Great points. It is what it is. If US Soccer made one little concession then they could put a fork in ECNL. Let the girls who want to play HS soccer play. Maybe tell those girls your won't get called into Camp. That would be fair. Also, maybe have only 4 or 5 players on a roster of 23. None of this private school waiver crap. That's to appease the elites in SoCal.
GU16 National Team
- Thread starter Dominic
- Start date
I would agree with you but for your statement that “ECNL fits that model” implying that only they can match DA players. I am sure there are a few girls out there that don’t play DA or ECNL or maybe not even club at all that deserve a shot too. But due to distance, coach conflicts, finances, family situations, etc. they don’t get any love even when a coach advocates for them."This year’s U-16s are in the first year of their two-year cycle. All of players on the roster play in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy."
So sad on the girls side. I get it for the boys. Boys sacrifice HS Soccer and social life for a nice pay day. ROI baby. Girls are not boys. 99.5% of the girls are playing for college. ECNL fits that model
From National Team site: "This year’s U-16s are in the first year of their two-year cycle. All of players on the roster play in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy."
Any girl 04' or younger who wants to get the call up to YNT or Camps better play DA or be very very good and play far away from any DA club within 2 hours.....lol! Seriously this is wrong on so many fronts. Oh well........
RocketFile
SILVER
Just a prediction (recommendation?) here...
1. MLS pulls out of DA by Summer 2020 and only runs "academy" programs for boys U17 and U19. MLS U17 would be filled with the top 16 and 17 year olds but also the very top 15 year old and even a few 14 year olds.
2. US Soccer, with the support of NWSL (and MLS cooperation), creates a similar academy program on the girls side for U17 and U19, focused on the National Team and developing US women's professional soccer/NWSL.
3. MLS solidarity payments and transfer payments policies regarding intl transfers are further established within these MLS/NWSL academy systems.
4. US Soccer DA becomes the de facto pre-professional development platform - U13 through U19 and expands to include 50 to 100 more clubs nationwide. DA feeds its top players into MLS/NWSL academies.
5. ECNL comes under pressure, and either in drips or in one fell swoop, becomes part of the DA system.
6. A Training Compensation payments policy is established between DA and MLS/NWSL academies, which promotes moving top young players up the pyramid to the MLS/NWSL academies.
7. US Soccer manages YNT call ups and team selection in conjunction with the DA and MLS/NWSL academies.
You don't actually think the landscape has finished evolving do you?
This is just for fun, please do not take offense.
1. MLS pulls out of DA by Summer 2020 and only runs "academy" programs for boys U17 and U19. MLS U17 would be filled with the top 16 and 17 year olds but also the very top 15 year old and even a few 14 year olds.
2. US Soccer, with the support of NWSL (and MLS cooperation), creates a similar academy program on the girls side for U17 and U19, focused on the National Team and developing US women's professional soccer/NWSL.
3. MLS solidarity payments and transfer payments policies regarding intl transfers are further established within these MLS/NWSL academy systems.
4. US Soccer DA becomes the de facto pre-professional development platform - U13 through U19 and expands to include 50 to 100 more clubs nationwide. DA feeds its top players into MLS/NWSL academies.
5. ECNL comes under pressure, and either in drips or in one fell swoop, becomes part of the DA system.
6. A Training Compensation payments policy is established between DA and MLS/NWSL academies, which promotes moving top young players up the pyramid to the MLS/NWSL academies.
7. US Soccer manages YNT call ups and team selection in conjunction with the DA and MLS/NWSL academies.
You don't actually think the landscape has finished evolving do you?
This is just for fun, please do not take offense.
There is a way for ECNL to win this war and that's to convince the remaining big So Cal DA Clubs to join ECNL. The challenge they face is that ECNL also previously blocked a number of those groups from joining them before DA rolled out and I'm sure those clubs remember that.
Bingo!!!!
rainbow_unicorn
PREMIER
There is no way for ECNL to win this war. ECNL should wave the white flag and work with US Soccer on becoming a development league for markets not covered by DA and second-tier (DPL level) teams in DA markets.
