SF Seals

[Jar!23]

https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/mls-next-adds-8-new-clubs-for-2022-23-season

I don’t know much about SF Seals but my impression was that they are a smaller club and the playing level is not that high. So I was surprised to see them going into MLS Next. I guess most clubs will have to do this in order to compete for players.

 

[Barca2021]

Makes no sense that SF now has the Glens (Full), SF Elite (13/14), and SF Seals (13/14) unless Elite is dropping out of MLS. The seals did announce a very low cost to play, $600 for the year to play MLS, so they might pull kids from those other clubs.

 

[Jar!23]

I'm amazed at the $600 price tag. If I had a kid playing in Glens or Elite, I'd definitely be taking my kid to tryouts at least just to check it out. If I had a kid in Seals and not on the MLS team, I don't know how I would feel about basically subsidizing the program since non-MLS players pay more. No way should there be or need to be 3 MLS Next clubs in San Francisco. If every club is MLS Next or some other self-proclaimed top league, then what's the point as there is no true hierarchy. It's just diluting and making a bigger mess of things. We already have too many clubs in an area with such limited field space. Norcal Premier is going to have a hard time staying relevant soon.

 

[WayOffSides]

I'm amazed at the $600 price tag. If I had a kid playing in Glens or Elite, I'd definitely be taking my kid to tryouts at least just to check it out. If I had a kid in Seals and not on the MLS team, I don't know how I would feel about basically subsidizing the program since non-MLS players pay more. No way should there be or need to be 3 MLS Next clubs in San Francisco. If every club is MLS Next or some other self-proclaimed top league, then what's the point as there is no true hierarchy. It's just diluting and making a bigger mess of things. We already have too many clubs in an area with such limited field space. Norcal Premier is going to have a hard time staying relevant soon.

It's just a money grab.

 

[rainbow_unicorn]

It's just a money grab.

How is $600/year a money grab?

 

[NorCalDad]

This is where MLS Next falls down. A club can claim it's in MLS Next...but they might only have one age group in it.

 

[pops92]

How this club got in is beyond me...they were accepted for U13 and U14 only but when you look at their current U12 and U13 (those that would play MLS Next in the upcoming season) they just don't have the level. Their current U12 team got second to last place in the fall in premier 1 - reminder that is the 5th tier of NorCal at that age group as you have pre-NPL champions league, NPL1, NPL2, and NPL3 above that league. Their current U13 team placed last in premier 1 as well (4th tier of leagues in that age group as pre-NPL only has Champions League, NPL1 and NPL2). So both top Seals teams within those age groups are terrible. Sure they may be able to recruit a few new players with the MLS badge but they will probably lose every game by 5+ goals.

To NorCalDad's point, this is where MLS Next goes downhill...

 

[Carlsbad7]

How this club got in is beyond me...they were accepted for U13 and U14 only but when you look at their current U12 and U13 (those that would play MLS Next in the upcoming season) they just don't have the level. Their current U12 team got second to last place in the fall in premier 1 - reminder that is the 5th tier of NorCal at that age group as you have pre-NPL champions league, NPL1, NPL2, and NPL3 above that league. Their current U13 team placed last in premier 1 as well (4th tier of leagues in that age group as pre-NPL only has Champions League, NPL1 and NPL2). So both top Seals teams within those age groups are terrible. Sure they may be able to recruit a few new players with the MLS badge but they will probably lose every game by 5+ goals.

To NorCalDad's point, this is where MLS Next goes downhill...

I don't see the problem. However, letting 1 team / age group in from a specific club isn't in their best interests.

• Either they're going to get shelled + frustrated by losing all the time
• Or, they're going to do well and have their best players recruited away by the larger clubs.

 

[Jar!23]

Is the expectation for clubs with 1 or 2 age groups that they will be given full status after they pass some probationary period (just being able to follow basic administrative rules)?

 

[Jar!23]

So far the record for the U14 team in MLS Next is not good. Their U13 team is doing well, but I’ve heard that the team is basically recruited from another club that doesn’t have MLS Next, not homegrown or Seals developed.

 

[Barca2021]

Is the expectation for clubs with 1 or 2 age groups that they will be given full status after they pass some probationary period (just being able to follow basic administrative rules)?

No, I believe it's more than that. Woodside was mpt given older age groups in 22/23, which has led to a lot of players from last year to leave for other MLS clubs in the region.

 

[soccerpalace]

ECNL is adding 3-5 clubs in Northern California, with one jumping from MLS to ECNL.
Any idea how many MLS clubs applied and are joining?

 

[Jar!23]

ECNL is adding 3-5 clubs in Northern California, with one jumping from MLS to ECNL.
Any idea how many MLS clubs applied and are joining?

Following. Boys? When will announcements be made?

 

[Barca2021]

ECNL is adding 3-5 clubs in Northern California, with one jumping from MLS to ECNL.
Any idea how many MLS clubs applied and are joining?

Interesting. I wonder if they will add more valley teams to create the Bay & Valley leagues of the DA.

 

[soccerpalace]

Interesting. I wonder if they will add more valley teams to create the Bay & Valley leagues of the DA.

SFEA, NFC74 & AFC Boys.

 

[Barca2021]

SFEA, NFC74 & AFC Boys.

SF Elite makes sense. ECNL doesn't have a SF presence and 3 MLS teams in SF ( at 13 & 14) doesn't make sense.
Can't say i know much about Newark or AFC as clubs and how they perform at all ages.

 

[RandomSoccerFan]

Here's what SR shows for the 3 clubs. MVLA thrown in as a top rated club in Norcal (De Anza Force is 19th in boys, MVLA is 20th; but MVLA is 3rd in girls, so 4th overall).



Here's the data split out by age. The numbers represent the California state rank of the top team in that age bracket. It's blank if there isn't a ranked team, and those blanks are not counted in the average. SR's methodology for club rating/ranking only considers 2012 through 2006, requires at least 5 ranked teams of those 7 ages, and averages in a rating of '30' if there isn't a ranked team for the remaining 1 or 2.