I'd be curious to see how it looks if you compare similarly ranked teams.
That is, do the GA teams ranked 50-100 do any worse than the ECNL teams ranked 50-100?
Someone with way too much time on their hands could add it all up, I suppose.
ECNL Girls Playoffs 2026
- Thread starter SuperSoccerStar
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I'd be curious to see how it looks if you compare similarly ranked teams.
That is, do the GA teams ranked 50-100 do any worse than the ECNL teams ranked 50-100?
Someone with way too much time on their hands could add it all up, I suppose.
This is the issue.
Clubs Coaches and DOCs have the connections into colleges. Leagues provide the platform but they're not out incentivzing college coaches or recruiters to attend. Youth players and their coaches or clubs do this.
Carsbad2012
BRONZE
It's an objective fact that ECNL is better. But I do think there are different ways of looking at it. Speaking only for the 2012 age group. We play for the top GA team in the Southwest. If you play for the top team/teams in either league you have multiple opportunities for showcases, playoffs, finals, etc... and the scouts are at both. The difference, from what i've seen, is that the southwest ECNL is much stronger on the top end. Surf, Blues, Slammer Koge, Slammers, Beach and sort of Rebels, and Legends. GA in that age group is City SC and then there is everyone else, maybe Albion but not really. Not in our age group at least. Nationally GA has strong teams, Cincinnati United, Chicago FC United, NEFC, HTX, Lou Fusz, Tophat, etc... and they are putting girls in D1. The top teams are on par with ECNL as far as D1 commits. NEFC has 20 D1 commits. 6th most nationally. The opportunity is there but the depth isn't. ECNL or GA, if you aren't making it to Playoffs, Champions cup, Finals it doesn't really matter who you play for. Probably a strong chance you aren't D1 material if you aren't on one of those teams. Especially in socal where geography isn't as much of a factor. If you are playing for the top GA teams, you have a great chance to play D1. The same can't be said if you are just playing for an ECNL team. It works the same way. You have to be playing for the top teams. ECNL just has more. What irritates me is how strongly some feel about the leagues. A lot of ECNL or bust attitudes.
shirivelli
BRONZE
Every region varies, but in NorCal, ECNL’s top four teams are deep and consistently strong in comparison. The rest have a few standout players but lack overall depth.
GA’s top three are good, though not on par with ECNL’s top four. Still, GA’s top 2–3 would likely beat the lower half of ECNL teams here on most days.
Carsbad2012
BRONZE
Lamorinda's 12's are definitely on par with the top ECNL teams in that age group. They took out San Juan 3-0 and tied Beach in Surf cup. The Norcal GA is similar to the GA Southwest in that they have like 2 good teams (Lamorinda and Ajax) and the rest are meh.
RandomSoccerFan
PREMIER
I dunno - they had a great showing in Surf Cup, but they lost to that same San Juan team two weeks earlier. It could be a very good team - but it still would be expected to lose to top ECNL clubs unless they start playing like that in every game. They are 4 goals weaker than Surf.
Carsbad2012
BRONZE
I should clarify when I said top ECNL clubs. I meant in norcal. They are inconsistent but they have some great athletes on that team that can change a game pretty quickly when they are on. Their Keeper (the one that played in surf cup) is top notch. We should have beat them by 3 goals but she made some incredibly athletic saves.
It goes in cycles, several of the big ECNL Socal clubs you listed were in DA with City SC 6-7 years ago. At that time ECNL was on the ropes accepting whoever they could which is how Legends SD (formerly DMCV Sharks) got in.
Over time things will start to even out. Clubs will jump from league X to Y and certain percentage of clubs in every league will get better.
What matters the most if your kid makes it to a highly ranked olders team is your clubs connections into colleges and pro teams. NEFC is the East Coast version of Surf SD. Both are just really good at placing players on teams at the next level. I think NEFC has a slight advantage because there's so many top colleges within a 3-4 hour drive from their club.
The local club who's placement program has impressed me recently is Legends. They are very clear about their intentions of placing players in college. I dont know how well it's translating into reality but at least they"re showing that this is their priority. Its one of the big changes I noticed at Legends SD when they become a Legends satellite.
shirivelli
BRONZE
Yes, cycles of rise and fall are a fact of life. Yahoo once led the pack, now it’s Google. Intel dominated for years, but Nvidia holds the spotlight today. Nike had its pinnacle, and now Adidas and others share the stage.
Staying humble and hungry gets harder and harder as success stacks up. At nearly every top club, coaches strut like they run the show, while parents jockey for favor through clinics and gestures. But that kind of complacency and favoritism always catches up and eventually tips the balance toward mediocrity.
ECNL may be front and center now, but tides always turn for sure. That’s just a fact of life.