Pateadores, Blues RL, Arsenal & LAFC finish it off for me
2023-24 Season
- Thread starter CharlieMurfee
- Start date
I agree with your prediction
Soccerfan2011
BRONZE
I would remove LAFC on my top 10.
It's a toss up between the top 6 teams for sure. Koge and Blues will battle for the #1 spot. Legends & Eagles will battle for the #3-4 spot. The #5 spot also a toss up between Beach NL, Slammers NL, Surf & Pats. Trailing with Sporting CA, Arsenal.
Soccerfan2011
BRONZE
Congratulations to Surf ECNL for taking home the trophy at Surf Challenge Cup and playing up. Points indicates the tournament was a nice little sweep with Eagles RL being the toughest opponent for the 2011's. Well done but now it's back to playing league so buckle up Surf.
Congratulations to the Slammers ECRL for bringing home the trophy at Vegas cup. Let it be known the CA teams will remain dominating for the 2011 age group. I cannot wait to see how the CA teams compete at Nationals!
A buddy of mine send over the trace footage for the final match, Legends ECNL vs Slammers RL. Coach RM did some homework against the Legends and managed to keep their striker guarded at all times. The RL team played as if they had something big to prove! I wonder if Coach MP thought this would be an easy win? Slammers RL fought hard and played aggressively to keep control of the game while Legends played much "cool and calm". Impressive to see the Slammers RL compete with top ECNL clubs. Same goes for Beach RL who manage to advance to the semis by knocking out Slammers ECNL from their bracket! Who would've thought? My money was on Slammers NL to win the bracket but Beach RL had other plans.
I can't be bias so congratulations to Sting from Texas for taking home the trophy on the Silver Elite bracket. By the results, close game against the CDA Slammers E64. Well done Texas.
Any feedback from this past weekend?
Congratulations to the Slammers ECRL for bringing home the trophy at Vegas cup. Let it be known the CA teams will remain dominating for the 2011 age group. I cannot wait to see how the CA teams compete at Nationals!
A buddy of mine send over the trace footage for the final match, Legends ECNL vs Slammers RL. Coach RM did some homework against the Legends and managed to keep their striker guarded at all times. The RL team played as if they had something big to prove! I wonder if Coach MP thought this would be an easy win? Slammers RL fought hard and played aggressively to keep control of the game while Legends played much "cool and calm". Impressive to see the Slammers RL compete with top ECNL clubs. Same goes for Beach RL who manage to advance to the semis by knocking out Slammers ECNL from their bracket! Who would've thought? My money was on Slammers NL to win the bracket but Beach RL had other plans.
I can't be bias so congratulations to Sting from Texas for taking home the trophy on the Silver Elite bracket. By the results, close game against the CDA Slammers E64. Well done Texas.
Any feedback from this past weekend?
First off, congratulations to Slammers FC RL Macias, because they won the top bracket over ecnl teams.. That's a team with lots of talent and grit. They kind of prove that labels mean nothing. So many are so focused on having to be ecnl or having to be on some team. It really doesn't matter until they are in high school. Some ecnl teams may not have the grit and fire of some rl teams which may not be good for player development. One thing I want my girl around is a team with a good work rate and work ethic.
The soccer at this tournament was not the best I've seen in any way. Lots of rust after vacation with a few teams, but I'm learning that as they get older, they actually take those breaks off to heal up, so who knows how that pans out?
I'm starting to wonder about player movement coming for next year at tryouts this year for ECNL There was a lot of built in team development with some teams and the coaches are getting a handle on their weaknesses be it defense, offense, and/or special players, etc. Not to mention, style of play, coaching, distance to tream training/games, and player chemistry/team culture.
I almost wonder if some players/parents are more comfortable than they should be with these RL Teams bringing the heat? I've seen some very bizaare choices this year and can see that there is certainly a bias for size and athleticism, but who knows? Even if a team does well in playoffs, I don't know if I'd feel comfortable about making an ecnl team unless my daughter dominated and owned her position.
Another thing I'm noticing is it's a long season with loads of games on weekends. Tournaments are not as important as they used to be either for some reason. There is definitely a balance needed to keep the girls engaged. You need a certain amount of winning, player growth, play time, and healthy fun during this period. This year the girls are starting to take over their journeys and the parents are just there to guide.
