More defections from DA to ECNL

[Anonymous]

There’s nothing quite like watching a bunch of fools debating DA vs ECNL for the millionth time on this site.

Popcorn out. What a waste of thought and time. Just enjoy your daughter’s play and development. Both leagues are fine, depending on what you are looking for. No need to try to assert dominance or ranking. Apples and oranges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There’s nothing quite like watching a bunch of fools debating DA vs ECNL for the millionth time on this site.

Popcorn out. What a waste of thought and time. Just enjoy your daughter’s play and development. Both leagues are fine, depending on what you are looking for. No need to try to assert dominance or ranking. Apples and oranges.

Because these losers live vicariously through their kids and want to think they/their kids are in the best, most super elite (chest-pounding) League.

[Anonymous]

It's not apple vs oranges. Its apples vs apples.

The DA is a more expensive (for the club) and restrictive (for the player) league. The DA may say their mission is one thing...but the product they deliver is the same. You can not run a national league for .001 percent of the player pool.

99.999 percent of DA players are in the league for college exposure. 99.999 percent of ECNL players are in the league for college exposure.

Both are accomplishing that mission with their showcases. However, ECNL is more appealing to the club management. The players dont care if their badge says DA or ECNl as long as the outcome is the same (recruitment).

It's what makes sense for the club.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ECNL is roughly 94 clubs to GDA's 65.

ECNL is certainly bigger but even with the addition of the larger big brand clubs the level of competition across the board is not necessarily better. ECNL is diluting its own product as well. Look at what PDA is doing in its own conference, 2 teams in each conference and still dominating. Other clubs like the Hawks are also entering two teams per age group. This is not about ECNL being better, this is about clubs generating more revenue by being able to enter multiple teams per age group.

So as ECNL continues to expand it will of course become diluted. The only way to maintain competitive quality would be to create an A and B version of the league which would create 3 distinct levels between DA and ECNL.

So, I suppose one could crown ECNL a "winner" but does it really matter if your club or team is effectively in ECNL II? The distance between he MLS DA's and the non-MLS DA's is so dramatic that the MLS DA's are considering leaving as is what do you think clubs like the Hawks, PDA etc, will want when they are constantly crushing everyone?

And with 5 VA ECNL clubs how many will realistically be ECNL I level clubs?

This is happening. ECNL is requiring all of its clubs to field an A and B team. The A teams will be in ECNL and the B teams will be in ECNL 2. The A and B teams at all age levels will have the same home and away games against the same opponent on the same day. For example, if McLean is playing NC Fusion, then their respective A teams will play each other on the same day, and their respective B teams will play each other on the same day, in each age group. I personally think this is a bad idea, but it will take place in the 19-20 season. Also, ECNL will begin at U12 starting next year.
.

Great, suck B players into the travel and cost of ECNL in order to play other B players out of state. Parents will pay. Their kid is "playing ECNL now" and gets the patch. Stop the insanity.[/quote]

This is why it would be better if US Soccer was in charge of elite level soccer, rather than an organization made up of the clubs themselves. The clubs have an incentive to do things which will maximize their bottom lines, rather than what is best for elite player development overall.

There is absolutely no rational reason for B teams to be playing in a national league.

It's a shame the USSF waited so long to get into the girls side.

I now see the advantage the ECNL has over the GDA. They are better at the business of youth soccer. They are more in touch with their customer base, and better at marketing their product.

The problem is that in case, the customer isn't always right, and giving youth soccer parents what they think they want is not really what's best for the players.

More tournaments, more travel, more games, playing hs + club, bringing B teams along for the ride to maximize club profit$, .... none of that is going to help us catch up to Japan and France, or stay ahead of the Spains of the world.

But congrats to ECNL. They are clearly emerging as the winner of this contest. As others have pointed out, once the flow of top clubs starts to move in one direction, it is very difficult to reverse.

[Anonymous]

There are a number of differences between DA and ECNL, including training to game ratios, maximum number of games per day in DA vs multiple in ECNL, preference for no high school training in DA vs allowing HS in ECNL, and others.

