EAL =ECRL > NPL. If EAL is a money grab, then eal2 is even worseGood alternative to NPL or ECRL? Or just blah?
Quite a few of the npl teams have moved into elite 64 and ea2 on the boys end. It’s an open question of whether elite 64 or ea2 are the new flight one, but with most of the better teams having moved, they are certainly more solid than npl…a couple of the younger divisions didn’t even get enough teams to make a go of npl.Blah. With promotion and relegation being implemented into NPL within the SOCAL league, any leagues except the top tier (MLS Next, and ECNL) are going to have a really hard time justifying the level of play they offer in Southern California within the next couple of years. Other regions of the US may have a different scenario.
Agree. Also, this was implemented from the beginning at u15 and up with the EPP/PPP and now renamed to fully separate divisions (LAG & LAFC in the West and TFA, Santa Barbara, etc in the Southwest) and still only playing non-division opponents once a season, if at all.And mls next has also begun to break into two tiers, with the academy teams largely playing themselves at the older levels.
Straight up money grab. There is zero need for an EA2. Just another alphabet soup league to water down the competition even more. At what point is enough really enough?Good alternative to NPL or ECRL? Or just blah?
Straight up money grab. There is zero need for an EA2. Just another alphabet soup league to water down the competition even more. At what point is enough really enough?
I agree there is zero need for it. Ideally, the soccer powers that be would get together and have a straight pathway for players from MLS Academy-Flight 1-7-Rec, but with even AYSO jealously guarding their turf, that's not going to happen unless it's imposed by an outside body like Fifa.
It's also more of the same. The MLS Academies on the boys end are far and a way the top flight (if your boy is playing anything under MLS Academy level, they are playing in an also-ran/not the most elite level, a handful of other teams excepted). From there the clarity ends with the boys divided between ecnl and MLS Next. The next tier is similarly divided between EA1 and ECRL. The next tier is a big mess with the 3rd teams in EA2, Elite 64, NPL, and Coast Premiere. It's hard to tell what even is the third team since at a recent tournament I noticed a club placed their Elite 64 team in the 2nd bracket (which proceeded to get pounded) and their EA2 in the third bracket (where they won).
The girls are no better with the top flight divided between ECNL and GA and unlike the boys they don't have a fully developed elite bracket like the MLS Academy division. Ironically, with the decline of Coast, the lower brackets will seem to have more clarity in their tiers.
It's a problem because talent is not evenly scattered in the middle tiers...you have some better players playing EA2/Elite 64 that should be playing EA1 or MLS Next and vice versa. You also have some teams that are misplaced and run away with it (teams like the Anaheim B08 Premiere team that could compete MLS Next or the SoCal Elite 08 team that dominated NPL last year) and teams that shouldn't even be in MLS Next (I won't call anyone out, but am thinking of teams for example from smaller locations with less of a player pool). Then you have teams like the AYSO United squads that have been locked out of EA/MLS Next yet some of them (due to their huge player pool) can give the higher teams a run for their money. Players and teams as a result aren't situated appropriately (which is the entire point of having a tier system) and I don't see a resolution to that without a top down approach.
In past surf cups, boys ecnl has fared better than boys mls next.I think we will have a much clearer picture about how all these leagues match up in about a week from now. There is a lot of cross-league match-ups happening next weekend at Surf Cup and Silverlakes Showcase. It will be interesting to see if the E64 teams who were NPL teams last season are somehow more talented now that they have new letters next to thier names. My opinion on the girls side, is we will see GA teams struggling to keep up with ECRL/NPL/E64 teams where they cross play. ECNL easily beating GA. Most of the DPL teams seem to be in brackets with SOCAL Flight 1 teams, and I expect it will be a push between those. I don't have much a a pulse on the boys side, so I have no idea how thier brackets will play out.
In past surf cups, boys ecnl has fared better than boys mls next.
I would about 75% agree with your comments on MLS Next. There are clubs that have no business in MLS Next but are in there because, heck, everyone needs someone to beat up on.I agree there is zero need for it. Ideally, the soccer powers that be would get together and have a straight pathway for players from MLS Academy-Flight 1-7-Rec, but with even AYSO jealously guarding their turf, that's not going to happen unless it's imposed by an outside body like Fifa.
