How’s the 2024-2025 season going?

Carlsbad7 said:
What this means for the teams that just barely made playoffs is that it's going to be an uphill battle.
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Underdogs with a chip on their shoulder live for the "uphill battle" bro. Add some ganas to that chip and anything can happen in the sport of girl's soccer. Let's stop with the nonsense, you would want Carlsbad in the mix in the top girl's league in SoCal. All top players want a chance to battle against any super team. Baker's Blues was one such team when my dd was on the SoCal youth pitch. The super teams of today are not like past super teams. I like local socal super teams if I were to be honest, I would never allow two ringers to steal play time from my local players. If I were coach, I would not allow it. In fact, that's the most stupid sports rule I've seen since the GDA forbid high school soccer for public school children. The rule to allow two super ringers to join for a natty run is insane & stupid, ECNL or no ECNL like GAL. I still feel that the ECNL Natty Champ for each age group should take on the GAL Natty Champ. Lastly bro, any real competitor that seeks revenge for being snubbed looks for their opportunities in sport. Many girls from some of the lower seed teams were snubbed, cut or faced insane political challenges and or pay for play competition that the middle class can't compete to insure child gets play time at these local super teams and with these rules of two ringers allowed to fly in for a natty run is more insane the more I think about it as I write my opinion on this subject, regardless of league. 🌈🦄 , thoughts?
 
crush said:
Underdogs with a chip on their shoulder live for the "uphill battle" bro. Add some ganas to that chip and anything can happen in the sport of girl's soccer. Let's stop with the nonsense, you would want Carlsbad in the mix in the top girl's league in SoCal. All top players want a chance to battle against any super team. Baker's Blues was one such team when my dd was on the SoCal youth pitch. The super teams of today are not like past super teams. I like local socal super teams if I were to be honest, I would never allow two ringers to steal play time from my local players. If I were coach, I would not allow it. In fact, that's the most stupid sports rule I've seen since the GDA forbid high school soccer for public school children. The rule to allow two super ringers to join for a natty run is insane & stupid, ECNL or no ECNL like GAL. I still feel that the ECNL Natty Champ for each age group should take on the GAL Natty Champ. Lastly bro, any real competitor that seeks revenge for being snubbed looks for their opportunities in sport. Many girls from some of the lower seed teams were snubbed, cut or faced insane political challenges and or pay for play competition that the middle class can't compete to insure child gets play time at these local super teams and with these rules of two ringers allowed to fly in for a natty run is more insane the more I think about it as I write my opinion on this subject, regardless of league. 🌈🦄 , thoughts?
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My thoughts are to ask "just barely" club parents before and after they're knocked out in the first round what they think about playoffs.

Underdogs are great and I wish them all the best but reality and math aren't on their side.
 
Carlsbad7 said:
My thoughts are to ask "just barely" club parents before and after they're knocked out in the first round what they think about playoffs.

Underdogs are great and I wish them all the best but reality and math aren't on their side.
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Well, it's way harder now for the "just barely" made playoffs club parents to be underdog and take down Goliath. Now Goliath can have two top ringers to make sure the just barely made playoff teams get knocked out and no chance to hit Goliath in his dome with a little pebble and one shot to knock off super team. I hear your soul grapes loud and clear. I'm still paying even if it's on my cc to try and knock off the super team in first round playoffs. Where are the playoffs this year?
 
crush said:
Well, it's way harder now for the "just barely" made playoffs club parents to be underdog and take down Goliath. Now Goliath can have two top ringers to make sure the just barely made playoff teams get knocked out and no chance to hit Goliath in his dome with a little pebble and one shot to knock off super team. I hear your soul grapes loud and clear. I'm still paying even if it's on my cc to try and knock off the super team in first round playoffs. Where are the playoffs this year?
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Call it what you want but there's no sour grapes from me. I've just been doing all this for a while + see through the smokescreens leagues and tournaments use to dazzle parents while reaching into their pockets.

It will be interesting to see if there's any fallout in ECNL if all playoff winners are recruiting nationally.
 
Zeke said:
Ah. 2010 only.

Even then, not so sure. Solar’s looking pretty good these days, and they read the same rule book you do. And Fusion looked sharp even missing a key player.

I hope the eventual winner gets there without flying in talent. It would be a shame if remote players became META for youth sports.
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Any of the top teams can win it all but I'm going to take MVLA this year. I know they lost to Koge earlier in the year in the fall showcase but they are looking really sharp right now. Saw them against Penn Fusion in the last showcase and felt they were the dominant team (though I think they only won 1-0).
 
Fieldsofgold said:
You need to get caught up, Legends 2010
has a fly in from Texas . Solar used to have a fly in . It’s just one player …. These singular players do not make or break any of these teams in my opinion.
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If they don’t, then why bring them in? They must be good and impact a team to do it right?
 
Carlsbad7 said:
With the Socal teams like Pats that just barely made the playoffs I agree with you. Even if they get seeded against some superteam from another part of the nation I'd give them a chance because of who they play during the season.

