MLS next vs ECNL

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I look at players in the youth national teams and players signing contracts to clubs in Europe and start seeing ECNL products, then I'll entertain the silly arguments about ECNL being at MLS Academy level.

Your ECNL team winning a game against a MLS Academy when your focus is on winning the game while theirs is on development (with kids playing up) is a hollow statement.

But only true soccer knowledgeable people understand that.

No most teams in MLS want to win. If you don't win then players won't come to play. The MLS next kids are better than ECNL, but at this point, since most are not getting recruited, it doesn't matter. Pick a league where you get playing time.

Achilles doesn't win and still have a line out their door to join.
Why?
Because everyone knows MLS Next is superior to ECNL.

A line is generous

Look at Gramps from ECNL throwing shade.

[Anonymous]

I've seen a lot of boy son the U14 team dealing with knee pain due to growth spurts.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Boys youth soccer is very different that girls youth soccer.

- If boys/men play professionally average salary is 110k.
- Boys/mens college coaches recruit players internationally. (Not just GA,ECNL,NPL,etc)

Also with boys, puberty and testosterone can completely change a players ability.

Please explain in detail that even a caveman can understand?

Some boys develop early because they go through puberty early. Some boys develop later.

Do you want a team full of 5'1" superstars at u10 that burn out by u14? Or do you want 6'1" players at u14 that peak at u18?

My sons were 5'4' at 14. 6/1' and 6'2' at 18 (about 5'7" in the middle years 16-17).

A lot of boys, like my own, have a lot of growth related injuries from fast late growth spurts that really mess them in the early HS years---it's when they get through that that you really see their potential--not playing in pain and muscles caught up to bone, etc.

Poorly handled training programs are the cause for many growth spurt severe or long lasting issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MLS Academy teams are better than MLS Non Academy and ECNL teams.

MLS Non Academy and ECNL teams are similar.

The big advantage of MLSN is that it's setup so you can choose to play professionally or in college. ECNL boys funnels into college only.

This isn’t true anymore, at least in this area. There is a growing gap between Bethesda/SYC/Alex and NVA/VDA/ARL/FXU/MD United.

Newbie here...would you mind going into more detail on this? Thank you!

[Anonymous]

And what about Achilles and Potomac? I know Achilles has MLS Next also.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All the best players in the country including US National team players play in MLS Next.


There is no comparison with these two leagues.

Actually, to narrow further.
All but a couple USYNT players in the Regional ID pools are from MLS Clubs. Some are from overseas academies.

Pretty inaccurate statement
MLS next academy yes but just mls next team totally not true.. We have six kids from two of our ECNL teams who have been invited to play for an Academy. Not too hard to make a non-academy mls team. We beat MLSnext teams regularly!

[Anonymous]

Myers club dependent but this is what our club does. We also played in three showcases, two tournaments, and playoffs. Our record against MLS teams 7-2.
quote=Anonymous]I argue that. ECNL only had 22 games, not sure how many they will have this year since their schedule hasn't been posted. MLS Next has 36 games scheduled.

Training is club dependent,  not based on league.

Anonymous wrote:Definitely not true about the competition level. Having played in both leagues
The competition is only stronger at the Academy level. Otherwise it's pretty equal. Not sure if counting how many games a team plays makes one better than other. We train all year round A lot of MLS take long breaks.

[Anonymous]

Rather than hypothesizing regarding which league sends the most kids to college from our region, why don't we just take a look at the 2025 and 2024 boys college commits (reported officially via TDS)

Of the 2025 grads who have committed:

VA- total 13 college commits (so far)
8 from ECNL, 3 from Academy, 2 from Next

MD- Total 8 college commits
4 from Next, 3 from ECNL, 1 from Academy

DC- Total 1 college commit
1 from Academy

North Carolina- Total 3 college commits
3 from ECNL

2024 College Commits

VA- Total 25 Commits
13 ECNL, 4 Academy, 3 Next, 5 Other

MD-25 Total Commits
12 ECNL, 10 Next, 1 Academy, 2 Other

DC
0

NC
25 Total commits
15 ECNL, 2 Next, 8 other

This certainly wouldn't suggest that in this area MLS far surpasses ECNL in college placement. Looks about even TBH.
Neither one showing superiority in ability to put kids into college soccer...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rather than hypothesizing regarding which league sends the most kids to college from our region, why don't we just take a look at the 2025 and 2024 boys college commits (reported officially via TDS)

Of the 2025 grads who have committed:

VA- total 13 college commits (so far)
8 from ECNL, 3 from Academy, 2 from Next

MD- Total 8 college commits
4 from Next, 3 from ECNL, 1 from Academy

DC- Total 1 college commit
1 from Academy

North Carolina- Total 3 college commits
3 from ECNL

2024 College Commits

VA- Total 25 Commits
13 ECNL, 4 Academy, 3 Next, 5 Other

MD-25 Total Commits
12 ECNL, 10 Next, 1 Academy, 2 Other

DC
0

NC
25 Total commits
15 ECNL, 2 Next, 8 other

This certainly wouldn't suggest that in this area MLS far surpasses ECNL in college placement. Looks about even TBH.
Neither one showing superiority in ability to put kids into college soccer...

