GA & MLS NEXT Form Strategic Alliance

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let’s put things into perspective here.

Let’s look at SD Surf. Great ECNL program on the boys and girls side. Dominant.

New MLS club down the road, SD FC. Surely they will have a SD FC academy that plays in MLS Next. Guess where SD Surfs best boys will go?

Now, what if MLS Next says hey SD Surf..you can keep all your kids if you go MLS Next/GA.
Oh and by the way, If the girls go GA, that will be the feeder team to SD Wave.

See how that works

Except is does not because most of the girls on Surf are not going to want to go to SD Wave or pro anywhere. SD Surf has a Sophie's choice. Lose the boys or lose the girls. Same as Arlington. They can't go MLSN. Hurts their boys program. They made the choice to stay top on the girls' side. That is the same choice 90% of clubs would make.

Pathway to the pros is not a selling point on the girls side. It is college placement. In your example you would be offering nothing because their top girls that want to go pro already have a pathway.

Because it hasn’t been an option in the past. When DA was around they had it all wrong.

Why would one turn down
a chance to play on a pro academy
A chance to play against top teams and international academies
A chance to go pro
A chance to still go to college if you don’t want to go pro
You still get to play high school

Women’s soccer is growing at a fast rate.

Girls go pro out of ECNL now.

And this is BY aligned so it’s possible at ECNL now. But If ECNL changes to SY or GY then they’ll be saying goodbye to all their strongest players since this better path will now exist for the best players.

BY or SY won't matter.

What will matter is if MLSN and GA can convince top players to join their academy teams.

NWSL just needs to implement a homegrown rule and everything will fall into place.

What about the USL-W (which DOES have teams seemingly associated with current NWSL clubs -- Racing Louisville and NC Courage, for example) and USL-Academy fit? Why not that pathway?

We'll see how long this lasts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ECNL in trouble - hilarious statement

Very true. ECNL not in trouble, it’s in big trouble.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let’s put things into perspective here.

Let’s look at SD Surf. Great ECNL program on the boys and girls side. Dominant.

New MLS club down the road, SD FC. Surely they will have a SD FC academy that plays in MLS Next. Guess where SD Surfs best boys will go?

Now, what if MLS Next says hey SD Surf..you can keep all your kids if you go MLS Next/GA.
Oh and by the way, If the girls go GA, that will be the feeder team to SD Wave.

See how that works

Except is does not because most of the girls on Surf are not going to want to go to SD Wave or pro anywhere. SD Surf has a Sophie's choice. Lose the boys or lose the girls. Same as Arlington. They can't go MLSN. Hurts their boys program. They made the choice to stay top on the girls' side. That is the same choice 90% of clubs would make.

Pathway to the pros is not a selling point on the girls side. It is college placement. In your example you would be offering nothing because their top girls that want to go pro already have a pathway.

Because it hasn’t been an option in the past. When DA was around they had it all wrong.

Why would one turn down
a chance to play on a pro academy
A chance to play against top teams and international academies
A chance to go pro
A chance to still go to college if you don’t want to go pro
You still get to play high school

Women’s soccer is growing at a fast rate.

Girls go pro out of ECNL now.

And this is BY aligned so it’s possible at ECNL now. But If ECNL changes to SY or GY then they’ll be saying goodbye to all their strongest players since this better path will now exist for the best players.

BY or SY won't matter.

What will matter is if MLSN and GA can convince top players to join their academy teams.

NWSL just needs to implement a homegrown rule and everything will fall into place.

What about the USL-W (which DOES have teams seemingly associated with current NWSL clubs -- Racing Louisville and NC Courage, for example) and USL-Academy fit? Why not that pathway?

We'll see how long this lasts.

And speaking of NC Courage, yes, they have a USL-W U23 team. ... But their youth academy team? That's ECNL. Same for Racing Louisville's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ECNL in trouble - hilarious statement

Very true. ECNL not in trouble, it’s in big trouble.

🤣🤣🤣 just like tariffs will bring prices down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let’s put things into perspective here.

Let’s look at SD Surf. Great ECNL program on the boys and girls side. Dominant.

New MLS club down the road, SD FC. Surely they will have a SD FC academy that plays in MLS Next. Guess where SD Surfs best boys will go?

