McLean leaving FVU

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McLean left Valor and Villarreal joined!

https://www.fvaunion.org/press-release-2

Currently have Vienna, Valor, Villarreal, and Braddock Road.

Two more clubs are joining soon. Who will they be?

Where are you seeing "two more joining soon" Seems like it already happened. The PR in Feb when MYS left noted that BRYC and VYS remained. Then in March they announced VALOR and VIVA had joined.

Yeah is this a rumor or does the PP have some inside knowledge? Seems an odd comment to just throw out there.

I'm not sure how any new partner clubs makes a difference either way. As long as FVU becomes the main destination for FFX County residents, they will be fine. Who is actually looking to drive an hour+ for practices these days? Maybe only a handful of players as Return to Office keeps trending in this direction.

Exactly. So, think about it for a moment. When the majority of clubs are in GA and MLS who is VYS and BYC going to play? Well over 50% of the clubs in the DC area are already in GA or moving to GA. Therefore, good luck to ECNL to find local clubs to play against. In the end, for most parents who don't have kids seeking scholarships they just want their kids to play on a local team.

Yeah it's for all the dumb parents that want to pay 3-4k just to say your kid plays travel. If you don't want to do top team things don't sign your kid up for a top team. It's not for everyone for a reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McLean left Valor and Villarreal joined!

https://www.fvaunion.org/press-release-2

Currently have Vienna, Valor, Villarreal, and Braddock Road.

Two more clubs are joining soon. Who will they be?

Where are you seeing "two more joining soon" Seems like it already happened. The PR in Feb when MYS left noted that BRYC and VYS remained. Then in March they announced VALOR and VIVA had joined.

Yeah is this a rumor or does the PP have some inside knowledge? Seems an odd comment to just throw out there.

I'm not sure how any new partner clubs makes a difference either way. As long as FVU becomes the main destination for FFX County residents, they will be fine. Who is actually looking to drive an hour+ for practices these days? Maybe only a handful of players as Return to Office keeps trending in this direction.

Exactly. So, think about it for a moment. When the majority of clubs are in GA and MLS who is VYS and BYC going to play? Well over 50% of the clubs in the DC area are already in GA or moving to GA. Therefore, good luck to ECNL to find local clubs to play against. In the end, for most parents who don't have kids seeking scholarships they just want their kids to play on a local team.

Why sign your child up for GA or ECNL if you don’t want to travel?

Yeah it's for all the dumb parents that want to pay 3-4k just to say your kid plays travel. If you don't want to do top team things don't sign your kid up for a top team. It's not for everyone for a reason.

[Anonymous]

I have a hard time believing that MLS next tier 2 will be the equivalent of ECNL, despite that being what tier 2 clubs are trying to brand as.

Many ECNL teams were comprised of mixed communities and alliances, for better or worse. There were not very many of them, and ECNL kept it that way for a reason - to keep the playing level high. Now, if every club that doesn’t like being in an alliance says we are going to spin off and apply for acceptance to MLA next tier 2, and claims that it is an ECNL competitor, they are purely marketing. ECNL is supposed to be super competitive. And so if McLean was contributing let’s say three or four kids to Fairfax union and the other teams were contributing three or four kids, that was the make up of the team. It doesn’t stand to reason that all of the individual clubs can claim that they can break off and field that many ECNL caliber kids on their own. And the more that joined/join 2 while claiming that, the more diluted the player pool quality becomes. Perhaps eventually some of these teams will build and recruit players in such a way that they are comparable to an ECNL team, but certainly not in the expansion years.

It is the equivalent of a bunch of NFL owners and players spinning off and creating the XFL along with some heavy marketing and celebrities, and claiming that it is a competitor to the NFL. It’s not.

[Anonymous]

The core (rooted) in Mclean is decaying. Everything they are doing is just a facade. Player development has been absent from Mclean's vocabulary for the past 10 years. Without checks and balances in place, coaches will act as they please. It's time to remove the board ED and TD. Install individuals who will uphold accountability. Let go of the big names. Instead, bring in hardworking individuals who genuinely care for the players and their future. The current environment is truly disheartening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a hard time believing that MLS next tier 2 will be the equivalent of ECNL, despite that being what tier 2 clubs are trying to brand as.

Many ECNL teams were comprised of mixed communities and alliances, for better or worse. There were not very many of them, and ECNL kept it that way for a reason - to keep the playing level high. Now, if every club that doesn’t like being in an alliance says we are going to spin off and apply for acceptance to MLA next tier 2, and claims that it is an ECNL competitor, they are purely marketing. ECNL is supposed to be super competitive. And so if McLean was contributing let’s say three or four kids to Fairfax union and the other teams were contributing three or four kids, that was the make up of the team. It doesn’t stand to reason that all of the individual clubs can claim that they can break off and field that many ECNL caliber kids on their own. And the more that joined/join 2 while claiming that, the more diluted the player pool quality becomes. Perhaps eventually some of these teams will build and recruit players in such a way that they are comparable to an ECNL team, but certainly not in the expansion years.

