FCV, Arlington Girls, and Metro United going to Girls Academy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ECNL should have done the right thing and rolled all the DAs in when they had the chance. Sorry but it doesn’t look like a talent infusion for your mediocre non-champions league team.

The ECNL for better or worse decided that they could only add a few teams. Most folks here should be glad that is what happened. They left enough strong clubs for the former DA teams to form another league. There will be less disruption to the current teams.

this. sometimes making moves is the right decision, and sometimes NOT making moves is the right decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ECNL should have done the right thing and rolled all the DAs in when they had the chance. Sorry but it doesn’t look like a talent infusion for your mediocre non-champions league team.

I agree that ECNL should have done this, and not just because it was the right thing either. They should have done it for themselves because it was the smart thing. If, as soon as it became obvious US Soccer was dropping the DA, ECNL had opened their doors and blanket accepted all DA clubs then ECNL would have won too. They would have all the clubs, all the money, everybody would have to travel less, and ECNL would be the only game in town. Good for ECNL, good for ex-DA, good for kids, good for colleges, good all around.

But ECNL got greedy and thought they could cherry pick a handful of clubs they wanted and then pick up the best players from the other DA clubs when the league collapsed. Good for existing ECNL clubs, not so good for kids, bad for ex-DA clubs.

Very short-sighted of ECNL if you ask me.

Metro United struggled mightily across age groups; older Arlington girls the same. If you are to be serious, by "blanket accepting" DA clubs they would just be cheapening the brand. Nothing is forever. Some clubs may not survive ECNL's new framework, some in the future may replace. Kids changing clubs isn't hard. A league reformatting their operations would, while cheapening the brand.

Arlington DA struggled? C'mon. The oldest age group, yes, but they are done and have nothing to do with next season and beyond. The youngest 4 age groups all did very well. I think it is a bit silly to argue that the ECNL admitting FCV and Arlington would not have made the MA a better conference. In most age groups those two clubs would have been above average teams, and lessened travel requirements. Are the local ECNL teams going to absorb a few FCV and Arlington players? Sure. But there are going to be more than a handful that are perfectly happy at their club, playing against the same clubs they played against last year, now being able to play HS and not under harsh sub rules. Those are a whole bunch of strong players and teams that could have been in the ECNL but won't be. And now you either cheer every time you drive to SC for a league game and root for another program for young female athletes to fail (nice...), or you hope that ECNL absorbs these clubs next year, which they could have just gone ahead and done now when the travel issue is more pertinent than ever.

It’s like you skipped the part you wanted to skip.

“Metro United struggled mightily across age groups; older Arlington girls the same.“. ECNL does not exist to help out non-member clubs.

Arlington's girls who struggled are aging out. They are in college next season. They don't matter in this conversation.

Yes, Metro struggled a lot. And there aren't any current ECNL clubs like that? You think adding 2 very high quality clubs out of 3 waters you down? Sorry, ECNL isn't that uniformly awesome. It's just not.

And no. ECNL does not exist to help out non-member clubs. It should exist to help the girls. By getting as many quality players into the league and lessening travel requirements.

So, I guess you fit in the, cheer when you get in the car bound for South Carolina, and rooting for young female athletes to lose their program. All class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ECNL should have done the right thing and rolled all the DAs in when they had the chance. Sorry but it doesn’t look like a talent infusion for your mediocre non-champions league team.

I agree that ECNL should have done this, and not just because it was the right thing either. They should have done it for themselves because it was the smart thing. If, as soon as it became obvious US Soccer was dropping the DA, ECNL had opened their doors and blanket accepted all DA clubs then ECNL would have won too. They would have all the clubs, all the money, everybody would have to travel less, and ECNL would be the only game in town. Good for ECNL, good for ex-DA, good for kids, good for colleges, good all around.

But ECNL got greedy and thought they could cherry pick a handful of clubs they wanted and then pick up the best players from the other DA clubs when the league collapsed. Good for existing ECNL clubs, not so good for kids, bad for ex-DA clubs.

