I'm OK either way.
I could see someone like nike, addidas, or espn putting together a ranking based tournament once a year and televising top games from the last couple of rounds + highlights and finals.
Southwest Changes?
- Thread starter SuperSoccerStar
- Start date
I could see someone like nike, addidas, or espn putting together a ranking based tournament once a year and televising top games from the last couple of rounds + highlights and finals.
Youth_Soccer_Nerd
SILVER
That would be awesome
Code
GOLD
On the sidelines, drinking tea with all the parents during the half.
I think this was how it was done initially when my daughters team went from pre-ecnl to ecnl in 2018-19, I remember going to NV to play Heat, but I don't think we went to AZ . My brain is a bit foggy these days so please correct me if I'm wrong...
This is what makes sense to me, create a mountain conference on the girls side like they have on the boys side.
Southwest: 13 teams, play each opponent home or away= 22 games. Or play each opponent home and away= 24 games
Legends FC
Blues SC
SD Surf
Slammers FC
Del Mar Sharks
Pateadores
Rebels SC
Beach FC
Slammers Koge
Eagles
Sporting California
La Breakers
LAFC
Mountain Conference: 7 teams, play each opponent home and away= 12 games
AZ Arsenal
PHX Rising
Utah Royals AZ
Heat FC
Utah Avalanche
La Roca
Boise Thorns
Northwest: 7 teams, play each opponent home and away= 12 games
Cross Fire
Seattle United
Washington Premier
Northwest Elite
Eastside FC
Portland Thorns
PACNW
Southwest: 13 teams, play each opponent home or away= 22 games. Or play each opponent home and away= 24 games
Legends FC
Blues SC
SD Surf
Slammers FC
Del Mar Sharks
Pateadores
Rebels SC
Beach FC
Slammers Koge
Eagles
Sporting California
La Breakers
LAFC
Mountain Conference: 7 teams, play each opponent home and away= 12 games
AZ Arsenal
PHX Rising
Utah Royals AZ
Heat FC
Utah Avalanche
La Roca
Boise Thorns
Northwest: 7 teams, play each opponent home and away= 12 games
Cross Fire
Seattle United
Washington Premier
Northwest Elite
Eastside FC
Portland Thorns
PACNW
Pretty sure the AZ teams would object. Their big selling point is the competition with Surf, Legends, Beach etc and being able to drive to games instead of fly. Flying from Phoenix to Boise for one game? More cost and lesser competition pretty sure that meets resistance. Say what you will. The AZ teams are still better than the lower 5 socal clubs in SW. Plus you have resistance from the Colorado clubs as they no longer play the Texas powerhouses either. La Roca has ECNL since when?
Shooting Star
SILVER
Then the AZ teams can always travel to CA if they object. AZ needs to go play Texas as selling point - solar etc. they provide no value to SoCal and it shouldn’t be a one party gain in a partnership esp when you spend money to to travel. Showcase is enuf to add to their economy.
SW does have some really good teams.. They also have some crappy ones. AZ teams are typically mid table. They leave and the balance leans even more to haves and have nots. If ECNL wants to push the big AZ clubs to GA have at it. We are growing you are shrinking.
ECNL is already showing a bit of hubris. They have a stronghold in SoCal with the NPL teams now going ENCL-RL. They are also kicking out clubs from Boys ECNL because they have MLS next. All that needs to happen is GA and NWSL partner to form NWSL Next and ECNL's demise is started. Top teams will be MLS-Next/NWSL-Next second teams will be EA /DPL. No club that has MLS next will ever drop it. It is more valuable than Girls ECNL. ECNL is pissing off the big clubs by doing this (and only the biggest of clubs get MLS Next) It is arrogance of ECNL that is fueling the dramatic rise of EA and DPL. They are now giving boys ECNL to smaller clubs and the quality is dropping like a stone. Remember just 4 years ago ECNL girls was second tier to DA, it has happened before and can happen again.
Take it a step farther...
