ECNL Expansion and Contraction? MLS2?

Code said:
That's a valid point. I'm not familiar with all the NorCal clubs. How many NorCal clubs are putting up mediocre to poor standings, AND have a higher performing team they are not playing in the ECNL for each of their age groups?
Click to expand...
The conditional AND is suspect to me. If De Anza's second teams are better on avg than other clubs first teams, then ECNL has a quality issue. If De Anza put in their first team, then I'd assume that it would mean that the lower clubs/teams would just perform worse, highlighting the lack of competitiveness in the league - which in turn would hardly make it attractive for a high-level team to join. If performance or some level thereof is the criteria, then ECNL should be objective and transparent. That said, it never was on the girls' side, so who knows.

Then also factor in how strong or weak a league is relative to the rest of the ECNL. It's common to see "weak" teams in the SW winning in showcase events when matched against other ECNL leagues. Likewise its common to see ECNL boys teams being beaten by non ECNL teams in showcases, so its all hit & miss.

As you say, lots of speculation, and not a lot of facts.
 
In the 2021/22 season there was a sanctioned 2nd tier MLS league in the Northeast. https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/mls-next-creates-strategic-relationship-with-northeast-academy-league. This league was operated by USYS like CalNorth is today. Most of those clubs in that NE League are now committed to the National Academy League. Maybe CalNorth did not have MLS support for the branding/naming. Seems inevitable that the NAL will have some sort of MLS agreement and that’s where most MLS clubs with have tier 2 teams.
 
Barca2021 said:
In the 2021/22 season there was a sanctioned 2nd tier MLS league in the Northeast. https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/mls-next-creates-strategic-relationship-with-northeast-academy-league. This league was operated by USYS like CalNorth is today. Most of those clubs in that NE League are now committed to the National Academy League. Maybe CalNorth did not have MLS support for the branding/naming. Seems inevitable that the NAL will have some sort of MLS agreement and that’s where most MLS clubs with have tier 2 teams.
Click to expand...

Do you know if the NAL is shaping up to be a closed or open circuit? Meaning can non-MLS Next Clubs compete in the NAL or is it only MLS Next second teams and pre MLS youngers teams? If the former, it's just a replacement for the EA...especially since the academy teams (excluding affiliates like LAFC or Houston) have decided they pretty much don't want to get into the administration of anything outside their academies. If it's the latter, it would seem to insulate the 2nd teams from those rogue upstarts that can put their best players into the 1st teams because they don't have MLS Next squads taking the first pick of players, and can implement some roster flexibility to get non dressing MLS Next players play time, which was one of the justifications cited for all this. The biggest obstacle, however, is that the MLS itself and the academies don't seem to care very much about anything under the academy level.
 
Grace T. said:
Do you know if the NAL is shaping up to be a closed or open circuit? Meaning can non-MLS Next Clubs compete in the NAL or is it only MLS Next second teams and pre MLS youngers teams? If the former, it's just a replacement for the EA...especially since the academy teams (excluding affiliates like LAFC or Houston) have decided they pretty much don't want to get into the administration of anything outside their academies. If it's the latter, it would seem to insulate the 2nd teams from those rogue upstarts that can put their best players into the 1st teams because they don't have MLS Next squads taking the first pick of players, and can implement some roster flexibility to get non dressing MLS Next players play time, which was one of the justifications cited for all this. The biggest obstacle, however, is that the MLS itself and the academies don't seem to care very much about anything under the academy level.
Click to expand...
No idea. I am only formulating this opinion from the information online. I would look through the NAL club list to see if there are any non-MLS clubs committed. The CalNorth announcement of non-MLS clubs (who field premier and NPL level teams) was a bit of a surprise and concern.
 
footylove said:
looks like this link has been taken down
Click to expand...
That’s very curious and concerning. I know at least 2 norcal teams recruiting players for mls2, but with no official notice of an actual league or any idea what teams/levels/age groups that’s a big leap of faith that it will all work out…
 
Barca2021 said:
No idea. I am only formulating this opinion from the information online. I would look through the NAL club list to see if there are any non-MLS clubs committed. The CalNorth announcement of non-MLS clubs (who field premier and NPL level teams) was a bit of a surprise and concern.
Click to expand...
Most of them listed on the site looked like MLS Next. The one I questioned were mostly in NY: Long Island Slammers, the NY Alleycats, Dowtown United, Syracuse, Barsca in NY.
 
BBJ said:
That’s very curious and concerning. I know at least 2 norcal teams recruiting players for mls2, but with no official notice of an actual league or any idea what teams/levels/age groups that’s a big leap of faith that it will all work out…
Click to expand...
Ya Bay Area Surf has offered MLS2 to a kid a know . He tried out for their MLS NEXT team , they offered him MLS2 may be due to his level of play so they are definitely recruiting for MLS2. No idea which league or how many teams yet
 
Seems like MLS 2 league on the west coast is not materializing. Politics? Anyone hear different? Might need to wait until MLS season finishes?
 
That page has been showing that for awhile about RL, but no public details yet. If it really is happening for the fall, we should see brackets in 2-3 weeks for all NPL divisions, which would evidently include ECNL-RL as the top one. As a side note, there still are kids at Bay Area Surf who believe they are on a MLS2 team.
 
RandomSoccerFan said:
Thanks for that. On mobile now, so can't as easily poke around that site - but does it look like the ECNL-RL just replaced what was the "Champions" division on top of NPL1, or is it an additional one?
Click to expand...

OK - on desktop browser now; it appears pretty clear. It's just a renaming of Champions league - it's now just called ECNL-RL. The ECNL-RL bracket for U17 23/24, is almost identical to the Champions league bracket for the 07B 2023 season.
 
RandomSoccerFan said:
As a side note, there still are kids at Bay Area Surf who believe they are on a MLS2 team.
Click to expand...

Clicking through the brackets makes it clear, all of the MLS2 teams (at least with Bay Area Surf) that show as registered with Norcal so far are just playing in NPL brackets for this season. (link) In those specific brackets, there are no other teams, at least so far, that are also using the MLS2 naming.
 
I heard from someone who attended the ECNL conference this year that USClubSoccer (governing organization for ECNL, ECRL, and NPL) was clear that they are actively aligning and shaping the thier leagues into a three tiered pyramid program. They intend on making ECRL the undisputed Tier 2 National League under the ECNL. It appears they may be moving toward a promotion/relegation system between ECRL and NPL , as many regions are already structured that way this past season.
 
Code said:
I heard from someone who attended the ECNL conference this year that USClubSoccer (governing organization for ECNL, ECRL, and NPL) was clear that they are actively aligning and shaping the thier leagues into a three tiered pyramid program. They intend on making ECRL the undisputed Tier 2 National League under the ECNL. It appears they may be moving toward a promotion/relegation system between ECRL and NPL , as many regions are already structured that way this past season.
Click to expand...
That would make sense for USClubSoccer. Unfortunately they are not the only governing body. NAL is taking off (on the east coast) with the support of USyouthsoccer, which is connected to CalNorth/South. I suspect NorCal has more political weight around here which is why NAL (MLS2) isn't happening. They probably told clubs that they would have to leave the platform if they started NAL out here.

Further division of youth soccer.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top