Very short-sighted of ECNL if you ask me.

Metro United struggled mightily across age groups; older Arlington girls the same. If you are to be serious, by "blanket accepting" DA clubs they would just be cheapening the brand. Nothing is forever. Some clubs may not survive ECNL's new framework, some in the future may replace. Kids changing clubs isn't hard. A league reformatting their operations would, while cheapening the brand.

Arlington DA struggled? C'mon. The oldest age group, yes, but they are done and have nothing to do with next season and beyond. The youngest 4 age groups all did very well. I think it is a bit silly to argue that the ECNL admitting FCV and Arlington would not have made the MA a better conference. In most age groups those two clubs would have been above average teams, and lessened travel requirements. Are the local ECNL teams going to absorb a few FCV and Arlington players? Sure. But there are going to be more than a handful that are perfectly happy at their club, playing against the same clubs they played against last year, now being able to play HS and not under harsh sub rules. Those are a whole bunch of strong players and teams that could have been in the ECNL but won't be. And now you either cheer every time you drive to SC for a league game and root for another program for young female athletes to fail (nice...), or you hope that ECNL absorbs these clubs next year, which they could have just gone ahead and done now when the travel issue is more pertinent than ever.

All of this ^^^

While also maintaining the prestige of the patch because there is no real competing brand and maintaining rosters.

Nearly every Pro league in America had to concede and merge.

The American League and National League to form MLB

The NBA had to absorb the ABA

And the NFL absorbing the AFL creating the NFC and AFC conferences giving birth to the Super Bowl.

A merge is inevitable and it should have happened over the last two weeks under ECNL’s terms. Now they have to compete on their own merits and club by club, player by player.

It was short sighted and dumb. Even dumber when you look at the reality of a train wreck fall season for all of soccer anyways.

But kicking FCV out of a crappy NPL shows how not petty US Club/ECNL is as well as where their head was truly at with regards to admitting the DA’s.

I don’t know what happened with FCV and NPL. I was there when they got kicked out of CCL. FCV claimed they choose to leave. In reality they were booted because they had kids play one game in wags, change jerseys and play a second game the same day in CCL.

I don’t know why ECNL did not accept more clubs. But I think a more apt comparison would be to college football realignment. The big east did not get a seat at the power 5 table. Schools scrambled - some found a home in other P5 conferences some didn’t. The b10 or ACC wasn’t going to add UConn just because they were available.

The ECNL for better or worse decided that they could only add a few teams. Most folks here should be glad that is what happened. They left enough strong clubs for the former DA teams to form another league. There will be less disruption to the current teams.

FCV was never in CCL.

They had a partnership with Alexandria. The Alexandria girls teams were actually FCV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You gotta love the armchair experts claiming to know what is best for ECNL. My guess is Lavers knows quite a bit about what is best for ECNL, having managed it since it's inception and not only surviving, but prospering.

I don’t care what is best for ECNL. I care what is best for American soccer. One league to rule them all that allows for quality competition that also keeps travel to a minimum.

ECNL could have made a nearly all VA division lowering the cost of admission for players, which could be more inclusive of talented and economically challenged players.

ECNL instead chose to cater to a wealthy clientele who can now claim their privilege makes them elite.

Now, everyone gets to drive up and down 95.

Meh. The country is too big to have one massive league that allows everyone in like that just so you can travel less. There is a point at which the logistics of showcases cannot reasonably be managed. You think your wishes are noble and built around what is best for the country, but they are actually self serving. You want to play "elite" soccer but you don't want to travel for it. There is no truly "elite" anything without travel, the definition of it presumes that these players are few and far between. The ECNL was not that before DA broke down, and it isn't that now either. But it's as close as we're going to get right now. There are definitely warts so you can bash it all you want, but right now "it" is the best choice for elite girls soccer at least.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You gotta love the armchair experts claiming to know what is best for ECNL. My guess is Lavers knows quite a bit about what is best for ECNL, having managed it since it's inception and not only surviving, but prospering.