NCAA keeps losing in court. If the trend continues eventually colleges will be forced to pay the players. If colleges are forced to pay players most likely they'll scale back the number of teams they field. If this happens there goes NWSL's free pipeline of talent. It will force the creation of NWSL Next.
Here's a question... and btw I have a kid in MLS Next and a kid in ECNL so kinda embarrassing that I don't know this but what the hell I'll ask anyways.. What exactly is DPL? I always thought it was the DA's (rip) 2nd teams. But with no DA what is it now? Are they the GA 2nd teams?
DPL is its own league, its female only and generally where GA clubs put their 2nd teams. (Although not always)
If you're thinking in ECNL terminology DPL is equivalent to ECRL but only for girls.
I missed this. I loved going up to play NoCal Teams. Before they were MVLA, I think they were called Barcelona and they sure played like them. They were the only team that beat us when we were #1 in the country. The truth is, we were coming off winning so much, when we played them, they caught us napping. I won't mention names. MVLA is very good possession team and when they took the Earthquakes best players after the big fold, MVLA took over #1. They play the best soccer with Surf #2. The old Force was a force to recon with, until we beat them. They wanted a rematch, but they all left to Earthquakes and coach Deza when GDA started, and their team folded and did not participate in Farwest Regional. Arizona is a very tough drive and frankly I have horrible memories of the actual driving and the traffic but the teams my kid played against were always worth the drive, if that makes since. This was before all the division in AZ. AZ and Vegas area should both have two top team only. Play Friday and early Sunday to beat the traffic. Del Sol was #1. I hope you wish comes true Shooting Star. Peace out
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That's a long freaking drive to play away game in Texas.
Code
GOLD
I'm sure it will happen again, and again, and again. And each time the top clubs will be invited to play in the new top league regardless of what league they were formally associated with, because, the top league wants/needs the top teams to play in their league. It doesn't matter what logo is on the top league, the quality of teams in the league is the key factor. The boys clubs who were kicked out of ECNL was due to lack of performance by their ECNL teams, and the clubs refusal to move their top teams into the spot (I completely understand why the clubs would not compromise the MLS Next team, neither would I). Those clubs simply failed to bring a second teams to the table with sufficient quality.
Code
GOLD
Or better yet. The U.S. finally gets rid of the collegiate sports scam and focuses on education.
I don't believe the second teams being of quality was the issue. If you look at the records of the teams they kicked out vs the ones they brought in... its fairly apparent and consistent. Its ECNL getting butt hurt they aren't getting the top team. The clubs they are awarding are tiny compared to the ones they kicked. The third team on the giant club would beat the first team on the clubs they are going to. Like I said.. they are making mistakes based on hubris and arrogance. Two years ago there were 2 teams in EA in Phoenix. Now there are 8.
It's interesting how quickly boys youth leagues come and go.
Agree 100% that ECNL boys is creating enemies by not allowing their teams to be 2nd behind MLSN. The closed league "exclusivity" play only works when you have the best clubs participating in your platform.
All hell would break loose if NWSL Next was created in MLS Nexts image but with GA. Suddenly clubs that were nervous they'd lose Girls ECNL by participating in MLSN could have both MLSN and NWSLN.
GA has basically copied ECNL and is doing everything they do (showcases, events, finals) the only thing different at a high level is the clubs involved. GA has proven itself viable/stable with very strong competition from ECNL.
Just to play devils advocate what are ECNLs potential next steps? For girls continue recruiting top GA clubs? For boys continue excluding clubs that also have MLSN? Both plays seem like they might maintain ECNLs future but not secure it. Maybe ECNL can get involved with NWSL Next somehow but I would think that this would be difficult when they view MLSN has a competitor.
The keys to everything changing is NWSL Next, colleges being forced to pay players, or maybe US Soccer buying ECNL out.
Youth_Soccer_Nerd
SILVER
It’s a long drive to drive to Colorado and salt lake from AZ people still do it.