Now, what if MLS Next says hey SD Surf..you can keep all your kids if you go MLS Next/GA.
Oh and by the way, If the girls go GA, that will be the feeder team to SD Wave.

See how that works

Except is does not because most of the girls on Surf are not going to want to go to SD Wave or pro anywhere. SD Surf has a Sophie's choice. Lose the boys or lose the girls. Same as Arlington. They can't go MLSN. Hurts their boys program. They made the choice to stay top on the girls' side. That is the same choice 90% of clubs would make.

Pathway to the pros is not a selling point on the girls side. It is college placement. In your example you would be offering nothing because their top girls that want to go pro already have a pathway.

Because it hasn’t been an option in the past. When DA was around they had it all wrong.

Why would one turn down
a chance to play on a pro academy
A chance to play against top teams and international academies
A chance to go pro
A chance to still go to college if you don’t want to go pro
You still get to play high school

Women’s soccer is growing at a fast rate.

Girls go pro out of ECNL now.

And this is BY aligned so it’s possible at ECNL now. But If ECNL changes to SY or GY then they’ll be saying goodbye to all their strongest players since this better path will now exist for the best players.

BY or SY won't matter.

What will matter is if MLSN and GA can convince top players to join their academy teams.

NWSL just needs to implement a homegrown rule and everything will fall into place.

What about the USL-W (which DOES have teams seemingly associated with current NWSL clubs -- Racing Louisville and NC Courage, for example) and USL-Academy fit? Why not that pathway?

We'll see how long this lasts.

And speaking of NC Courage, yes, they have a USL-W U23 team. ... But their youth academy team? That's ECNL. Same for Racing Louisville's.

Honest questions, why would NWSL teams that have academies want to move from ECNL to GA? Why would NWSL care what league their academies are in or whether it is BY or SY? Seems they would only want to be in the top league regardless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let’s put things into perspective here.

Let’s look at SD Surf. Great ECNL program on the boys and girls side. Dominant.

New MLS club down the road, SD FC. Surely they will have a SD FC academy that plays in MLS Next. Guess where SD Surfs best boys will go?

Now, what if MLS Next says hey SD Surf..you can keep all your kids if you go MLS Next/GA.
Oh and by the way, If the girls go GA, that will be the feeder team to SD Wave.

See how that works

Except is does not because most of the girls on Surf are not going to want to go to SD Wave or pro anywhere. SD Surf has a Sophie's choice. Lose the boys or lose the girls. Same as Arlington. They can't go MLSN. Hurts their boys program. They made the choice to stay top on the girls' side. That is the same choice 90% of clubs would make.

Pathway to the pros is not a selling point on the girls side. It is college placement. In your example you would be offering nothing because their top girls that want to go pro already have a pathway.

Because it hasn’t been an option in the past. When DA was around they had it all wrong.

Why would one turn down
a chance to play on a pro academy
A chance to play against top teams and international academies
A chance to go pro
A chance to still go to college if you don’t want to go pro
You still get to play high school

Women’s soccer is growing at a fast rate.

Girls go pro out of ECNL now.

And this is BY aligned so it’s possible at ECNL now. But If ECNL changes to SY or GY then they’ll be saying goodbye to all their strongest players since this better path will now exist for the best players.

BY or SY won't matter.

What will matter is if MLSN and GA can convince top players to join their academy teams.

NWSL just needs to implement a homegrown rule and everything will fall into place.

What about the USL-W (which DOES have teams seemingly associated with current NWSL clubs -- Racing Louisville and NC Courage, for example) and USL-Academy fit? Why not that pathway?

We'll see how long this lasts.

And speaking of NC Courage, yes, they have a USL-W U23 team. ... But their youth academy team? That's ECNL. Same for Racing Louisville's.

Honest questions, why would NWSL teams that have academies want to move from ECNL to GA? Why would NWSL care what league their academies are in or whether it is BY or SY? Seems they would only want to be in the top league regardless.

Acadamies are more than just "free soccer" where only the best advance to the next level. The players are also under contract with a certain Club and when if they move up to the next club up the food chain they pay the lover level club for developing them.

What ends up happening is against true Acadamies Pay to Play can't compete. If they do happen to compete the Acadamy will recruit all their players with free soccer and $$$.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do people think anyone wants to play Womens pro soccer? That seems like a huge waste of time for no pay??