I don’t care what is best for ECNL. I care what is best for American soccer. One league to rule them all that allows for quality competition that also keeps travel to a minimum.

ECNL could have made a nearly all VA division lowering the cost of admission for players, which could be more inclusive of talented and economically challenged players.

ECNL instead chose to cater to a wealthy clientele who can now claim their privilege makes them elite.

Now, everyone gets to drive up and down 95.

Meh. The country is too big to have one massive league that allows everyone in like that just so you can travel less. There is a point at which the logistics of showcases cannot reasonably be managed. You think your wishes are noble and built around what is best for the country, but they are actually self serving. You want to play "elite" soccer but you don't want to travel for it. There is no truly "elite" anything without travel, the definition of it presumes that these players are few and far between. The ECNL was not that before DA broke down, and it isn't that now either. But it's as close as we're going to get right now. There are definitely warts so you can bash it all you want, but right now "it" is the best choice for elite girls soccer at least.

My DD could easily make a ECNL team. Strike 1!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You gotta love the armchair experts claiming to know what is best for ECNL. My guess is Lavers knows quite a bit about what is best for ECNL, having managed it since it's inception and not only surviving, but prospering.

I don’t care what is best for ECNL. I care what is best for American soccer. One league to rule them all that allows for quality competition that also keeps travel to a minimum.

ECNL could have made a nearly all VA division lowering the cost of admission for players, which could be more inclusive of talented and economically challenged players.

ECNL instead chose to cater to a wealthy clientele who can now claim their privilege makes them elite.

Now, everyone gets to drive up and down 95.

Meh. The country is too big to have one massive league that allows everyone in like that just so you can travel less. There is a point at which the logistics of showcases cannot reasonably be managed. You think your wishes are noble and built around what is best for the country, but they are actually self serving. You want to play "elite" soccer but you don't want to travel for it. There is no truly "elite" anything without travel, the definition of it presumes that these players are few and far between. The ECNL was not that before DA broke down, and it isn't that now either. But it's as close as we're going to get right now. There are definitely warts so you can bash it all you want, but right now "it" is the best choice for elite girls soccer at least.

Pay-to-play Extreme Edition is alive and well. This is why it's hard to find under-privileged or disadvantaged youth on these teams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You gotta love the armchair experts claiming to know what is best for ECNL. My guess is Lavers knows quite a bit about what is best for ECNL, having managed it since it's inception and not only surviving, but prospering.

I don’t care what is best for ECNL. I care what is best for American soccer. One league to rule them all that allows for quality competition that also keeps travel to a minimum.

ECNL could have made a nearly all VA division lowering the cost of admission for players, which could be more inclusive of talented and economically challenged players.

ECNL instead chose to cater to a wealthy clientele who can now claim their privilege makes them elite.

Now, everyone gets to drive up and down 95.

Meh. The country is too big to have one massive league that allows everyone in like that just so you can travel less. There is a point at which the logistics of showcases cannot reasonably be managed. You think your wishes are noble and built around what is best for the country, but they are actually self serving. You want to play "elite" soccer but you don't want to travel for it. There is no truly "elite" anything without travel, the definition of it presumes that these players are few and far between. The ECNL was not that before DA broke down, and it isn't that now either. But it's as close as we're going to get right now. There are definitely warts so you can bash it all you want, but right now "it" is the best choice for elite girls soccer at least.

My DD could easily make a ECNL team. Strike 1!

Depends on the team now doesn't it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You gotta love the armchair experts claiming to know what is best for ECNL. My guess is Lavers knows quite a bit about what is best for ECNL, having managed it since it's inception and not only surviving, but prospering.

I don’t care what is best for ECNL. I care what is best for American soccer. One league to rule them all that allows for quality competition that also keeps travel to a minimum.

