ECNL Expansion and Contraction? MLS2?

[Code]

Heads up "GA Rising" which was GAs attempt at putting together a 2nd level league under GA blew up this week. DPL is picking up the pieces + taking on all the 2nd teams.

The end result will be GA for top teams and DPL for all GA club second teams nationwide.

The reason I'm relaying is because DPL will also serve as the funnel for clubs that want join GA. What this means is GA will have a loose form of Promotion (from DPL). It remains to be seen if GA will Relegate from GA to DPL non performing clubs.

 

[Carlsbad7]

View attachment 17707

Kind of funny but the product ECNL provides isn't a big secret. Regarding your pic DA is gone and E64 is a dead man walking so I'm not sure how much they apply.

What recently happened is that GA and DPL are now officially both nationwide leagues that work together. What you'll start to see is that most GA clubs will place their 1st teams in GA, 2nd teams in DPL, and 3rd teams in XYZ local leagues.

The setup basically mirrors ECNL/RL but has minor advantages. The first being that a club doesn't need to be GA to play in DPL. The second is that GA and DPL are separate leagues, this brings more scouts (than something like ECRL) to events because there might be top teams that aren't GA playing.

How is more choice ever a bad thing?

What I find ironic about the whole ECNL vs GA debate was that after DA blew up ECNL could have brought all the DA teams into ECNL and had a single youth soccer league for all top clubs in the nation. Unfortunately ECNL chose to be petty + get back at the clubs that left for DA + make them beg to get back in. Taking things personally and looking for revenge instead of looking at the situation as an opportunity to expand the brand is what allowed GA to put its foot in the door. Now GA + DPL have grown to the point where it roughly mirrors ECNL + ECRL.

 

[Carlsbad7]

Absolutely agree. If someone brings up college placement in a discussion about level of play strength, they are delusional about why most players are actually playing the sport. Most of the best players I have seen in youth soccer have zero intention of playing soccer in college. It is a low priority factor.

Give me a break.

Are you really argueing that college placement isnt the carrot clubs dangle in front of parents to keep them engaged and that players are just "playing to win"?

Lots of mental gymnastics going on to try and prove your point.

 

[RandomSoccerFan]

How is more choice ever a bad thing?

The existence of choice is a blessing. Incorrectly assessing all choices as equivalently beneficial is problematic.

 

[Code]

Give me a break.

Are you really argueing that college placement isnt the carrot clubs dangle in front of parents to keep them engaged and that players are just "playing to win"?

Lots of mental gymnastics going on to try and prove your point.

I am, and have been. So are a lot of others. Believe it or not some players love soccer and competition for the sake of the sport. No mental gymnastics or outside carrots needed. It is well known that there are much better paths to college than girls soccer. In fact, girls soccer as an avenue to college is a really bad strategy. Sure, there are plenty of suckers the clubs catch with the college hook; that's how you distract people from evaluating the actual level of talent on a team.

 

[Carlsbad7]

I am, and have been. So are a lot of others. Believe it or not some players love soccer and competition for the sake of the sport. No mental gymnastics or outside carrots needed. It is well known that there are much better paths to college than girls soccer. In fact, girls soccer as an avenue to college is a really bad strategy. Sure, there are plenty of suckers the clubs catch with the college hook; that's how you distract people from evaluating the actual level of talent on a team.

 

[sockma]

I am, and have been. So are a lot of others. Believe it or not some players love soccer and competition for the sake of the sport. No mental gymnastics or outside carrots needed. It is well known that there are much better paths to college than girls soccer. In fact, girls soccer as an avenue to college is a really bad strategy. Sure, there are plenty of suckers the clubs catch with the college hook; that's how you distract people from evaluating the actual level of talent on a team.

Kind of funny but the product ECNL provides isn't a big secret. Regarding your pic DA is gone and E64 is a dead man walking so I'm not sure how much they apply.

What recently happened is that GA and DPL are now officially both nationwide leagues that work together. What you'll start to see is that most GA clubs will place their 1st teams in GA, 2nd teams in DPL, and 3rd teams in XYZ local leagues.

The setup basically mirrors ECNL/RL but has minor advantages. The first being that a club doesn't need to be GA to play in DPL. The second is that GA and DPL are separate leagues, this brings more scouts (than something like ECRL) to events because there might be top teams that aren't GA playing.

How is more choice ever a bad thing?

What I find ironic about the whole ECNL vs GA debate was that after DA blew up ECNL could have brought all the DA teams into ECNL and had a single youth soccer league for all top clubs in the nation. Unfortunately ECNL chose to be petty + get back at the clubs that left for DA + make them beg to get back in. Taking things personally and looking for revenge instead of looking at the situation as an opportunity to expand the brand is what allowed GA to put its foot in the door. Now GA + DPL have grown to the point where it roughly mirrors ECNL + ECRL.

There were over 1000 college scouts at ECNL/ECRL combined playoffs in San Diego. ECRL teams aren't necessarily in ECNL too.

No other event pulled in that many scouts. It doesn't matter what the name of the league is, this is factual information.

 

[Barca2021]

Looks like Tampa Bay United and Boston Bolts have exited ECNL Boys. Both had MLS Next and ECNL teams last year. Their ECNL teams have moved over to National Academy League.

 

[tjinaz]

Looks like Tampa Bay United and Boston Bolts have exited ECNL Boys. Both had MLS Next and ECNL teams last year. Their ECNL teams have moved over to National Academy League.

Both Phoenix Rising and RSL AZ lost ECNL boys and have MLS Next. Both are now EA. FYI those are both by far the largest clubs in AZ. RSL alone has 4 teams per age group on boys and girls side. Both also have ECNL and ECRL girls

 

[CarlitoAlvarez]

Do you have anything to back this up?

However will they survive without it? Not such a big deal really...

 

[CarlitoAlvarez]

Both Phoenix Rising and RSL AZ lost ECNL boys and have MLS Next. Both are now EA. FYI those are both by far the largest clubs in AZ. RSL alone has 4 teams per age group on boys and girls side. Both also have ECNL and ECRL girls

Which of these do you think is the best club? If you had a young kid which would you choose?

 

[Happened again]

Which of these do you think is the best club? If you had a young kid which would you choose?

Boy or Girl?

 

[tjinaz]

Which of these do you think is the best club? If you had a young kid which would you choose?

How young? Honestly right now if they were young i would go next level soccer until they were U13 or so they look at transitioning to the ECNL girls or MLS boys. The problem with the big clubs is the politics. Always some kids that have coaches as parents or are connected some other way that seem to cut the line. Also its just so subjective when you have 4 teams. You may just miss making the top team and then you don't get as good a coach and have to practice with lower quality players. Instead of helping it sets you back a year. If you go to next level they will do a much better job developing rather than the big clubs. Just my opinion.