Some people actually do things for reasons other than for the money. Why does anyone become a teacher or philospher? Also times change. Womens pro soccer is one of fastest growing pro sportshttps://frontofficesports.com/newsletter/nwsl-hyper-growth-era/. In 2010 you probably said why would anyone spend their time posting videos of themselves on social media? Seems like a huge waste of time for no pay. Now there are tons of people making big money as "influencers".

What are you talking about? Your noble idea of teachers is just false. They do it for the job just like anyone else. Yes it is fast growing; no it makes no sense to compete for it except for a handful of girls each year -- 20-30. Reward is just not there is you make it.

Let's face it. Most of the girl players who play in these leagues and would be interested in playing pro are from affluent families. They can afford to pursue something that doesn't have financial rewards. Even if they do go pro, it's likely only for a few years. By the time they are 30 the pro playing would be done and then they could go right back to where they would have gone anyway. Playing pro just delays the inevitable.

Soutce, please. And something akin to, "Because I know it's true," doesn't count.

You may think it's true. Now back it up with facts, please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let’s put things into perspective here.

Let’s look at SD Surf. Great ECNL program on the boys and girls side. Dominant.

New MLS club down the road, SD FC. Surely they will have a SD FC academy that plays in MLS Next. Guess where SD Surfs best boys will go?

Now, what if MLS Next says hey SD Surf..you can keep all your kids if you go MLS Next/GA.
Oh and by the way, If the girls go GA, that will be the feeder team to SD Wave.

See how that works

Except is does not because most of the girls on Surf are not going to want to go to SD Wave or pro anywhere. SD Surf has a Sophie's choice. Lose the boys or lose the girls. Same as Arlington. They can't go MLSN. Hurts their boys program. They made the choice to stay top on the girls' side. That is the same choice 90% of clubs would make.

Pathway to the pros is not a selling point on the girls side. It is college placement. In your example you would be offering nothing because their top girls that want to go pro already have a pathway.

Because it hasn’t been an option in the past. When DA was around they had it all wrong.

Why would one turn down
a chance to play on a pro academy
A chance to play against top teams and international academies
A chance to go pro
A chance to still go to college if you don’t want to go pro
You still get to play high school

Women’s soccer is growing at a fast rate.

Girls go pro out of ECNL now.

And this is BY aligned so it’s possible at ECNL now. But If ECNL changes to SY or GY then they’ll be saying goodbye to all their strongest players since this better path will now exist for the best players.

BY or SY won't matter.

What will matter is if MLSN and GA can convince top players to join their academy teams.

NWSL just needs to implement a homegrown rule and everything will fall into place.

What about the USL-W (which DOES have teams seemingly associated with current NWSL clubs -- Racing Louisville and NC Courage, for example) and USL-Academy fit? Why not that pathway?

We'll see how long this lasts.

And speaking of NC Courage, yes, they have a USL-W U23 team. ... But their youth academy team? That's ECNL. Same for Racing Louisville's.

Honest questions, why would NWSL teams that have academies want to move from ECNL to GA? Why would NWSL care what league their academies are in or whether it is BY or SY? Seems they would only want to be in the top league regardless.

Acadamies are more than just "free soccer" where only the best advance to the next level. The players are also under contract with a certain Club and when if they move up to the next club up the food chain they pay the lover level club for developing them.

What ends up happening is against true Acadamies Pay to Play can't compete. If they do happen to compete the Acadamy will recruit all their players with free soccer and $$$.

So your saying NWSL academies will stay ECNL and shun GA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ECNL in trouble - hilarious statement

Very true. ECNL not in trouble, it’s in big trouble.

🤣🤣🤣 just like tariffs will bring prices down.

Focus please.

I don’t suppose the ECNL players know about TAKA, but the platform is next level. MLSNExt teams are required to submit their Veo and Trace game footage to TAKA within 24 hours.

The platform has video of each club’s game, apply analytics, video clips of each player based on 6 categories, and importantly, has the same for every MLSNext team and provides access as part of the subscription ($11/month). You want to scout the competition? The subscription includes access to every other team’s full game as well as offensive and defensive highlights.

College coaches and scouts also have access—I believe 800 or so, give or take.

Top talent has migrated from ECNL to MLSNext since its inception. Innovative platforms like TAKA help, as do strategic deals like the one announced today.