ECNL could have made a nearly all VA division lowering the cost of admission for players, which could be more inclusive of talented and economically challenged players.

ECNL instead chose to cater to a wealthy clientele who can now claim their privilege makes them elite.

Now, everyone gets to drive up and down 95.

Meh. The country is too big to have one massive league that allows everyone in like that just so you can travel less. There is a point at which the logistics of showcases cannot reasonably be managed. You think your wishes are noble and built around what is best for the country, but they are actually self serving. You want to play "elite" soccer but you don't want to travel for it. There is no truly "elite" anything without travel, the definition of it presumes that these players are few and far between. The ECNL was not that before DA broke down, and it isn't that now either. But it's as close as we're going to get right now. There are definitely warts so you can bash it all you want, but right now "it" is the best choice for elite girls soccer at least.

Really depends on the region. In this region FCV is more elite than any of the ECNL clubs by a good bit. It is what it is. If you are in a few other regions, the story may be different.

The picture is still cloudy re elite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You gotta love the armchair experts claiming to know what is best for ECNL. My guess is Lavers knows quite a bit about what is best for ECNL, having managed it since it's inception and not only surviving, but prospering.

I don’t care what is best for ECNL. I care what is best for American soccer. One league to rule them all that allows for quality competition that also keeps travel to a minimum.

ECNL could have made a nearly all VA division lowering the cost of admission for players, which could be more inclusive of talented and economically challenged players.

ECNL instead chose to cater to a wealthy clientele who can now claim their privilege makes them elite.

Now, everyone gets to drive up and down 95.

Meh. The country is too big to have one massive league that allows everyone in like that just so you can travel less. There is a point at which the logistics of showcases cannot reasonably be managed. You think your wishes are noble and built around what is best for the country, but they are actually self serving. You want to play "elite" soccer but you don't want to travel for it. There is no truly "elite" anything without travel, the definition of it presumes that these players are few and far between. The ECNL was not that before DA broke down, and it isn't that now either. But it's as close as we're going to get right now. There are definitely warts so you can bash it all you want, but right now "it" is the best choice for elite girls soccer at least.

My DD could easily make a ECNL team. Strike 1!

Depends on the team now doesn't it?

No any team in the area. But that is kinda the point regarding the supposed “eliteness”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You gotta love the armchair experts claiming to know what is best for ECNL. My guess is Lavers knows quite a bit about what is best for ECNL, having managed it since it's inception and not only surviving, but prospering.

I don’t care what is best for ECNL. I care what is best for American soccer. One league to rule them all that allows for quality competition that also keeps travel to a minimum.

ECNL could have made a nearly all VA division lowering the cost of admission for players, which could be more inclusive of talented and economically challenged players.

ECNL instead chose to cater to a wealthy clientele who can now claim their privilege makes them elite.

Now, everyone gets to drive up and down 95.

Meh. The country is too big to have one massive league that allows everyone in like that just so you can travel less. There is a point at which the logistics of showcases cannot reasonably be managed. You think your wishes are noble and built around what is best for the country, but they are actually self serving. You want to play "elite" soccer but you don't want to travel for it. There is no truly "elite" anything without travel, the definition of it presumes that these players are few and far between. The ECNL was not that before DA broke down, and it isn't that now either. But it's as close as we're going to get right now. There are definitely warts so you can bash it all you want, but right now "it" is the best choice for elite girls soccer at least.

Really depends on the region. In this region FCV is more elite than any of the ECNL clubs by a good bit. It is what it is. If you are in a few other regions, the story may be different.

The picture is still cloudy re elite.

Couldn't resist that FCV plug could ya? The few times they have played ECNL clubs, the results do not back up your claim. But it does not matter, all the clubs are watered down compared to where we were pre-DA. The collapse of DA will eventually get us back there, but it will take a couple of years to filter out the best players. We're headed in the right direction with just one elite league. GAL will settle out to be a second tier league which is fine. We need tiers in a country as big as ours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You gotta love the armchair experts claiming to know what is best for ECNL. My guess is Lavers knows quite a bit about what is best for ECNL, having managed it since it's inception and not only surviving, but prospering.