From what I'm seeing, lots of teams are looking to fill holes for that best team that they could be which means the competition will probably get tighter and tighter?
You are exactly correct. Coaches right now are recruiting the crap out of the RL teams that did well. I can guarantee certain parents are being promised starting positions on ECNL teams. Those same parents are playing the package deal game so their kid has a buddy or two on the new team.
Do you happen to know how the RL teams beat the NL teams? Was it a single dominate player that got hot that the entire team booted it up to? Was it a really strong defense and midfield that denied the other teams shots on goal? Did the mids shut down center field?
I can only comment on the Surf 11’s over the weekend. It is hard to know where this team is going to be at the end of the season but based on their progression since I last posted about this being a team to watch, it’s optimistic if you are a Surf fan. Since that post a couple of months ago, the team has increased scoring significantly and defended well. They have won all their league games by significant margins and are now in the top 3 in ECNL. This weekend, despite not having their coach there and focusing on playing time, they were the dominant team playing up a year facing RL teams, beating a couple of decent teams (Eagles & City SM). The proof of their quality will be their ECNL games against Blues, Koge and Pats. It is amazing how much the team has improved, but we all know what “most improved” means. I think they just want to get to the ECNL playoffs at this point. We‘ll see.
So, here is what my opinion is of what I saw. ECNL Teams played soft and were rusty. The RL teams came hungry and played with passion. You could tell which teams took lots of time off and lost some intensity and mojo. I don't see a big difference in skills and/or performance between the good RL Teams and even good ECNL Teams if I'm being honest. I truly see a difference in the passion from being RL vs ECNL with having to prove themselves or to want to get to ECNL. The RL Teams and other non-ecnl teams were just hungrier from what I saw.
Some of the teams like Slammers RL were finishing well while some ECNL Teams were struggling to finish. The goals seemed a little lower in height vs. normal ECNL Goals too. I saw a ton of shots just wide, over, or straight to the goalie.
Soccer can be a struggle where one team controls and outplays another, but can't score, so it ends in a tie or loss. Some girls haven't skipped a beat since the end of ECNL League and some girls are still searching for that spark. My question is what's more important. The next 2 months mean nothing for ECNL League, so maybe it's best to let them slowly get back into it. Frustrating to watch, but why peak during a break?
This is a journey, so I'm trying not to get worked up with mediocre play from my daughter right now, but I'm failing miserably. We have winter league and then back to real league. Real league is what matters, so maybe slow and low until then is the way to play this? I see a lot of girls and parents doing a lot right now and so long as the girls stay strong til the end of real league, it's good, but if they start wandering or slipping from the long sprint, they may be peaking early? I don't know yet, but I start encouraging my kid when it counts.
Her team has issues that they need to work on before real league, so we are moving players around and slowly working on some of them right now. I don't think I would want to go to Las Vegas Cup as an ECNL Team. It just feels like The ECNL Teams take too much time off and go in too soft for that far of a tournament when we could just have friendlies against the same teams at home.
Next year will be interesting though! Which kids dominate their positions and finish strong with what ECNL Coaches want to see and then will many girls want other coaches or more wins, etc.
I'd really like some input on how to keep girls engaged and inspired to win/perform well in soccer as they age. As they get older and wiser, they know where they are heading and/or if they enjoy it. We learn as we go!
Please don't take this personally or negatively in any way. However I can tell that you're approaching things from an emotional perspective. This isn't a bad thing it's just not (the only thing) that wins games as players get older.
Look at what I asked before...
The reason I asked if one player was sitting on top and scoring goals is because this is what most people call "boot ball". It works against lower level teams but it doesn't work against better teams.
I asked if the defenders and mids were able to shut down other teams ability to shoot on goal because this is how you win at higher levels. Defenders and Mids stop the opponents ability to move forward, switch the ball back and forth looking for weaknesses, and make passes forward (breaking the line) which allows forwards to shoot on goal.
I asked if the Mids shut down center field because this forces opponents to move the ball up the sides of the field which is much more difficult. It's also a pretty good indication that Mids are winning 50/50 balls which means the ball is staying on the opponents side of the field.
