2007 DA

Cafu said:
When the DA was around Pats was the only club that gave LAFC and Galaxy a fight at every level. Looking at Surf, Pats and Strikers if you rank them by their best team by age I think you get something like this: U13 Surf/Strikers/Pats, U14 Strikers/Surf/Pats, U15 Surf/Strikers/Pats, U16 Strikers/Pats/Surf, U17 Surf/Strikers/Pats, U18 Strikers/Surf/Pats.
That said the best team of each club be: Strikers U14, Pats U16 and Surf U15.
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I think Pats had some decent older teams, like in the 04 and 03s but I don't think the last few years have been good for them. The pandemic, ECNL vs MLS Next... I also wouldn't say they gave a fight at every level. Last DA game against Pats just before pandemic was 5-0 LAFC 07s and LAG beat them 7-2. LAFC 06s beat Pats 4-0.

Good club and good option but I think they'd be a tier below Strikers, SD Surf and TFA.
 
Cafu said:
When the DA was around Pats was the only club that gave LAFC and Galaxy a fight at every level. Looking at Surf, Pats and Strikers if you rank them by their best team by age I think you get something like this: U13 Surf/Strikers/Pats, U14 Strikers/Surf/Pats, U15 Surf/Strikers/Pats, U16 Strikers/Pats/Surf, U17 Surf/Strikers/Pats, U18 Strikers/Surf/Pats.
That said the best team of each club be: Strikers U14, Pats U16 and Surf U15.
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I thought Pats lost players who wanted to play MLS Next. Aiden to Strikers, etc... Did they lose more? I thought they had a good 07 midfielder but he was playing up. Gavin?
Same with that u15 SD Surf Team. Kyrome went back to LAFC. Oliver to Austin. Over the last year, Surf 07s has also had several players try out at LAG and LAFC but not make it so I figure they're going to be good but in the 3-6th range.
I think that unfortunately Pats and Surf need to jump into the MLS Next to stay near the top of the perceived food chain but I figure they will both be in and around the middle. Maybe Surf can keep their top talent who don't want to drive all the way to Carson or LA but Pats is close enough to continue to have their best players picked off by good performing local teams (i.e: u15 Strikers) or the MLS academies. As an non-San Diegoan... seems like Surf has the perceived role of top club in San Diego so I imagine they will keep their talent that don't want to move out of state.
 
IMO, the key for clubs to keep their top 07 talent is to pitch that the MLS academies don't have a u16 team (only a u17 combo team). Then pitch that they will get more minutes all the way through their sophomore year. Then, I think top talent needs to decide... can my current club get me to my goals or do I need to jump to an MLS academy for my u17 and u18/19 seasons (Junior and Senior years). I am curious to see who stays at LAG/LAFC for the "U16" season. Or if they are at LAG/LAFC they have to decide if they believe they will be able to get playing time as an 06 or if they are relegated to the scrimmage team. Tough decisions for families for sure.
 
RedDevilDad said:
IMO, the key for clubs to keep their top 07 talent is to pitch that the MLS academies don't have a u16 team (only a u17 combo team). Then pitch that they will get more minutes all the way through their sophomore year. Then, I think top talent needs to decide... can my current club get me to my goals or do I need to jump to an MLS academy for my u17 and u18/19 seasons (Junior and Senior years). I am curious to see who stays at LAG/LAFC for the "U16" season. Or if they are at LAG/LAFC they have to decide if they believe they will be able to get playing time as an 06 or if they are relegated to the scrimmage team. Tough decisions for families for sure.
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It will be interesting to see how non-MLS clubs manage the changing landscape the last few years has brought, particularly for the u14 and older teams. The allure of playing men's soccer in college has declined which used to be their top marketing pitch. With the DA league they added the professional pathway draw, but now there is the expansion of fully funded MLS youth academies to complete with. Then add a new generation of parents that aren't as competitively focused as Gen X and they are probably looking at a serious reevaluation of their business model in the next few years. San Diego clubs are slightly better off that there isn't a local MLS youth academy... yet, although several players left the area to join academies.
 
