ECNL R
- Thread starter Wheelman
- Start date
My guess is NPL will still be there in name but really Nor Cal ECRL will be the best nor cal premier league has to offer. With the best ECNL 2nd teams in their own ECRL league, I think that takes away a handful of solid teams like MVLA, Mustang, San Juan, Surf(when some 1st teamers are guesting or younger ECNL play which is common), Placer, etc. I can't imagine more than a few teams will be good in the Nor Cal ECRL on average per age group. I'm interested to see the actual teams in each age group when released.
RandomSoccerFan
PREMIER
On the boys side, ECNL-RL has been the top level of NPL in Norcal for a few seasons now. Regardless of club, teams can get promoted themselves from NPL1 to RL, and are relegated from RL back to NPL1.
Now that there will be another league for ECNL-RL "Norcal", which is club-based - it is still up for interpretation where ECNL, RL, RL-Norcal fit in the hierarchy - and it will depend on which teams clubs set up to put in them.
Is the plan on the girls side now to have the same two separate RL leagues? team-based and club-based?
For this season: https://norcalpremier.com/competition/ecnl-regional-league/resource/ecnl-rl-overview/
For next season: https://norcalpremier.com/norcal-pr...-ecnl-regional-league-for-the-2025-26-season/
Now that there will be another league for ECNL-RL "Norcal", which is club-based - it is still up for interpretation where ECNL, RL, RL-Norcal fit in the hierarchy - and it will depend on which teams clubs set up to put in them.
Is the plan on the girls side now to have the same two separate RL leagues? team-based and club-based?
For this season: https://norcalpremier.com/competition/ecnl-regional-league/resource/ecnl-rl-overview/
For next season: https://norcalpremier.com/norcal-pr...-ecnl-regional-league-for-the-2025-26-season/
RandomSoccerFan
PREMIER
Actually, looks like there is more of an explanation here:
from here: https://norcalpremier.com/ecnl-regi...ith-norcal-premier-soccer-for-2025-26-season/
But yes - with now two separate brackets for RL, it means there are less players available for NPL. I don't think that means NPL goes away entirely - it just means that in age groups that have NPL3, now they might only have NPL1 and NPL2. And for ones with just NPL1 and NPL2, maybe they lose NPL2. Should become clearer as we see which clubs are putting which teams where.
from here: https://norcalpremier.com/ecnl-regi...ith-norcal-premier-soccer-for-2025-26-season/
But yes - with now two separate brackets for RL, it means there are less players available for NPL. I don't think that means NPL goes away entirely - it just means that in age groups that have NPL3, now they might only have NPL1 and NPL2. And for ones with just NPL1 and NPL2, maybe they lose NPL2. Should become clearer as we see which clubs are putting which teams where.
It's funny how much ECNL and MLSN are diverging in the approach. First, MLSN if very much a build it they will come, but ECNL still seems very set on earning a promotion to the top slot. ECNL has been very vocal about switch to SY but MLSN has signaled because of the academies it will likely remain BY. And MLSN has MLS2 which the US soccer on their pyramid has placed at level 2 (along with ECNL), and which can be used as a place for MLSN reserve and futures players to play down. this ECNL division if it extends to the rest of the country would put them at two separate spots on the pyramid. If it were to follow the MLS pattern, ECNL RL GS would be the second tier. If it doesn't, I can't see ECNL RL GS surviving long as a ton of players, if not making the cut for their ECNL team, wouldn't want to get sent down to ECNL RL GS. That was the issue with MLSN reserve players. You'd have some teams with 30+ players (3 goalkeepers) and no one would want to be sent down for fear of getting stuck there and losing their eligibility if something happened that gave them a slot, so they preferred no play time to play time with the lower ranked team.
Highlander
SILVER ELITE
3 clubs left GA for ECNL RL on the girls side (Los Gatos, SF Elite & West Coast) and were replaced by 3 weak NPL clubs - SF Glens, Napa and Newark - those clubs didn't have NPL teams at all levels. GA in NorCal is so weak, one wonders who long it will hold together. NPL is totally watered down, but still a good platform I think - pro rel works so well. Hope they start doing pro rel in the ECNL / RL - some of ECNL clubs should be relegated.