if any newly invited/promoted clubs (e.g. Rangers being the one folks seem to be betting on) got anything but GA. For them to be placed in Aspire would sound like a big nothingburger unless I am thinking about this all wrong.
SD Force should have been GA all along. That was ridiculous. I'm not an insider, either, so I wonder what politics kept them out. Likewise for Rangers, if they are not promoted to GA immediately.