It is the equivalent of a bunch of NFL owners and players spinning off and creating the XFL along with some heavy marketing and celebrities, and claiming that it is a competitor to the NFL. It’s not.

Cool story. You are free to take your business elsewhere

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McLean left Valor and Villarreal joined!

https://www.fvaunion.org/press-release-2

Currently have Vienna, Valor, Villarreal, and Braddock Road.

Two more clubs are joining soon. Who will they be?

Where are you seeing "two more joining soon" Seems like it already happened. The PR in Feb when MYS left noted that BRYC and VYS remained. Then in March they announced VALOR and VIVA had joined.

Yeah is this a rumor or does the PP have some inside knowledge? Seems an odd comment to just throw out there.

It was in a club newsletter.

Quote: The Fairfax VA Union is comprised of four clubs, Villarreal Virginia Academy, Vienna Youth Soccer, Braddock Road, Virginia Valor and two more clubs to join soon.

Are there 2 Clubs left? Great Falls? Herndon? Lee/Mount Vernon?
I'm assuming they would be Fairfax County ECNL-R Clubs...

Herndon is in with VDA. If GFR was happening, wouldn’t that have been announced by now?

LMVSC makes sense.

I'm curious, besides access to more field space what else does the Union gain from so many members. On the flip side, what do the clubs really gain from being part of the Union?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a hard time believing that MLS next tier 2 will be the equivalent of ECNL, despite that being what tier 2 clubs are trying to brand as.

Many ECNL teams were comprised of mixed communities and alliances, for better or worse. There were not very many of them, and ECNL kept it that way for a reason - to keep the playing level high. Now, if every club that doesn’t like being in an alliance says we are going to spin off and apply for acceptance to MLA next tier 2, and claims that it is an ECNL competitor, they are purely marketing. ECNL is supposed to be super competitive. And so if McLean was contributing let’s say three or four kids to Fairfax union and the other teams were contributing three or four kids, that was the make up of the team. It doesn’t stand to reason that all of the individual clubs can claim that they can break off and field that many ECNL caliber kids on their own. And the more that joined/join 2 while claiming that, the more diluted the player pool quality becomes. Perhaps eventually some of these teams will build and recruit players in such a way that they are comparable to an ECNL team, but certainly not in the expansion years.

It is the equivalent of a bunch of NFL owners and players spinning off and creating the XFL along with some heavy marketing and celebrities, and claiming that it is a competitor to the NFL. It’s not.

Cool story. You are free to take your business elsewhere

Next 2 is not the equivalent of ECNL. It is equivalent to ECRL. McLean’s RL team will become its Next 2 team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McLean left Valor and Villarreal joined!

https://www.fvaunion.org/press-release-2

Currently have Vienna, Valor, Villarreal, and Braddock Road.

Two more clubs are joining soon. Who will they be?

Where are you seeing "two more joining soon" Seems like it already happened. The PR in Feb when MYS left noted that BRYC and VYS remained. Then in March they announced VALOR and VIVA had joined.

Yeah is this a rumor or does the PP have some inside knowledge? Seems an odd comment to just throw out there.

It was in a club newsletter.

Quote: The Fairfax VA Union is comprised of four clubs, Villarreal Virginia Academy, Vienna Youth Soccer, Braddock Road, Virginia Valor and two more clubs to join soon.

Are there 2 Clubs left? Great Falls? Herndon? Lee/Mount Vernon?
I'm assuming they would be Fairfax County ECNL-R Clubs...

Herndon is in with VDA. If GFR was happening, wouldn’t that have been announced by now?

LMVSC makes sense.

I'm curious, besides access to more field space what else does the Union gain from so many members. On the flip side, what do the clubs really gain from being part of the Union?

Marketing material to fool new parents to join and pay $$$$.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The core (rooted) in Mclean is decaying. Everything they are doing is just a facade. Player development has been absent from Mclean's vocabulary for the past 10 years. Without checks and balances in place, coaches will act as they please. It's time to remove the board ED and TD. Install individuals who will uphold accountability. Let go of the big names. Instead, bring in hardworking individuals who genuinely care for the players and their future. The current environment is truly disheartening.

They just brought in JH last year. The town hall was a positive experience overall, were you there? I think they are trying their best to turn things around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a hard time believing that MLS next tier 2 will be the equivalent of ECNL, despite that being what tier 2 clubs are trying to brand as.