I don’t care what is best for ECNL. I care what is best for American soccer. One league to rule them all that allows for quality competition that also keeps travel to a minimum.

ECNL could have made a nearly all VA division lowering the cost of admission for players, which could be more inclusive of talented and economically challenged players.

ECNL instead chose to cater to a wealthy clientele who can now claim their privilege makes them elite.

Now, everyone gets to drive up and down 95.

Meh. The country is too big to have one massive league that allows everyone in like that just so you can travel less. There is a point at which the logistics of showcases cannot reasonably be managed. You think your wishes are noble and built around what is best for the country, but they are actually self serving. You want to play "elite" soccer but you don't want to travel for it. There is no truly "elite" anything without travel, the definition of it presumes that these players are few and far between. The ECNL was not that before DA broke down, and it isn't that now either. But it's as close as we're going to get right now. There are definitely warts so you can bash it all you want, but right now "it" is the best choice for elite girls soccer at least.

Really depends on the region. In this region FCV is more elite than any of the ECNL clubs by a good bit. It is what it is. If you are in a few other regions, the story may be different.

The picture is still cloudy re elite.

Couldn't resist that FCV plug could ya? The few times they have played ECNL clubs, the results do not back up your claim. But it does not matter, all the clubs are watered down compared to where we were pre-DA. The collapse of DA will eventually get us back there, but it will take a couple of years to filter out the best players. We're headed in the right direction with just one elite league. GAL will settle out to be a second tier league which is fine. We need tiers in a country as big as ours.

No, GAL teams will end up in ECNL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You gotta love the armchair experts claiming to know what is best for ECNL. My guess is Lavers knows quite a bit about what is best for ECNL, having managed it since it's inception and not only surviving, but prospering.

I don’t care what is best for ECNL. I care what is best for American soccer. One league to rule them all that allows for quality competition that also keeps travel to a minimum.

ECNL could have made a nearly all VA division lowering the cost of admission for players, which could be more inclusive of talented and economically challenged players.

ECNL instead chose to cater to a wealthy clientele who can now claim their privilege makes them elite.

Now, everyone gets to drive up and down 95.

Meh. The country is too big to have one massive league that allows everyone in like that just so you can travel less. There is a point at which the logistics of showcases cannot reasonably be managed. You think your wishes are noble and built around what is best for the country, but they are actually self serving. You want to play "elite" soccer but you don't want to travel for it. There is no truly "elite" anything without travel, the definition of it presumes that these players are few and far between. The ECNL was not that before DA broke down, and it isn't that now either. But it's as close as we're going to get right now. There are definitely warts so you can bash it all you want, but right now "it" is the best choice for elite girls soccer at least.

Really depends on the region. In this region FCV is more elite than any of the ECNL clubs by a good bit. It is what it is. If you are in a few other regions, the story may be different.

The picture is still cloudy re elite.

Couldn't resist that FCV plug could ya? The few times they have played ECNL clubs, the results do not back up your claim. But it does not matter, all the clubs are watered down compared to where we were pre-DA. The collapse of DA will eventually get us back there, but it will take a couple of years to filter out the best players. We're headed in the right direction with just one elite league. GAL will settle out to be a second tier league which is fine. We need tiers in a country as big as ours.

No, GAL teams will end up in ECNL.

ECNL will not play until spring of 2021. The league is structure to play across many states. Virginia and states north will not open up as soon as the southern states. They will still do showcases but without some states.

[Anonymous]

Do college coaches love club jumpers?

Why is their now a NCAA portal made up of 100's of kids that are mostly made up of club jumpers?

Will the same college coaches that were going to DA events, stop going to GAL events with the same clubs playing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You gotta love the armchair experts claiming to know what is best for ECNL. My guess is Lavers knows quite a bit about what is best for ECNL, having managed it since it's inception and not only surviving, but prospering.

