MLSnext 2 and GA moves to school year cutoff from 26-27 season

[Anonymous]

If the MLS clubs offer the exact same structure as the ECNL clubs the MLS clubs will win out in 3 years.

Its a much better product.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the MLS clubs offer the exact same structure as the ECNL clubs the MLS clubs will win out in 3 years.

Its a much better product.

Possibly. But they're on the same structure now and ECNL has more of the market while MLS Next is trying to grow. I could also see a strategy of using these BY/SY differences to their advantage. Stick with BY and differentiate from the lesser quality ECNL.

No idea tho.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:How come people keep mentioning that u9-u12 will be definitely going SY? Did we miss something? What if the club they play for is in MLSN or MLSII? Wouldnt they stay BY even at the young ages?

U12 and below ages will be SY: AYSO, USCS NPL, USYS, pre-ECNL ...

So there will be a GAP from U12 (SY) -> U13 (BY) for clubs that play MLSN, either 1 or 2.

Not only that, many clubs would have 1st team MLSN (BY), but second and third teams NPL, ECNL-R (SY). That's pretty difficult to organize.

Those are the two main reasons because I believe MLSN finally will move to SY.

What is the benefit for those p2p MLSN clubs to stay in BY? I can not think of one.

What is the benefit for those p2p MLSN clubs to switch to SY? Many.

Those club owners are businessmen first. You can mostly guess what they will do in the next 2 months.

I'm not an expert and just speculating. I also really have no preference on SY vs BY (I see benefits for my kids either way). But here's a counter argument (not aiming to argue tho).

One possible reason from the for-profit, businessman perspective is this: growth.

I've heard arguments on this forum that MLS Next will be forced to align with SY or it'll be a mess. It's a valid take, but I can also see the other side from a competitive advantage biz perspective... MLS Next is the top level for youth in the US. They have the upper hand. If they're looking to grow their numbers of MLS Next teams, I could also see the argument to align with birth year to push out ECNL teams. I.e. if your club wants to be elevated to MLS Next, align with birth year and exit the ECNL. In other words, clubs with both MLS Next and US youth soccer affiliated ECNL and RL teams will be incentivized to pick whether they want to be MLS Next affiliated or ECNL, and logically will want to have one age structure for all levels of their club. I'm guessing they'd want to align with MLS Next and BY to recruit the top talent and grow in quality and revenue, as MLS Next is the top league. This would also eventually lead to teams ditching ECNL for MLS Next.

I could be full of crap but just speculating on a cutthroat revenue and growth-driven strategy. No idea if MLS Next execs are thinking this way tho.

SY has the first mover advantage. SY is set to win once parents of 6 years balk at going BY and never look back.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:A six month age/maturity difference in BY is a six month age/maturity difference in SY

How does SY solve that?

Did you play sports in school? When you were in 7th grade did you play with the 8th graders? How did that go?

The question was about 6 month difference existing in both BY and SY, not about grades.

I won't play semantics with you; you can have it.

Pretty sure it isn't semantics when discussing a six month gap difference on the calendar

It ain't tomato tomato`

You are an insufferable person, coagulations.

I rest my case Your Honor

I request this SY magic pill narrative be dismissed with extreme prejudice

There are no winning or losing arguments anymore on BY or SY.

Only the slow rollout of SY announcements from leagues and teams.

[Anonymous]

The problem with that is that there won’t be a BY option for 6 year olds. All u8-u11 will be SY. Mlsnext could do a premlsnext at u12 but not much below that due to travel needed. Forcing a third of kids to skip an age group to go from SY to BY is going to be an issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem with that is that there won’t be a BY option for 6 year olds. All u8-u11 will be SY. Mlsnext could do a premlsnext at u12 but not much below that due to travel needed. Forcing a third of kids to skip an age group to go from SY to BY is going to be an issue.

I'm not sure it'd really be "skipping an age group". I do see your point and it's a very good question and consideration. But I also can see it as the top U12 players good enough for MLS Next simply being good enough to play with and against people in their same birth year. They'd still be in the same 12 month window, whether they're technically U-whatever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem with that is that there won’t be a BY option for 6 year olds. All u8-u11 will be SY. Mlsnext could do a premlsnext at u12 but not much below that due to travel needed. Forcing a third of kids to skip an age group to go from SY to BY is going to be an issue.

I'm not sure it'd really be "skipping an age group". I do see your point and it's a very good question and consideration. But I also can see it as the top U12 players good enough for MLS Next simply being good enough to play with and against people in their same birth year. They'd still be in the same 12 month window, whether they're technically U-whatever.

Also, that 1/3rd of kids good enough for MLS Next might already be playing up anyway.

[Anonymous]

Best league in the world plays on a 9/1 calender. USA would be stupid to do anything but especialy with our trapped player and college issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem with that is that there won’t be a BY option for 6 year olds. All u8-u11 will be SY. Mlsnext could do a premlsnext at u12 but not much below that due to travel needed. Forcing a third of kids to skip an age group to go from SY to BY is going to be an issue.

I'm not sure it'd really be "skipping an age group". I do see your point and it's a very good question and consideration. But I also can see it as the top U12 players good enough for MLS Next simply being good enough to play with and against people in their same birth year. They'd still be in the same 12 month window, whether they're technically U-whatever.

They would lose a year of 9v9 correct? That seems like a developmental disadvantage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem with that is that there won’t be a BY option for 6 year olds. All u8-u11 will be SY. Mlsnext could do a premlsnext at u12 but not much below that due to travel needed. Forcing a third of kids to skip an age group to go from SY to BY is going to be an issue.

I'm not sure it'd really be "skipping an age group". I do see your point and it's a very good question and consideration. But I also can see it as the top U12 players good enough for MLS Next simply being good enough to play with and against people in their same birth year. They'd still be in the same 12 month window, whether they're technically U-whatever.

They would lose a year of 9v9 correct? That seems like a developmental disadvantage.

It's an issue I don't have the answer or crystal ball too. But it could also be seen as a developmental advantage for kids good enough to jump to 11v11 instead of sticking with younger kids playing 9v9.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Best league in the world plays on a 9/1 calender. USA would be stupid to do anything but especialy with our trapped player and college issues.

Best league is in Spain imo, and the rest of the global leagues with top academy teams on BY outweigh English academies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Best league in the world plays on a 9/1 calender. USA would be stupid to do anything but especialy with our trapped player and college issues.

Premier League and all European leagues start the season in August

That said, England hasn't won an International Trophy in centuries
So why follow them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Best league in the world plays on a 9/1 calender. USA would be stupid to do anything but especialy with our trapped player and college issues.

Premier League and all European leagues start the season in August

That said, England hasn't won an International Trophy in centuries
So why follow them?

Because we want and need to sell players to the Premier League, and it is still the most popular league in the world.

[Anonymous]

common language for most american players.... culture etc.

Sending an 18 year old from Iowa to italy/spain would be a complete disater.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Best league in the world plays on a 9/1 calender. USA would be stupid to do anything but especialy with our trapped player and college issues.

Premier League and all European leagues start the season in August

That said, England hasn't won an International Trophy in centuries
So why follow them?

Because we want and need to sell players to the Premier League, and it is still the most popular league in the world.

Top US players would be sold to the academy level though. Yes, English Premier is solid, but when you look at opportunities across all global academies, there are far more academy opportunities when combining Spain (Barcelona's La Mesia is the absolute best academy in the world), Italy, Germany (Pulicic went to BvB first), France, the Netherlands, etc.

But I'm not sure any of this even matters. Every academy would want a Cavan Sullivan or Pulicic regardless of whether his US club was SY or BY