But other "just barelys" don't stand a chance. For them it's just going to be an expensive weekend that ends in the first round.
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Oh I didn't realize Pats barely made the playoffs. Were they not in the top 5 most of the entire year? I remember seeing them in a playoff spot most of the season. They definitely didn't perform as well in the second half as they did the first though and almost messed it up. I would say a team like Blues barely made it as they were not in a playoff spot all season until the end. Slammers and Breakers took their spots with an amazing second half. Surf/Koge/Legends were always locks although Legends started to have some questionable scores. Beach locked in early second half too with that win over Pats. We always said 4-8 was going to go to the last week of the season.
 
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Fieldsofgold said:
You need to get caught up, Legends 2010
has a fly in from Texas . Solar used to have a fly in . It’s just one player …. These singular players do not make or break any of these teams in my opinion.
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ahh ok my bad. Does this superstar play regular season or just come in for showcases and playoffs? I don't know. The midfielder the Legends bring in for their big games makes a pretty big difference on their team.
 
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A couple things to add:
1. @Carlsbad7 the ECNL playoffs have teams split into 12 groups of 4. you play each of the other 3 teams in a round robin, and the group winners plus four wildcards advance to the round of 16. So, although losing your 1st game would put you behind the 8-ball, in no way are you out of it.
2. For a team like the Pats, I think it is a huge accomplishment to make it into the playoffs. This is only the club's 3rd year in ECNL, so it's part of the growing process. I think back to Jordan's Bulls who made incremental steps in the late 80's before becoming a dynasty in the 90's. In no way will the Pats become a dynasty, just saying sometimes you need baby steps.
 
SoccerFan6 said:
A couple things to add:
1. @Carlsbad7 the ECNL playoffs have teams split into 12 groups of 4. you play each of the other 3 teams in a round robin, and the group winners plus four wildcards advance to the round of 16. So, although losing your 1st game would put you behind the 8-ball, in no way are you out of it.
2. For a team like the Pats, I think it is a huge accomplishment to make it into the playoffs. This is only the club's 3rd year in ECNL, so it's part of the growing process. I think back to Jordan's Bulls who made incremental steps in the late 80's before becoming a dynasty in the 90's. In no way will the Pats become a dynasty, just saying sometimes you need baby steps.
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Surf and MVLA were in the same 2010 group last year. Its also interesting that out of the 11 groups last year only 2 group leaders won their 3 group games. 8 had 2 wins and one of the group leaders only won 1 game! Wild stuff can definitely happen in group play at Champions League.
 
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SoccerFan6 said:
A couple things to add:
1. @Carlsbad7 the ECNL playoffs have teams split into 12 groups of 4. you play each of the other 3 teams in a round robin, and the group winners plus four wildcards advance to the round of 16. So, although losing your 1st game would put you behind the 8-ball, in no way are you out of it.
2. For a team like the Pats, I think it is a huge accomplishment to make it into the playoffs. This is only the club's 3rd year in ECNL, so it's part of the growing process. I think back to Jordan's Bulls who made incremental steps in the late 80's before becoming a dynasty in the 90's. In no way will the Pats become a dynasty, just saying sometimes you need baby steps.
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Well that's good to hear. I wasn't paying attention very closely.

All I was pointing out is that usually no matter what league or tournament. Top teams tend to play the bottom teams first. If there's a potential second option for extending the action that's great.
 
These 2010s are about to enter a critical year for recruiting. IMO, I'd be thrilled if my kid's team "barely" made playoffs (Champions league) and had the chance to play the top teams in the country - because coaches show up to those games!
 
SuperSoccerStar said:
It’s totally allowed. With the roster rules and and discovery rules you can get anyone needed at any point during the season or before playoffs to help your team. It’s definitely within the rules. My point is it’s crazy clubs are going to those lengths to win. Also for any non Southwest club I mean Southwest already has ECNL on lock anyway but now with doing that I don’t see any non Southwest team ever winning a championship.
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I'm well aware it's allowed, in the rules and all the good stuff. I just have always thought it was unfair and speaks volumes as to what coaches/clubs will do to win a natty. Kind of sad, really.
I do agree with you as to Southwest will win it again this year, and from here on out from the 2010 group.
 
Zeke said:
You really think SW is going to sweep all 6 championships this year, and every year going forward?

Seems unlikely, even with the top teams adding a couple ringers.
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Fieldsofgold said:
You need to get caught up, Legends 2010
has a fly in from Texas . Solar used to have a fly in . It’s just one player …. These singular players do not make or break any of these teams in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Fieldsofgold said:
You need to get caught up, Legends 2010
has a fly in from Texas . Solar used to have a fly in . It’s just one player …. These singular players do not make or break any of these teams in my opinion.
Click to expand...
I agree I've first hand have seen 2 fly in players (2 separate times) and my thought was "really", not knocking those players but the over hype was real. I was expecting to see a GOAT, and could only shake my head those 2 times.
 
JustaSpectator said:
I agree I've first hand have seen 2 fly in players (2 separate times) and my thought was "really", not knocking those players but the over hype was real. I was expecting to see a GOAT, and could only shake my head those 2 times.
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I agree with you. The GOATS are already on the top teams, not to say these fly in players arent talented. These top teams would still make a deep run in playoffs without the fly in.
 
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