Messi Cup is same time as MLS Next Fest

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boxbanger821

BRONZE
The Messi Cup international U16 tournament https://messicup.com/ is scheduled for December 9-14, and MLS Next Fest is December 4-15.

I suppose there's nothing MLS can do to prevent Messi from doing this, but I can't imagine they would be happy about having a tournament at the same time that is "competing" for attention at the very least.

BTW, tickets to attend the games are $120! Messi has really embraced the US soccer youth $$ model!
 
It is kinda wild to me that each state (and sometimes individual divisions within states like California) each have their own rules for outside competition during academic school years, and that these rules are only applicable to a subset of academic institutions (despite nominal requirements that every kid be educated through a high school level, which is fairly standard nationally). I'm just starting to appreciate the implications of this with respect to older kids' tournaments during the school season(s), but obviously you're not going to have "the best" players and teams generally (even if travel wasn't an issue), because a lot of those players would be ineligible to attend, depending on the locations and school situations.

I guess maybe the implication is that if a kid is a good enough prospect, the parents will relocate him/her into an area/school which allows them to play in year-round external competitions, but that's gotta exclude a huge number of good players also. I guess that's where kids and parents decide if they want to really commit to trying for professional soccer, while closing off normal alternative college education and career paths. This is such a strange system, though.
 
sigmabody said:
It is kinda wild to me that each state (and sometimes individual divisions within states like California) each have their own rules for outside competition during academic school years, and that these rules are only applicable to a subset of academic institutions (despite nominal requirements that every kid be educated through a high school level, which is fairly standard nationally). I'm just starting to appreciate the implications of this with respect to older kids' tournaments during the school season(s), but obviously you're not going to have "the best" players and teams generally (even if travel wasn't an issue), because a lot of those players would be ineligible to attend, depending on the locations and school situations.

I guess maybe the implication is that if a kid is a good enough prospect, the parents will relocate him/her into an area/school which allows them to play in year-round external competitions, but that's gotta exclude a huge number of good players also. I guess that's where kids and parents decide if they want to really commit to trying for professional soccer, while closing off normal alternative college education and career paths. This is such a strange system, though.
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It’s an issue for California because the high school season starts as soon as gridiron football ends, generally thanksgiving. But because of the weather and football everyone else is on a different calendar (which is why mlsn insists on a national schedule: the academies need to have fodder to scrimmage against). Mlsn1 is not supposed to play high school but the dates of the Messi tournament likely make it a no go for anyone other than mlsn1 teams in SoCal…ecnl has the same problem from time to time and players are forced (unless they are untouchable stars) to risk punishment from their hs team or from their club. Depending on the hs or the club it may or may not be an easy choice
 
Grace T. said:
It’s an issue for California because the high school season starts as soon as gridiron football ends, generally thanksgiving. But because of the weather and football everyone else is on a different calendar (which is why mlsn insists on a national schedule: the academies need to have fodder to scrimmage against). Mlsn1 is not supposed to play high school but the dates of the Messi tournament likely make it a no go for anyone other than mlsn1 teams in SoCal…ecnl has the same problem from time to time and players are forced (unless they are untouchable stars) to risk punishment from their hs team or from their club. Depending on the hs or the club it may or may not be an easy choice
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MLS2 also participate in Flex. Their tournament is a week later. MLS2 players can play high school soccer so they will have to choose.
 
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