ECNL doesn’t have to win a war. They have demonstrated that they can thrive despite the initial threat of US Soccer’s attempt to unravel ECNL. It is US Soccer that is trying to win a war. Initially I thought the DA would be the demise of ECNL when it first started but as things have played out it no longer looks that way. I would suspect that both will continue and top players will make a choice on what is a better fit based on their personal goals.
vegasguy
GOLD
Both leagues are good leagues there is no doubt and the top 6 or so of each league would make a good league and the bottom of both would make a good development or second tier. Promotion and relegation would be fun but tryouts would be crazy. Let's do a Netflix reality show about this.
For anyone to make a definitive statement that ECNL should just quit is silly. The league is thriving on the girls side and growing on the boys. MLS leaves DA and works with USL and DA boys becomes just another league with a patch.
Respectfully disagree. USSDA loses Surf and a few others then there is no DA. The domino effect would be massive and strategically ECNL could eliminate some of the other DA clubs by not accepting them. Those that are currently free would probably be most at threat
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Some did. Some didn't. At some point the clubs might decide to do what's best for them and not what's best for US Soccer. Now there's a novel idea.
softwaretest
SILVER ELITE
Except that Surf just added another DA program. Don't think they'll be dropping out anytime soon.
Stop making sense.
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Whatever happened to the real SG?
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Seems like the most all the clubs who did go all in for ECNL and dropped DA did it for the money (getting a 2nd ECNL team or other local monopoly concessions). The teams who weren't so politically connected and simply had to choose one or the other (recently Tophat, FC Dallas, Real Colorado, for example) all chose DA.
This is really GDA's last power play left since they are not bending rules on HS soccer play. The top end clubs this will scare who produce national team players and likely stay with GDA at least in the short term. Is it petty? sure, but it's their choice. I predict both leagues will be around for awhile and we'll continue asking all the same questions. It seem like down here the clubs are spread out in terms of who got the spots for this roster. In Nor Cal to have 4 from the quakes but 0 from MVLA 04 for example is mind boggling but like all of you said, it's all about being DA or not.
I predict this discussion will go round and round for days LOL
shales1002
GOLD
What have you been reading? ECNL cut them . ECNL made the choice for them. Last summer weren’t we on here talking about how Surf’ ECNL teams were being sold on the DPL after they were unexpectedly cut? Hell Real Colorado’s Director just had a recent article no less than two months about they would choose ECNL IF they would give them two teams. The concessions were given last summer for those teams that made the switch.
This pissing match only hurts the girls. Who gives a sh*t what league you play in. The NATIONAL team should be just that! The best of the best kinda how Surf Cup used to be. Our DD can’t control their geography or their parents finances. It sucks when you tell your kid to be the best and work hard. Colleges know who the best players are, and that’s what this should all be about. Putting together a national team comprised of the best.
oh canada
GOLD
Both leagues will operate successfully in the same territories as long as each is offering a different "product". If only one league is offered in an area, then there is no decision to be made---best players to go that league/club. But in geographic areas where both leagues have clubs, ECNL and DA offer different "flavors". So they compete for players, but not really because players who want to play high school, and want more flexibility with their time for other sports/activities/school/vacations, are choosing ECNL (we know several starters at top DA clubs who are making the move to ECNL for this reason). Those players and families with a more narrow or funneled focus on club soccer at 13/14yrs are choosing DA. If your kid has limited interests beyond soccer (not saying they shouldn't), then DA is an easy choice. But if they love soccer AND also enjoy playing the violin and volleyball, and spending time after school with Math Club, then ECNL gives them that option. Not all girls who love soccer want to narrow their career paths to being a soccer player, coach. or physical therapist from their first year of high school. A bit of hyperbole, I admit, but there is some truth to that as the girls in college now all had more flexibility with their high school time than the DA is now requiring.
Good players in both leagues will play at the same colleges. Players from both leagues will eventually get call ups to the senior USWNT. The only thing at this point ECNL players miss out on is a slim chance at making a young national team that gets together a few times a year for training/tournaments. Worth it? Depends on your kids' interests beyond soccer.
Good players in both leagues will play at the same colleges. Players from both leagues will eventually get call ups to the senior USWNT. The only thing at this point ECNL players miss out on is a slim chance at making a young national team that gets together a few times a year for training/tournaments. Worth it? Depends on your kids' interests beyond soccer.