MLSnext

[Anonymous]

Arlington's top 2008 boys team would get destroyed in MLSNext.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think Arlington had to agree to keep their top boys teams in ECNL to secure ECNL for their girls teams.

If MLSNext has a good year and establishes it's self as the top boys league, I think Arlington will put their academy teams in MLSNext and move their red teams into their ECNL slots.

Arlington is quality enough of a program to field both MLSNext sand ECNL. But whatever they decide will help dictate which league has more prominence in mid-Atlantic

I don’t think Arlington makes any difference in that respect. That won’t be a decisive factor for anybody between here and NJ.

Not PP - and agree with you that Arlington by themselves are not decisive. But right now the best teams in VA and NC are in ECNL and not MLSNext. The opposite is true in MD and PA (excepting Pipeline). Key clubs moving in either direction (whether that's Arlington to MLSNext or Bethesda to ECNL for example) could start a broader movement.

Taken across the whole region the two leagues are quite finely balanc right now. ECNL's edge is the girls program, and MLSnext obviously has the MLS clubs which make the boys league more attractive to kids and parents, although non MLS clubs may not view the MLS clubs as trustworthy partners.

This makes no sense. MLS Next for DMV goes from VA to NJ. Why should my son care about girls programs

Your son should not care about girls programs but clubs do because 50% of their customers are girls. Therefore this affects the behavior of clubs, which in turn influences the attractiveness of different options.

or whether his conference has North Carolina’s top teams?

This should matter to your son. Not as much as the quality of coaching available at his chosen club, nor even as much as the quality of his teammates. But quality of opposition is a factor. In fact it's pretty much the only factor in favor of the MLSNext clubs in Virginia.

You sound like a coach or a team or league official, not a parent, and if you are an ECNL boys parent, I honestly don’t understand why playing in a league that does great for girls, high school soccer and NC teams tilts anything for your kid or is relevant in any respect.

I'm actually an MLSNext parent. However I'm discussing the various factors which influence how and why clubs decide to select and switch leagues, so it is necessary to consider the clubs' perspective. The clubs are fully aware of the importance of league strength in determining their attractiveness to current and potential players. Right now team strength for ECNL in our area is on a par with MLSNext (although that is not the case elsewhere in the country) and thus the league is stable. I was merely pointing out (or rather building on a point someone else already made) that if a couple of clubs moved that stability might disappear and more clubs might seek to move - in either direction.

Players at younger ages are moving to MLS Next teams and clubs and the talent and results are already going in that direction at younger ages.

I'm not really seeing this yet at least. Time will tell though. It is certainly true that MLSNext clubs which used to be in CCL will receive a recruiting benefit compared to when they were in CCL. However MLSNext clubs which used to be in DA may actually see a dropoff as MLSNext is not - at least yet - as well organized or competitive as DA used to be in this area.

I'm not convinced that Arlington or Richmond or VDA for example will lose too many recruits just because they are in ECNL as opposed to MLSNext. But if the better NC clubs left ECNL for MLSNext then that might change - in which case Arlington, VDA and Richmond would likely seek to move too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Arlington's top 2008 boys team would get destroyed in MLSNext.

That is certainly Arlington's weakest age group. Even so I doubt they would get destroyed. My guess is that they would finish mid table ahead of clubs like PA Classics, TSF, Real Jersey and Achilles.

Equally, Alexandria and SYC would struggle against the top ECNL teams in this age group like VDA, Richmond, and Charlotte SA. And Achilles would probably finish near the bottom of the ECN league.

What matters more than the current ability of any club's 2008 team though is its ability to attract and develop talent. Arlington and Richmond (and VDA although not quite as well) have proven they can do that over time. As have Bethesda and Baltimore obviously. The other, new, local MLSNext clubs all have to prove they can do so. Right now if I were a parent of a young and talented 12 year old (I'm not by the way) I would still pick Arlington ahead of any of them, although I would be happy enough with Alexandria as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Arlington's top 2008 boys team would get destroyed in MLSNext.

Ok EM of SYC. Your U14 2007 team got shutout in 8 games.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most travel kids in Arlington play high school soccer (if they make the team), not something MLSnext allows.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most travel kids in Arlington play high school soccer (if they make the team), not something MLSnext allows.

+1

Don't worry, SYC will find a way to bend the rules. The two teams that participated in MLS Next last season (08 and 07) participated in tournaments and EDP, not something MLSnext allows.

[Anonymous]

You most certainly allowed to participate in non-sanctioned tournaments playing in the MLS Next. DC did it last year in a low level VA tournament.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous]You most certainly allowed to participate in non-sanctioned tournaments playing in the MLS Next. DC did it last year in a low level VA tournament. [/quote]

You missed the point.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous]You most certainly allowed to participate in non-sanctioned tournaments playing in the MLS Next. DC did it last year in a low level VA tournament. [/quote]

Extremely low-level

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington's top 2008 boys team would get destroyed in MLSNext.

That is certainly Arlington's weakest age group. Even so I doubt they would get destroyed. My guess is that they would finish mid table ahead of clubs like PA Classics, TSF, Real Jersey and Achilles.

Equally, Alexandria and SYC would struggle against the top ECNL teams in this age group like VDA, Richmond, and Charlotte SA. And Achilles would probably finish near the bottom of the ECN league.

What matters more than the current ability of any club's 2008 team though is its ability to attract and develop talent. Arlington and Richmond (and VDA although not quite as well) have proven they can do that over time. As have Bethesda and Baltimore obviously. The other, new, local MLSNext clubs all have to prove they can do so. Right now if I were a parent of a young and talented 12 year old (I'm not by the way) I would still pick Arlington ahead of any of them, although I would be happy enough with Alexandria as well.

Alexandria 08 would not struggle against those ECNL teams last year and they won't next year after cutting several players and adding at least 3 high impact players from Loudoun/Arlington. And they got a real coach now.

[Anonymous]

Looks to be players let go from MLS Next go to ECNL and high impact go to MLS Next

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous]Looks to be players let go from MLS Next go to ECNL and high impact go to MLS Next [/quote]

Depends on the club.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Looks to be players let go from MLS Next go to ECNL and high impact go to MLS Next [/quote]

Depends on the club.[/quote]

Exactly.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Looks to be players let go from MLS Next go to ECNL and high impact go to MLS Next [/quote]

Depends on the club.[/quote]

Was other way round on my DS' ECNL team. Only one player left for an MLSNext team, and it was because he wasn't starting / getting as much PT as he wanted.

[Anonymous]

Can MLSnext players also play ODP?