Is your son playing in the 06 or 07 age group? Just trying to see where your concern is coming from? Sounds like you are an 07 family, O6s should be salivating. |
OP here...my son is an 07 who does not play for either of these teams playing up. |
Villareal used to be Annandale. I think this team would be on the bubble between the 1st and 2nd divisions, but probably be in the 2nd. SYA would be in the top division for sure. With that said...there are some definite surprises as to where some of the teams were placed, so maybe they thought Annandale/Villareal was a top team but they were placed in a very low 06 division so I don't think it was about competition. I think it was about getting some games in at 11v11. |
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Villarreal Virginia is Annandale - just renamed.
It looks like their 07B team played up in their last tournament too: https://home.gotsoccer.com/rankings/team.aspx?teamid=1122398 They get decent results, but nothing to suggest they wouldn't get good competition in the top bracket of the 07s. I don't think they'd be favored to win. Sometimes playing up takes the pressure off. Easier for coach to justify to parents if the team doesn't win, since after all they were playing against older kids. The reality though is that a top A team in one age group will almost always beat B or C teams in the next higher age group. Putting this team in the 4th bracket with the 06s probably gives them less of a challenge than if they'd been in the top bracket of the 07s. |
| I had no idea Annandale was rebranded and partnered with villareal, I thought it was one of those small clubs that just adopted a pro team name. Wonder how this business model is better/worse than barca. |
Have you played against either of these teams? If so, what are your thoughts? I'm also really interested in understanding the logic of play up when your age bracket is pretty competitive. Not a lot of slouches in that 07 listing. |
| Logic is to get a jump start on U13 season, and get the kids used to full field and 11 v 11. Presumably their coaches think this is more important for the kids' development than possibly winning a pointless U12 tourney (in the grand scheme of a kids' development as a player). |
If that's their logic then the coaches are stupid. Tactically it takes a couple of weeks at most to adjust from 9v9 to 11v11, assuming the coaches have been doing their job tactically at 9v9. Physically it takes a lot longer, but you can't speed that up by playing up now. Really there's no reason to play 11v11 until after they've hit puberty. - parent of a U15 |
I agree with the tactical comment, but the physical comment is questionable considering some of these kids could be literally a day younger than the 06 player. |
Sorry boss. Maybe you can talk to the powers that be and convince them to delay the switch to full field for all boys programs in the US until U16, to make sure that all the boys have hit puberty. Don’t want to penalize any late bloomers by forcing them to full field before their ready. |
| Does it matter at this point, those 07s will get their tales kick unless they are from a dominant club like Loudoun or Arlington. |
That is a moronic statement. |
If these kids are that good, why haven’t they gone DA. Just dumb |
| Not ever kid wants to jump ship and leave all of their friends they have known since U9. |
| and stress out over playing time when they are already getting plenty |