This is just some high level feedback. Theres much more that good coaches bring out in players.
Yes, this was a pretty emotional tournament for us, but I get what you are saying. I didn't see great soccer tbh. This was like the first games of league after a team was just put together, because of the Christmas Break.
So, regarding boot ball. There was plenty of it. There was some decent passing and defense splitting, but a good portion of kick ball. I saw a lot of variation with goal scoring not just one player dominating any of the games. Beach RL and Slammers RL are pretty good, intense teams and Beach has some size, so you have 2 rl teams that are not much separated from their ecnl teams. The difference was the passion and hunger to win balls and score, but quite directly most of the time.
Every game is different and teams can advance without actually beating the ecnl teams. Beach and Slammers ECNL did not lose games to RL, but they did not advance out of their bracketts. Some games were played with defenders staying way back, but honestly it was finishing that won that tournament. There is something going on with those goals.
There were several shots and good runs in a couple rl vs ecnl games I saw, but rl wanted it more. Beach RL seemed to play really well in the middle, but they didn't dominate it or shut it down neither did Slammers RL. They held their own against ecnl teams though. The RL teams were winning a lot of 50/50s and fighting all over the field. They had something to prove for sure. Every game is different though. These are just my observations.
I would not call it boot ball, but I would say that direct styles with more hunger neutralized the ecnl teams that may have been trying to move the ball more and set up attacks. There was a lot of activity in the middle, but noone really shut the middle down. They were pretty close games with a few scoring opportunities and the ones that finished those opportunities won or held a tie.
There were also some games where ECNL Teams had loads of shots, but not alot of conversions to goals. They dominated the game, but couldn't score. Someone needs to measure the height of those goals imo. Finishing was a challenge.
Like I said though, the rl teams wanted it more and advanced.
Ganas?
Ganas alone won't beat better teams. They'll just pass around you until all your players are tired.
Ganas combined with a coached and defined attack and defense will beat "better" teams.
When games are decided by one goal, ganas can 100% be the difference especially after a break. All teams are different, but some teams did the work and others took alot of time off. The teams are already a goal or 2 different. Also, I have seen teams outshoot others by more than 20 goals which ended in ties. Ganas can be even better than skill, but when you combine ganas and skill, well, that's hard to beat! Soccer can be the most frustrating sport as missing the goal by an inch takes away a win, advancement, and/or the tournament. That one inch is nothing, but everything.
You call it "emotional" and some call it "Ganas." I played basketball with a lot of ganas and grit. I would catch taller and more talented players being lazy and not taking crush serious. That's why Cedric (Ced) Ceballos would pick me for his teams during pick up ball at CSUF Titan gym. To be fair, I also would give him the rock. He loved me and so did Kevin McGee. Many players looked at my physical appearance and didn't bring ganas and they would look like a fool and laughed at from the other players.
Every team will have their own excuse(s), but Beach RL and Slammers RL have players that should be on ECNL. I'll just leave it at that!
Add some ganas, skill, hard work, and they can compete against NL imo. NL can't come light and expect to just advance. Some of the biggest wins my daughter has had have been the ugliest games I've ever seen and all I remember is if we won or lost. Ganas can go a long way! Still though, it takes someone to finish. Every team has something they are working on and, sure, coaches will use strategy, but this tournament was not complicated imo. Some teams converted opportunities and some didn't. The other factor is that with far lower ranked teams, it comes down to who smashes the other teams for more goals to advance and then you end up forcing, rushing, etc. Ganas kept them in the show and they finished their opportunities. The coach can't finish for them!
Throwing in a long break, cold vegas weather, guest players, etc. Lots of excuses and lost pride. At the end of the day, there was no magic imo. The RL Teams wanted it more than some NL Teams and Slammers RL won the cup. To a team struggling to score, that one goal is everything and sometimes it gets harder the more you chase it.