It’s not IF ECNL is lapped, but WHEN.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let’s put things into perspective here.

Let’s look at SD Surf. Great ECNL program on the boys and girls side. Dominant.

New MLS club down the road, SD FC. Surely they will have a SD FC academy that plays in MLS Next. Guess where SD Surfs best boys will go?

Now, what if MLS Next says hey SD Surf..you can keep all your kids if you go MLS Next/GA.
Oh and by the way, If the girls go GA, that will be the feeder team to SD Wave.

See how that works

Except is does not because most of the girls on Surf are not going to want to go to SD Wave or pro anywhere. SD Surf has a Sophie's choice. Lose the boys or lose the girls. Same as Arlington. They can't go MLSN. Hurts their boys program. They made the choice to stay top on the girls' side. That is the same choice 90% of clubs would make.

Pathway to the pros is not a selling point on the girls side. It is college placement. In your example you would be offering nothing because their top girls that want to go pro already have a pathway.

Because it hasn’t been an option in the past. When DA was around they had it all wrong.

Why would one turn down
a chance to play on a pro academy
A chance to play against top teams and international academies
A chance to go pro
A chance to still go to college if you don’t want to go pro
You still get to play high school

Women’s soccer is growing at a fast rate.

Girls go pro out of ECNL now.

And this is BY aligned so it’s possible at ECNL now. But If ECNL changes to SY or GY then they’ll be saying goodbye to all their strongest players since this better path will now exist for the best players.

BY or SY won't matter.

What will matter is if MLSN and GA can convince top players to join their academy teams.

NWSL just needs to implement a homegrown rule and everything will fall into place.

What about the USL-W (which DOES have teams seemingly associated with current NWSL clubs -- Racing Louisville and NC Courage, for example) and USL-Academy fit? Why not that pathway?

We'll see how long this lasts.

And speaking of NC Courage, yes, they have a USL-W U23 team. ... But their youth academy team? That's ECNL. Same for Racing Louisville's.

Honest questions, why would NWSL teams that have academies want to move from ECNL to GA? Why would NWSL care what league their academies are in or whether it is BY or SY? Seems they would only want to be in the top league regardless.

Acadamies are more than just "free soccer" where only the best advance to the next level. The players are also under contract with a certain Club and when if they move up to the next club up the food chain they pay the lover level club for developing them.

What ends up happening is against true Acadamies Pay to Play can't compete. If they do happen to compete the Acadamy will recruit all their players with free soccer and $$$.

So your saying NWSL academies will stay ECNL and shun GA?

That wouldn't work because the only way to play against the top Academy teams would be if players were under contract themselves. (Ie part of MLSN or soon GA)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let this play out. A lot of chess pieces being played here. ECNL may come take the rest of the big clubs. If not, they are in trouble.

What big clubs are left? Tophat and NEFC? They’re not anywhere near tops in their own regions.

By the looks of the SYC college list from the BIG CALIFORNIA showcase, ECNL does not have much to worry about.

Don't be obtuse. There is a good mix of colleges registered to attend. I've been to showcase for two different sports and this list isn't any different than any other. There are always a mix of schools that attend these events.

You are either ignorant of how it works or just trying to troll.

https://public.totalglobalsports.com/public/event/3420/college-list

If you think GA and ECNL offer comparable levels of exposure with ncaa and professional scouts, you are obtuse.

Your argument is invalid. You said something I didn't say, then attacked what I didn't say. This is typical of someone who is wrong.

My post was in post was in response to you, or someone else essentially saying the list of colleges registered to attend was a joke. The list is not a joke. There are some good schools that attended. There are good Power Four programs, high academic D3 schools and a mix of D2, "Directional D1s" and JuCos. This is typical for a showcase in girls' sports.

Personally, I'd rather have my kid play at Wellesley, or Carnegie Mellon and get a great education than a not good academic D1 school. But, I guess some parents want to crow about their kid playing D1 at a school that accepts 90% of applicants and graduates 30% of those kids.

Yes. ECNL has more coaches attend, which wasn't my argument. The GA event wasn't a joke.

Again, I believe you are ignorant of showcases, or a troll, possibly both.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let’s put things into perspective here.

Let’s look at SD Surf. Great ECNL program on the boys and girls side. Dominant.

New MLS club down the road, SD FC. Surely they will have a SD FC academy that plays in MLS Next. Guess where SD Surfs best boys will go?