This an attempt to put questionable quantity over quality?

[Anonymous]

The pp brought receipts!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The pp brought receipts!

Yup. Commits don’t lie.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All the best players in the country including US National team players play in MLS Next.


There is no comparison with these two leagues.

Actually, to narrow further.
All but a couple USYNT players in the Regional ID pools are from MLS Clubs. Some are from overseas academies.

Pretty inaccurate statement
MLS next academy yes but just mls next team totally not true.. We have six kids from two of our ECNL teams who have been invited to play for an Academy. Not too hard to make a non-academy mls team. We beat MLSnext teams regularly!

Cool story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The pp brought receipts!

Yup. Commits don’t lie.

Which one of you really think colleges and universities are prioritizing the recruiting of players to play high level college soccer with scholarships (full or partial) from ECNL over MLS Next or even the same?

Here's a receipt.
Pull up the Top 20 ranked college soccer programs and look at the rosters.
Pull up the top 10 in each conference and look at the rosters.
Show where ECNL is as represented as MLS Next.

Because of just much higher numbers, I'm sure after colleges have taken picks from MLS Next and International transfers, ECNL fills gaps.
Without scholarships.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rather than hypothesizing regarding which league sends the most kids to college from our region, why don't we just take a look at the 2025 and 2024 boys college commits (reported officially via TDS)

Of the 2025 grads who have committed:

VA- total 13 college commits (so far)
8 from ECNL, 3 from Academy, 2 from Next

MD- Total 8 college commits
4 from Next, 3 from ECNL, 1 from Academy

DC- Total 1 college commit
1 from Academy

North Carolina- Total 3 college commits
3 from ECNL

2024 College Commits

VA- Total 25 Commits
13 ECNL, 4 Academy, 3 Next, 5 Other

MD-25 Total Commits
12 ECNL, 10 Next, 1 Academy, 2 Other

DC
0

NC
25 Total commits
15 ECNL, 2 Next, 8 other

This certainly wouldn't suggest that in this area MLS far surpasses ECNL in college placement. Looks about even TBH.
Neither one showing superiority in ability to put kids into college soccer...

A quick review of the UNC, Virginia and UMD rosters show you must be a Political Consultant Spin Doctor 😀
Throw enough numbers out there from 'a source' and see what happens.

Maybe we need to look deeper, but none of these real rosters of actual players (not so called commits) show parity between MLS Next and ECNL players.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rather than hypothesizing regarding which league sends the most kids to college from our region, why don't we just take a look at the 2025 and 2024 boys college commits (reported officially via TDS)

Of the 2025 grads who have committed:

VA- total 13 college commits (so far)
8 from ECNL, 3 from Academy, 2 from Next

MD- Total 8 college commits
4 from Next, 3 from ECNL, 1 from Academy

DC- Total 1 college commit
1 from Academy

North Carolina- Total 3 college commits
3 from ECNL

2024 College Commits

VA- Total 25 Commits
13 ECNL, 4 Academy, 3 Next, 5 Other

MD-25 Total Commits
12 ECNL, 10 Next, 1 Academy, 2 Other

DC
0

NC
25 Total commits
15 ECNL, 2 Next, 8 other

This certainly wouldn't suggest that in this area MLS far surpasses ECNL in college placement. Looks about even TBH.
Neither one showing superiority in ability to put kids into college soccer...

A quick review of the UNC, Virginia and UMD rosters show you must be a Political Consultant Spin Doctor 😀
Throw enough numbers out there from 'a source' and see what happens.

Maybe we need to look deeper, but none of these real rosters of actual players (not so called commits) show parity between MLS Next and ECNL players.

UHM- this is DCUM--not TXUM, CAUM, NYUM. So I'd argue the the VA, MD, NC is relevant to this forum where pepole are stating that MLS clubs are superior in placing talent. Sorry but you can't claim that MLS dominates college commits in this region. it's just not true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I look at players in the youth national teams and players signing contracts to clubs in Europe and start seeing ECNL products, then I'll entertain the silly arguments about ECNL being at MLS Academy level.

Your ECNL team winning a game against a MLS Academy when your focus is on winning the game while theirs is on development (with kids playing up) is a hollow statement.

But only true soccer knowledgeable people understand that.

No most teams in MLS want to win. If you don't win then players won't come to play. The MLS next kids are better than ECNL, but at this point, since most are not getting recruited, it doesn't matter. Pick a league where you get playing time.

Achilles doesn't win and still have a line out their door to join.
Why?
Because everyone knows MLS Next is superior to ECNL.

No, it’s because priority is placed on developing players. And they do that well.