Rangers vs Eagles

[Grace T.]

I think there is a bit of confusion when it comes to MLS 2 if you look at the list in Souther California of Teams now with MLS 2 there are only 5 new clubs added that did not already have MLS Next. Which means that of the 18 clubs in the league this first year 13 of them already had MLS Next Programs I am not sure how that would change the landscape. What does this mean for EA? Well it will mean that some teams from EA will be moving up to MLS 2 however many of the clubs staying EA and new teams coming in to the league will make it much more competitive as it takes shape in the next year. EA will have a North and South Division now which will most likely have 15 - 20 teams per division this means there will be 30 to 40 total EA Teams in SoCal so I am not sure how the 5 teams that moved to MLS2 would have that big of an impact on EA and the level of competition. One thing I will say and you heard it here first mark my words, in a few years not sure how many, ECNL for boys will begin to disappear and eventually be completely gone.

The variable with ECNL is the age line. The other issue with ECNL in SoCal is there simply aren't enough teams in SoCal (10 on the boys side IIRC)....so say you are a kid in Thousand Oaks that wants to play top flight but at the same time play high school don't make LAFC-Real-SoCal because that year's team is an established championship team...for another team you are looking at a commute over the mountains to Santa Monica or to Ontario. Also ECNL is bigger in other places than SoCal. For example, MLSN does not have a large presence in the Pacific Northwest. However, if we finally get the girls academies (and they are coming...the others have caught up to the USWNT based on an academy system so it's only a matter of time), I think that might pressure ECNL.

The issue with what's left in the EA is for those clubs that didn't get the promotion for MLS2 a lot of the better players are looking for other slots. So you'll have some teams that are established, and some teams that are brand new (and the soccer boards right now are full of these teams advertising for people....not so much for MLS2...even more for EA2). Play will be extremely variable (as it will for MLS2) for some years to come until things settle down. But EA is definitively now the third tier.

 

[chipmonk]

I think there is a bit of confusion when it comes to MLS 2 if you look at the list in Souther California of Teams now with MLS 2 there are only 5 new clubs added that did not already have MLS Next. Which means that of the 18 clubs in the league this first year 13 of them already had MLS Next Programs I am not sure how that would change the landscape. What does this mean for EA? Well it will mean that some teams from EA will be moving up to MLS 2 however many of the clubs staying EA and new teams coming in to the league will make it much more competitive as it takes shape in the next year. EA will have a North and South Division now which will most likely have 15 - 20 teams per division this means there will be 30 to 40 total EA Teams in SoCal so I am not sure how the 5 teams that moved to MLS2 would have that big of an impact on EA and the level of competition. One thing I will say and you heard it here first mark my words, in a few years not sure how many, ECNL for boys will begin to disappear and eventually be completely gone.

The existing clubs that are now MLS2 are moving their former EA teams to MLS 2, that’s why there will be a big impact on the EA level of competition. Their 3rd teams that were either in EA2 or SoCal will now be their EA team. The hypothetical player movement from MLSN -> MLSN 2 -> EA would make it more like a 2.5 tier, but it is what it is.

My guess is that ECNL boys will most likely be on par with MLSN2 as it pans out, I doubt it will be gone in a few years.

 

[SelectMan]

Maybe in CA for MLS2 but I believe you're being a little aggressive saying that boys ECNL will disappear in a few years.

In other places boys ECNL has more of a foothold in the market and I guarantee ECNL will play the "we'll take girls ECNL away" card if clubs join MLS2 over boys ECNL.

The key in all of this is for a group of big girls ECNL clubs to switch to GA. If/when this happens ECNL will fall apart on both the boys and girls sides. Also if NWSL did Acadamies and partnered with GA like MLS did with MLS Next ECNL would be done.

I don't disagree with you in regards to the girls ECNL having a strong footprint on girls soccer in the US, I'm not trying to spread any negativity regarding the Boys side of ECNL, I just wanted to go on the record so that when it happens you can say some crazy person mentioned it on a soccer forum a few years back. US Soccer at least for Boys will have one path and it will be through MLS, MLS Next 2, EA, EA2 the local leagues will be feeders for these leagues. Not sure how long it will take for this to happen but it will happen. Girls are slowly making a move to GA and if the MLS does open up a girls side like all the other major leagues have done around the world then the Girls ECNL would be in serious trouble as well.

 

[CAZZZ]

The existing clubs that are now MLS2 are moving their former EA teams to MLS 2, that’s why there will be a big impact on the EA level of competition. Their 3rd teams that were either in EA2 or SoCal will now be their EA team. The hypothetical player movement from MLSN -> MLSN 2 -> EA would make it more like a 2.5 tier, but it is what it is.

My guess is that ECNL boys will most likely be on par with MLSN2 as it pans out, I doubt it will be gone in a few years.

Not on par with MLS2 for sure, Surf, SDSC, and Rebel can easily make the playoffs if they are in the MLSN Southwest league.

 

[KiloOne]

Not on par with MLS2 for sure, Surf, SDSC, and Rebel can easily make the playoffs if they are in the MLSN Southwest league.

What age group are you referring to? Rebels are bottom half of the table in most ECNL age groups. Surf and SDSC have a few good teams, but aren't easily making playoffs in MLSN Southwest.