It's also more of the same. The MLS Academies on the boys end are far and a way the top flight (if your boy is playing anything under MLS Academy level, they are playing in an also-ran/not the most elite level, a handful of other teams excepted). From there the clarity ends with the boys divided between ecnl and MLS Next. The next tier is similarly divided between EA1 and ECRL. The next tier is a big mess with the 3rd teams in EA2, Elite 64, NPL, and Coast Premiere. It's hard to tell what even is the third team since at a recent tournament I noticed a club placed their Elite 64 team in the 2nd bracket (which proceeded to get pounded) and their EA2 in the third bracket (where they won).
The girls are no better with the top flight divided between ECNL and GA and unlike the boys they don't have a fully developed elite bracket like the MLS Academy division. Ironically, with the decline of Coast, the lower brackets will seem to have more clarity in their tiers.
It's a problem because talent is not evenly scattered in the middle tiers...you have some better players playing EA2/Elite 64 that should be playing EA1 or MLS Next and vice versa. You also have some teams that are misplaced and run away with it (teams like the Anaheim B08 Premiere team that could compete MLS Next or the SoCal Elite 08 team that dominated NPL last year) and teams that shouldn't even be in MLS Next (I won't call anyone out, but am thinking of teams for example from smaller locations with less of a player pool). Then you have teams like the AYSO United squads that have been locked out of EA/MLS Next yet some of them (due to their huge player pool) can give the higher teams a run for their money. Players and teams as a result aren't situated appropriately (which is the entire point of having a tier system) and I don't see a resolution to that without a top down approach.
E64 will be a flop. The quality is terrible and the cost is ridiculous. People got fooled for a patch. Again.
EA2 is for the 2nd tier clubs who couldn't get into EA or ECRL or any other letter leagues, so they can charge parents more.
E64 is huge on the East coast but very small here. It's basicaly CRL renamed. Will see how it goes.
EA2 is for the 2nd tier clubs who couldn't get into EA or ECRL or any other letter leagues, so they can charge parents more.
E64 is huge on the East coast but very small here. It's basicaly CRL renamed. Will see how it goes.
“Improve on their development” at that age really means improve on their recruitment and drop the shorter/slower playersnot sure what or why teams are charging more to play EA or EA2 not so from where my son plays at.
Back to EA2 if you look at the u11/u12 half of those team don’t belong in EA1. They are being slaughtered or cancel or postpone (which EA need change this for next season,have make up game within a week or give the win to the other team) team know they can’t compete.
Best they start at EA2 work there way up. I believe 4/5 last place team will move up from EA2 and EA bise versa.
Have a relegation n promotion , will have clubs wanting to improve on their development. As whole.
Blah. With promotion and relegation being implemented into NPL within the SOCAL league, any leagues except the top tier (MLS Next, and ECNL) are going to have a really hard time justifying the level of play they offer in Southern California within the next couple of years. Other regions of the US may have a different scenario.
Liverpool’s MLS Next team is called SoCal Reds as of May.I see the reverse.
EA and EA2 are essentially MLS Next tiers. With some notable exceptions in the SW conference that don't have MLS Next teams and are arguably in line for that (i.e., Liverpool across all age groups, LUFC, and now SoCal Elite), the other participants have their top teams in MLS Next. EA and EA2 are just extensions of that, and offer more depth than even the ECRL tier.
There are some fine clubs and top teams in the NPL. Many could compete and regularly beat EA and EA2 teams in their age group and maybe even above that. However, most players with ambition to play at a higher level have hit a ceiling at their NPL club (there are some exceptions, of course, as some NPL teams in some age groups have EA/EA2 teams, too).
So I don't see how NPL can compete long term as the better players will typically want to level up with an eye towards playing MLS Next. Yes, every player has a different set of expectations and constraints. I get that. Some players who could play EA with the prospect of potentially moving to an MLS Next team or ECNL team through the lower tiers of that league but will remain with their NPL team for whatever reason. But I'd venture a reasonable guess that most ambitious kids, when given the chance to potentially level all the way up here in SoCal will pick EA2/EA/ECRL (all other things being equal). That will wash out the talent in the NPL. I expect you won't see that as much in the older age groups (say above u14), but I'm guessing the u12/2010 cohorts and below in EA/EA2/ECRL will start regularly beating NPL teams in tournaments because of a flight to a more ambitious ladder.