For the 07 age group specifically, next year is a pretty important recruiting year for an MLS Next team that isn't part of an MLS Academy. After U15, LOTS of Galaxy and LAFC Academy kids are cut (like a third or more of the rosters at least) and most of those players have invested too much and love it too much to go to what they perceive as not the top league. A few want to play HS, but not that many as far as I can tell. They get a lot of playing time and the MLS Next clubs often give them opportunities to practice and/or play up with their U17 or U19 teams. There's a reason they were let go, but most of them have talent and the clubs that get the best ones can get better. Those that don't still pick up some pretty good players let go by the clubs replacing them with former MLS Academy players.

While some of this effect was just the fact that the MLS Academies couldn't really do the normal shuffle of players during Covid, most of it is because the U15 players have to get squeezed onto the U17 rosters and they don't want to carry a lot of players considering most of the U16 players are going to sit on the bench.
 
Dargle said:
For the 07 age group specifically, next year is a pretty important recruiting year for an MLS Next team that isn't part of an MLS Academy. After U15, LOTS of Galaxy and LAFC Academy kids are cut (like a third or more of the rosters at least) and most of those players have invested too much and love it too much to go to what they perceive as not the top league. A few want to play HS, but not that many as far as I can tell. They get a lot of playing time and the MLS Next clubs often give them opportunities to practice and/or play up with their U17 or U19 teams. There's a reason they were let go, but most of them have talent and the clubs that get the best ones can get better. Those that don't still pick up some pretty good players let go by the clubs replacing them with former MLS Academy players.

While some of this effect was just the fact that the MLS Academies couldn't really do the normal shuffle of players during Covid, most of it is because the U15 players have to get squeezed onto the U17 rosters and they don't want to carry a lot of players considering most of the U16 players are going to sit on the bench.
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Curious, if the current U17 rosters are mostly 05’s, where will the MLS teams get their 06’s from for next year? Surely they don’t have a whole roster of 06’s that sat the bench the whole year? Do they recruit from outside the club again for the new season? Meaning non MLS clubs may see some of their 06’s leave while the 07’s might return?
 
BIGD said:
Curious, if the current U17 rosters are mostly 05’s, where will the MLS teams get their 06’s from for next year? Surely they don’t have a whole roster of 06’s that sat the bench the whole year? Do they recruit from outside the club again for the new season? Meaning non MLS clubs may see some of their 06’s leave while the 07’s might return?
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Most of the MLS U17 rosters are much bigger than they are at U15, with about half 05 and half 06. The 06 players generally sit a lot. Then next year, the 06s will play and the 07s will sit. Parents of olders talk about the lost year at U16 a lot. There are a few who leave at U16 and then come back at U17, but I don’t know how common it is.
 
Now I'm hearing that Legends, Pats and SD Surf will be added to the MLS Next Southwest Conference in order to have 20 teams and split them into two tiers just like the old DA. Does anybody have any solid knowledge of this?
 
Cafu said:
Now I'm hearing that Legends, Pats and SD Surf will be added to the MLS Next Southwest Conference in order to have 20 teams and split them into two tiers just like the old DA. Does anybody have any solid knowledge of this?
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I have heard nothing yet. It makes sense in a way. If you do by geography (Greater LA versus {Greater SD + Arizona}) you'd get 2 groups of roughly 10 each.
 
So who is going to the MLS Next Flex? Is this for "MLS teams" only?

Anyone hear about Sarasota for Memorial Day weekend? What is the difference between Flex and those going to Sarasota?

Texas is confirmed for playoffs.
 
Beach1 said:
So who is going to the MLS Next Flex? Is this for "MLS teams" only?

Anyone hear about Sarasota for Memorial Day weekend? What is the difference between Flex and those going to Sarasota?
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Flex- Not heard anything about it.
Sarasota- Not heard anything about that but teams have games on 5/21 but not 5/28 so that's possible.
 
Does anyone have the list of boys attending the U-15 YNT training camp in Chula Vista this week? I heard 7 from LAFC are going.
 
Does anybody know what happened with the MLS Next Flex 2022: May 12-18 in Boyds, MD? It has disappeared from the link of Anthony Travel.
 
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