Now, what if MLS Next says hey SD Surf..you can keep all your kids if you go MLS Next/GA.
Oh and by the way, If the girls go GA, that will be the feeder team to SD Wave.

See how that works

Except is does not because most of the girls on Surf are not going to want to go to SD Wave or pro anywhere. SD Surf has a Sophie's choice. Lose the boys or lose the girls. Same as Arlington. They can't go MLSN. Hurts their boys program. They made the choice to stay top on the girls' side. That is the same choice 90% of clubs would make.

Pathway to the pros is not a selling point on the girls side. It is college placement. In your example you would be offering nothing because their top girls that want to go pro already have a pathway.

Because it hasn’t been an option in the past. When DA was around they had it all wrong.

Why would one turn down
a chance to play on a pro academy
A chance to play against top teams and international academies
A chance to go pro
A chance to still go to college if you don’t want to go pro
You still get to play high school

Women’s soccer is growing at a fast rate.

Girls go pro out of ECNL now.

And this is BY aligned so it’s possible at ECNL now. But If ECNL changes to SY or GY then they’ll be saying goodbye to all their strongest players since this better path will now exist for the best players.

BY or SY won't matter.

What will matter is if MLSN and GA can convince top players to join their academy teams.

NWSL just needs to implement a homegrown rule and everything will fall into place.

What about the USL-W (which DOES have teams seemingly associated with current NWSL clubs -- Racing Louisville and NC Courage, for example) and USL-Academy fit? Why not that pathway?

We'll see how long this lasts.

And speaking of NC Courage, yes, they have a USL-W U23 team. ... But their youth academy team? That's ECNL. Same for Racing Louisville's.

Honest questions, why would NWSL teams that have academies want to move from ECNL to GA? Why would NWSL care what league their academies are in or whether it is BY or SY? Seems they would only want to be in the top league regardless.

Acadamies are more than just "free soccer" where only the best advance to the next level. The players are also under contract with a certain Club and when if they move up to the next club up the food chain they pay the lover level club for developing them.

What ends up happening is against true Acadamies Pay to Play can't compete. If they do happen to compete the Acadamy will recruit all their players with free soccer and $$$.

So your saying NWSL academies will stay ECNL and shun GA?

That wouldn't work because the only way to play against the top Academy teams would be if players were under contract themselves. (Ie part of MLSN or soon GA)

But a PP said NWSL academies are already in ECNL, it's working.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let’s put things into perspective here.

Let’s look at SD Surf. Great ECNL program on the boys and girls side. Dominant.

New MLS club down the road, SD FC. Surely they will have a SD FC academy that plays in MLS Next. Guess where SD Surfs best boys will go?

Now, what if MLS Next says hey SD Surf..you can keep all your kids if you go MLS Next/GA.
Oh and by the way, If the girls go GA, that will be the feeder team to SD Wave.

See how that works

Except is does not because most of the girls on Surf are not going to want to go to SD Wave or pro anywhere. SD Surf has a Sophie's choice. Lose the boys or lose the girls. Same as Arlington. They can't go MLSN. Hurts their boys program. They made the choice to stay top on the girls' side. That is the same choice 90% of clubs would make.

Pathway to the pros is not a selling point on the girls side. It is college placement. In your example you would be offering nothing because their top girls that want to go pro already have a pathway.

Because it hasn’t been an option in the past. When DA was around they had it all wrong.

Why would one turn down
a chance to play on a pro academy
A chance to play against top teams and international academies
A chance to go pro
A chance to still go to college if you don’t want to go pro
You still get to play high school

Women’s soccer is growing at a fast rate.

Girls go pro out of ECNL now.

And this is BY aligned so it’s possible at ECNL now. But If ECNL changes to SY or GY then they’ll be saying goodbye to all their strongest players since this better path will now exist for the best players.

BY or SY won't matter.

What will matter is if MLSN and GA can convince top players to join their academy teams.

NWSL just needs to implement a homegrown rule and everything will fall into place.

What about the USL-W (which DOES have teams seemingly associated with current NWSL clubs -- Racing Louisville and NC Courage, for example) and USL-Academy fit? Why not that pathway?

We'll see how long this lasts.

And speaking of NC Courage, yes, they have a USL-W U23 team. ... But their youth academy team? That's ECNL. Same for Racing Louisville's.