Love this way up. I remember a time when my dd #1 team in the country lost to our "B" team in a tournament. The "B" team brought ganas and we lost. Some of the girls on the "B" team had a little chip on their shoulder that day for not making the "A" team. It was coaches' decision who he picked. There were a few of these girls who had a chance to be a starter or been first off the bench on the "A" team and they beat us pretty good. Everyone learned that day and we never lost to them again. I can also say some of these "B" team players made the "A" team the following year. Skills and talent can take you so far, but you better bring ganas is the moral of the story. You know who Leroy Smith is? Check this out. Go to 6:19 and let MJ share about ganas and a chip on his shoulder.
rainbow_unicorn
PREMIER
The rusty explanation would apply to most of the teams regardless of ECNL/ECRL/GA/DPL. They all have been taking a break from league games but still training as a team (minus the holidays).
Regarding the RL performance versus ECNL teams, it should serve as an early warning for some ECNL players that assume that they are better than RL players. Reality is that ECNL players that coast and do not work outside of team trainings will stagnate and RL players will catch up and replace them. Better to get an early warning than to realize it when it's too late. I think ECRL players are hungrier and play/train with a chip on their shoulder.
Regarding keeping the girls engaged I think you have a good outlook for your player knowing that it's a long sprint. Find opportunities to play outside their club team...club becomes a grind playing with and against the same players year in and out. For my 09 daughter I had her start playing in my men's pick up games and she loves it. She is also enjoying her first year of high school soccer and getting a ton of support from upper classmen. From U13 to U15 the focus has shifted to college with big recruiting year coming up so that may help with refocusing. Keep encouraging your player, don't worry about results, focus on development and enjoy it while it lasts as it will be over soon.
Soccerfan2011
BRONZE
Agree. It's been known for a few years now the 2011s have a bright future. Although teams did take a month off during Christmas you cannot anticipate to participate on a tournament in January and expect top results. Coaches, players and parents should be prepared for moments like this. It seems to me the RL teams continued team practices or private training during the breaks. Blues RL, Beach RL and Slammers RL are stacked with ballers who are hungry and in my opinion can replace plenty of ECNL players. Next year should be interesting for club movements.
@way up as @Carlsbad7 said, no hard feelings my man but your emotions did get the best of you. After reading your novel I can only assume your DD plays for either Beach NL, Slammers NL or Legends NL. From congratulating the winner to blaming the coach, players for missing shots, size/width of goals, weather, guest players and taking a break for the holidays it seems to me that you my man are a little bothered by your teams performance. BTW I love your novels. No need to stress because you still have time before league starts.
ENCL had games this weekend. Does anyone have any updates on the scores? My DDs game was canceled last minute due to the rain.
Just one correction. I never blamed any coaches. I just didn't see any real advantage from the rl coaching. At the end of the day, the players finish or they don't and in soccer, you get a few good opportunities. So many games can go either way and a certain amount of luck is involved too, but ganas can can be that difference that gives you more good luck.
One might say that I am quite jealous that some teams were able to finish, but that's soccer and this is my therapy. I use this forum to gain from the experience of people and I am still learning how to be a soccer parent that flows with the ups and downs of this club soccer experience.
I've discussed with Crush and Carlsbad before the reality of women's soccer too. There are no big rewards for pro women soccer players. I've joked how you can make as much working at Starbucks vs being a women's pro player, so after doing the math on rewards vs. time and risk, is it even worth it? Only if your dd loves this game it is imo and only if she has the ganas to want to win or play hard. I really don't push my girl hard, because the home run is a college scholarship that she could probably earn with a job vs playing soccer in high school. The thing that drives us most is reputation, her love to play, and ganas to stay ahead of the pack. Ganas is it, because the rewards don't offer much for girls soccer!
I know several of the players and parents on all of the teams you mentioned btw, so I'm close to the environment and don't want to offend and/or disregard how well the rl teams did.
I'm really just trying to point out how close the player skills are between rl and ecnl at this age especially with those mentioned teams. I"m also coming to grips that ecnl teams and coaches do things differently than what I'm used to. Probably for the better good, but there is no way around not letting my emotions getting to me after my experience this vegas cup! LOL! I am part of a crowd that only cares about the scoreboard and because we compete against each other, I can't expose much more.
Uuuuugh, like I said, this is my therapy! The crap we do for our girls!
Just to be clear I 100% support women that want to play professionally.
NWSL top contracts right now are 400k+ a year. Add in all the endorsement opportunities and playing women's soccer professionally can be very lucrative.
Even after top women's players retire they can get involved with youth and college teams and clubs at the leadership level which also pays very well.