Many ECNL teams were comprised of mixed communities and alliances, for better or worse. There were not very many of them, and ECNL kept it that way for a reason - to keep the playing level high. Now, if every club that doesn’t like being in an alliance says we are going to spin off and apply for acceptance to MLA next tier 2, and claims that it is an ECNL competitor, they are purely marketing. ECNL is supposed to be super competitive. And so if McLean was contributing let’s say three or four kids to Fairfax union and the other teams were contributing three or four kids, that was the make up of the team. It doesn’t stand to reason that all of the individual clubs can claim that they can break off and field that many ECNL caliber kids on their own. And the more that joined/join 2 while claiming that, the more diluted the player pool quality becomes. Perhaps eventually some of these teams will build and recruit players in such a way that they are comparable to an ECNL team, but certainly not in the expansion years.

It is the equivalent of a bunch of NFL owners and players spinning off and creating the XFL along with some heavy marketing and celebrities, and claiming that it is a competitor to the NFL. It’s not.

Cool story. You are free to take your business elsewhere

Next 2 is not the equivalent of ECNL. It is equivalent to ECRL. McLean’s RL team will become its Next 2 team.

Bingo. MYS Green (currently ECRL) becomes their Tier II 1st team playing in MLS Next Tier II, and MYS White (currently a strong NCSL team) becomes their Tier II 2nd team playing in NAL. Everyone else (Gold, Silver) to stay NCSL. In my opinion the biggest difference here isn't that the top team (Green) plays in an ECRL-competitor, but rather that the 2nd team (White) is no longer playing in NCSL but rather in NAL - which is a step up from NCSL.

[Anonymous]

Yes! And now they've brought in the new MLS next and the GA commissioner, etc. Harkes is just a repeat offender. Every time he gets fired from his MLS or TV job, he comes crawling back for the paycheck. For the past decade, they've cycled through so many different individuals, except for one constant. LW. We're done with this club. Still shelling out $180k for LW. Let's hope she's worth it.

[Anonymous]

Mclean is basically a country club for the elite, complete with fancy executives and a TD. But seriously, what have they actually achieved? Can they even count the number of state, regional, and national championships they've won? I heard one of their championship-winning coaches has now relocated to Arlington. A glorified babysitting org.

[Anonymous]

Ehhhhhh college commits

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a hard time believing that MLS next tier 2 will be the equivalent of ECNL, despite that being what tier 2 clubs are trying to brand as.

Many ECNL teams were comprised of mixed communities and alliances, for better or worse. There were not very many of them, and ECNL kept it that way for a reason - to keep the playing level high. Now, if every club that doesn’t like being in an alliance says we are going to spin off and apply for acceptance to MLA next tier 2, and claims that it is an ECNL competitor, they are purely marketing. ECNL is supposed to be super competitive. And so if McLean was contributing let’s say three or four kids to Fairfax union and the other teams were contributing three or four kids, that was the make up of the team. It doesn’t stand to reason that all of the individual clubs can claim that they can break off and field that many ECNL caliber kids on their own. And the more that joined/join 2 while claiming that, the more diluted the player pool quality becomes. Perhaps eventually some of these teams will build and recruit players in such a way that they are comparable to an ECNL team, but certainly not in the expansion years.

It is the equivalent of a bunch of NFL owners and players spinning off and creating the XFL along with some heavy marketing and celebrities, and claiming that it is a competitor to the NFL. It’s not.

Cool story. You are free to take your business elsewhere

Next 2 is not the equivalent of ECNL. It is equivalent to ECRL. McLean’s RL team will become its Next 2 team.

Bingo. MYS Green (currently ECRL) becomes their Tier II 1st team playing in MLS Next Tier II, and MYS White (currently a strong NCSL team) becomes their Tier II 2nd team playing in NAL. Everyone else (Gold, Silver) to stay NCSL. In my opinion the biggest difference here isn't that the top team (Green) plays in an ECRL-competitor, but rather that the 2nd team (White) is no longer playing in NCSL but rather in NAL - which is a step up from NCSL.

And what it means is that any younger players who do happen to have talent will move on to other clubs, such as Springfield, Arlington, FVU, NVA or maybe a MD club, since they will not have access to a higher level of competition. Talent needs competition to be maximized and flourish.

McLean just does not provide the population or culture for this. MYS provides a destination for coaches to get overpaid to train a bunch of privileged kids. And with that you get the politics that has made MYS a below average academy that has required it to create 2 failed partnerships (with SYC and BRAVE) and have it's ECNL-N badge pulled over the last 4 years.

It's really hard to fail at something to this extent unless you are trying to.

[Anonymous]

Fair. Maybe MYS needs to accept its position as a place players will eventually leave if they are good enough.