Honest questions, why would NWSL teams that have academies want to move from ECNL to GA? Why would NWSL care what league their academies are in or whether it is BY or SY? Seems they would only want to be in the top league regardless.

Acadamies are more than just "free soccer" where only the best advance to the next level. The players are also under contract with a certain Club and when if they move up to the next club up the food chain they pay the lover level club for developing them.

What ends up happening is against true Acadamies Pay to Play can't compete. If they do happen to compete the Acadamy will recruit all their players with free soccer and $$$.

So your saying NWSL academies will stay ECNL and shun GA?

Not PP but neither. There will not be acadamies on the girls/women's side. Economics do not make sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let’s put things into perspective here.

Let’s look at SD Surf. Great ECNL program on the boys and girls side. Dominant.

New MLS club down the road, SD FC. Surely they will have a SD FC academy that plays in MLS Next. Guess where SD Surfs best boys will go?

Now, what if MLS Next says hey SD Surf..you can keep all your kids if you go MLS Next/GA.
Oh and by the way, If the girls go GA, that will be the feeder team to SD Wave.

See how that works

Except is does not because most of the girls on Surf are not going to want to go to SD Wave or pro anywhere. SD Surf has a Sophie's choice. Lose the boys or lose the girls. Same as Arlington. They can't go MLSN. Hurts their boys program. They made the choice to stay top on the girls' side. That is the same choice 90% of clubs would make.

Pathway to the pros is not a selling point on the girls side. It is college placement. In your example you would be offering nothing because their top girls that want to go pro already have a pathway.

Because it hasn’t been an option in the past. When DA was around they had it all wrong.

Why would one turn down
a chance to play on a pro academy
A chance to play against top teams and international academies
A chance to go pro
A chance to still go to college if you don’t want to go pro
You still get to play high school

Women’s soccer is growing at a fast rate.

Girls go pro out of ECNL now.

And this is BY aligned so it’s possible at ECNL now. But If ECNL changes to SY or GY then they’ll be saying goodbye to all their strongest players since this better path will now exist for the best players.

BY or SY won't matter.

What will matter is if MLSN and GA can convince top players to join their academy teams.

NWSL just needs to implement a homegrown rule and everything will fall into place.

What about the USL-W (which DOES have teams seemingly associated with current NWSL clubs -- Racing Louisville and NC Courage, for example) and USL-Academy fit? Why not that pathway?

We'll see how long this lasts.

And speaking of NC Courage, yes, they have a USL-W U23 team. ... But their youth academy team? That's ECNL. Same for Racing Louisville's.

Honest questions, why would NWSL teams that have academies want to move from ECNL to GA? Why would NWSL care what league their academies are in or whether it is BY or SY? Seems they would only want to be in the top league regardless.

Acadamies are more than just "free soccer" where only the best advance to the next level. The players are also under contract with a certain Club and when if they move up to the next club up the food chain they pay the lover level club for developing them.

What ends up happening is against true Acadamies Pay to Play can't compete. If they do happen to compete the Acadamy will recruit all their players with free soccer and $$$.

So your saying NWSL academies will stay ECNL and shun GA?

That wouldn't work because the only way to play against the top Academy teams would be if players were under contract themselves. (Ie part of MLSN or soon GA)

But a PP said NWSL academies are already in ECNL, it's working.

That was not a true statement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ECNL in trouble - hilarious statement

Very true. ECNL not in trouble, it’s in big trouble.

🤣🤣🤣 just like tariffs will bring prices down.

Focus please.

I don’t suppose the ECNL players know about TAKA, but the platform is next level. MLSNExt teams are required to submit their Veo and Trace game footage to TAKA within 24 hours.

The platform has video of each club’s game, apply analytics, video clips of each player based on 6 categories, and importantly, has the same for every MLSNext team and provides access as part of the subscription ($11/month). You want to scout the competition? The subscription includes access to every other team’s full game as well as offensive and defensive highlights.

College coaches and scouts also have access—I believe 800 or so, give or take.

Top talent has migrated from ECNL to MLSNext since its inception. Innovative platforms like TAKA help, as do strategic deals like the one announced today.

It’s not IF ECNL is lapped, but WHEN.

It's not the boys side. Parents of girls are not going to go under contract -- except for the few that could go pro.