I don’t care what is best for ECNL. I care what is best for American soccer. One league to rule them all that allows for quality competition that also keeps travel to a minimum.

ECNL could have made a nearly all VA division lowering the cost of admission for players, which could be more inclusive of talented and economically challenged players.

ECNL instead chose to cater to a wealthy clientele who can now claim their privilege makes them elite.

Now, everyone gets to drive up and down 95.

Meh. The country is too big to have one massive league that allows everyone in like that just so you can travel less. There is a point at which the logistics of showcases cannot reasonably be managed. You think your wishes are noble and built around what is best for the country, but they are actually self serving. You want to play "elite" soccer but you don't want to travel for it. There is no truly "elite" anything without travel, the definition of it presumes that these players are few and far between. The ECNL was not that before DA broke down, and it isn't that now either. But it's as close as we're going to get right now. There are definitely warts so you can bash it all you want, but right now "it" is the best choice for elite girls soccer at least.

Really depends on the region. In this region FCV is more elite than any of the ECNL clubs by a good bit. It is what it is. If you are in a few other regions, the story may be different.

The picture is still cloudy re elite.

Couldn't resist that FCV plug could ya? The few times they have played ECNL clubs, the results do not back up your claim. But it does not matter, all the clubs are watered down compared to where we were pre-DA. The collapse of DA will eventually get us back there, but it will take a couple of years to filter out the best players. We're headed in the right direction with just one elite league. GAL will settle out to be a second tier league which is fine. We need tiers in a country as big as ours.

It’s not an FCV plug, just the facts. As long as there’s another option in this area for girls, ECNL won’t be the sole elite option. They spread too wide. When it was just FCV and Mclean, it was easy to be elite. It’s not anymore. Life happens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You gotta love the armchair experts claiming to know what is best for ECNL. My guess is Lavers knows quite a bit about what is best for ECNL, having managed it since it's inception and not only surviving, but prospering.

I don’t care what is best for ECNL. I care what is best for American soccer. One league to rule them all that allows for quality competition that also keeps travel to a minimum.

ECNL could have made a nearly all VA division lowering the cost of admission for players, which could be more inclusive of talented and economically challenged players.

ECNL instead chose to cater to a wealthy clientele who can now claim their privilege makes them elite.

Now, everyone gets to drive up and down 95.

Meh. The country is too big to have one massive league that allows everyone in like that just so you can travel less. There is a point at which the logistics of showcases cannot reasonably be managed. You think your wishes are noble and built around what is best for the country, but they are actually self serving. You want to play "elite" soccer but you don't want to travel for it. There is no truly "elite" anything without travel, the definition of it presumes that these players are few and far between. The ECNL was not that before DA broke down, and it isn't that now either. But it's as close as we're going to get right now. There are definitely warts so you can bash it all you want, but right now "it" is the best choice for elite girls soccer at least.

Really depends on the region. In this region FCV is more elite than any of the ECNL clubs by a good bit. It is what it is. If you are in a few other regions, the story may be different.

The picture is still cloudy re elite.

Couldn't resist that FCV plug could ya? The few times they have played ECNL clubs, the results do not back up your claim. But it does not matter, all the clubs are watered down compared to where we were pre-DA. The collapse of DA will eventually get us back there, but it will take a couple of years to filter out the best players. We're headed in the right direction with just one elite league. GAL will settle out to be a second tier league which is fine. We need tiers in a country as big as ours.

When there were two ECNL clubs in the area ECNL could claim to be elite. The clubs could be highly selective and player admission to the league in NOVA was just 40 kids per age group. Since DA came aboard ECNL expanded to 4 total clubs and 80 kids per ages group.

Sorry, but selectivity is a part of being elite.

Eliteness shipped sail years ago now and frankly it is a buyers market. Nothing wrong with that but all ECNL can really claim to be is the biggest league in the nation now.