MLS NEXT NEW TIER - SOUTHWEST

[ItaloC8no]

Yes and no. The communities Laufa drew from can’t afford $3500 a year….less so even more now if a recession is looming after the Great Inflation. The reality is a lot of the teams couldn’t or didn’t want pay the dues needed to carry the next teams. The other factor in the decline of the teams you mentioned was less scholarships to go around.

So without a shift in locations, I don’t see how Albion la makes a go of it long term. That means less options for those in disadvantage communities in the downtown triangle. It’s why ecnl doesn’t have a presence there. And I can’t see sm families long term agreeing that they’ll finance the lower level teams and their kids either don’t get a shot or have to drive to Downey or Long Beach to get a crack at the top team (there’s already a ton of bad feeling there about mls2). One or the other isn’t going to survive this and my bet is on the one with the money and if Santa Monica city comes through facilities. Short term it’s a ton of disruption for families in all 4 Albion clubs: La Santa Monica Santa Ana and England fc.

But at least they aren’t SoCal elite which got a demotion through no fault of the teams so perspective.

So are the EA and MLS2 kids practicing in Torrance a mix of the SM team as well? I thought that was a mix of STEEL?

 

[Grace T.]

So are the EA and MLS2 kids practicing in Torrance a mix of the SM team as well? I thought that was a mix of STEEL?

The Albion la mls2 teams are a mix of kids taken from Albion la (including sent down from the La mls next team which for the olders are the old Laufa side), Albion Santa Monica, Albion Santa Ana (which has some steel and some players/teams from this year) and maybe an England fc player or two. Because of the driving distance and just the location (basically the Long Beach area) I wouldn’t be surprised if the former steel is heaviest in the mix. Some of the younger Albion mlsn1 teams have been moved to Santa Monica for practice (that’s all in traffic…those mostly Latino parents were not happy). Albion Santa Ana ea had been playing some games at Long Beach city college, which is where Laufa was based after it left Sotomayor hs near the old Laufa clubhouse. Is Albion la even going to have an ea team or is that going to stay with just Albion Santa Monica and Santa Ana? Is Albion Santa Ana ea even practicing at all down there or just in Torrance/Long Beach???? And I don’t understand how people are supposed to pick teams if like the kids sent to Santa Monica they are suddenly going to add an hour plus commute mid season?

 

[ItaloC8no]

The Albion la mls2 teams are a mix of kids taken from Albion la (including sent down from the La mls next team which for the olders are the old Laufa side), Albion Santa Monica, Albion Santa Ana (which has some steel and some players/teams from this year) and maybe an England fc player or two. Because of the driving distance and just the location (basically the Long Beach area) I wouldn’t be surprised if the former steel is heaviest in the mix. Some of the younger Albion mlsn1 teams have been moved to Santa Monica for practice (that’s all in traffic…those mostly Latino parents were not happy). Albion Santa Ana ea had been playing some games at Long Beach city college, which is where Laufa was based after it left Sotomayor hs near the old Laufa clubhouse. Is Albion la even going to have an ea team or is that going to stay with just Albion Santa Monica and Santa Ana? Is Albion Santa Ana ea even practicing at all down there or just in Torrance/Long Beach???? And I don’t understand how people are supposed to pick teams if like the kids sent to Santa Monica they are suddenly going to add an hour plus commute mid season?

From what I can tell at the Torrance practices there are 2010, 2011, 2012s. There's a 2008 EA that also practices there. 2011 looks to have both EA and MLS2 fully enrolled. There home games are at PMA in Downey.

 

[Grace T.]

From what I can tell at the Torrance practices there are 2010, 2011, 2012s. There's a 2008 EA that also practices there. 2011 looks to have both EA and MLS2 fully enrolled. There home games are at PMA in Downey.

Yes but are those EA teams officially all Albion LA or Albion Santa Ana teams? For example, the higher level Albion LA teams practicing in Santa Monica are still all officially Albion LA teams (which got some of the EA and lower teams booted to much worse fields like Venice HS or DW). Albion Santa Ana for example was playing at least a chunk of their games at Long Beach City College.