The goal for many players of college recruitment may be the same, but the DA apple product is different from the ECNL orange product. Some people prefer apples, others prefer oranges. Both are fine. And there’s no point debating which is better than the other, since different people have different opinions on which factors are more important to their player.

[Anonymous]

PS there’s clearly someone invested in ECNL, perhaps someone from richmond, monitoring and participating on this board. The over the top ECNL propaganda seen here regularly is quite obvious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not apple vs oranges. Its apples vs apples.

The DA is a more expensive (for the club) and restrictive (for the player) league. The DA may say their mission is one thing...but the product they deliver is the same. You can not run a national league for .001 percent of the player pool.

99.999 percent of DA players are in the league for college exposure. 99.999 percent of ECNL players are in the league for college exposure.

Both are accomplishing that mission with their showcases. However, ECNL is more appealing to the club management. The players dont care if their badge says DA or ECNl as long as the outcome is the same (recruitment).

It's what makes sense for the club.

ECNL IS run for 99% of the players and is still Elite?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ECNL is the better league.

For local DMV teams, I propose a DA v. ECNL fall tourney for all ages. End the Bethesda tournament. Have all local Va and MD teams in both DA and ECNL compete on good fields, not Bethesda horse pastures. Have it spread between Evergreen/Loudon/BRYC/McLean, starting fall 2019.

Let's get it on. Loser is relegated to DA, winner promoted to ECNL.

Let’s hear your “unbiased” top-5 ranking for the dc metro in each age group 07 and older. Extend the range to Richmond and Baltimore.

Soccer rankings are useless given how they’re calculated. Let’s have some fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ECNL is roughly 94 clubs to GDA's 65.

ECNL is certainly bigger but even with the addition of the larger big brand clubs the level of competition across the board is not necessarily better. ECNL is diluting its own product as well. Look at what PDA is doing in its own conference, 2 teams in each conference and still dominating. Other clubs like the Hawks are also entering two teams per age group. This is not about ECNL being better, this is about clubs generating more revenue by being able to enter multiple teams per age group.

So as ECNL continues to expand it will of course become diluted. The only way to maintain competitive quality would be to create an A and B version of the league which would create 3 distinct levels between DA and ECNL.

So, I suppose one could crown ECNL a "winner" but does it really matter if your club or team is effectively in ECNL II? The distance between he MLS DA's and the non-MLS DA's is so dramatic that the MLS DA's are considering leaving as is what do you think clubs like the Hawks, PDA etc, will want when they are constantly crushing everyone?

And with 5 VA ECNL clubs how many will realistically be ECNL I level clubs?

This is happening. ECNL is requiring all of its clubs to field an A and B team. The A teams will be in ECNL and the B teams will be in ECNL 2. The A and B teams at all age levels will have the same home and away games against the same opponent on the same day. For example, if McLean is playing NC Fusion, then their respective A teams will play each other on the same day, and their respective B teams will play each other on the same day, in each age group. I personally think this is a bad idea, but it will take place in the 19-20 season. Also, ECNL will begin at U12 starting next year.
.

Great, suck B players into the travel and cost of ECNL in order to play other B players out of state. Parents will pay. Their kid is "playing ECNL now" and gets the patch. Stop the insanity.[/quote]

This is why it would be better if US Soccer was in charge of elite level soccer, rather than an organization made up of the clubs themselves. The clubs have an incentive to do things which will maximize their bottom lines, rather than what is best for elite player development overall.

There is absolutely no rational reason for B teams to be playing in a national league.

It's a shame the USSF waited so long to get into the girls side.

I now see the advantage the ECNL has over the GDA. They are better at the business of youth soccer. They are more in touch with their customer base, and better at marketing their product.

The problem is that in case, the customer isn't always right, and giving youth soccer parents what they think they want is not really what's best for the players.

More tournaments, more travel, more games, playing hs + club, bringing B teams along for the ride to maximize club profit$, .... none of that is going to help us catch up to Japan and France, or stay ahead of the Spains of the world.

But congrats to ECNL. They are clearly emerging as the winner of this contest. As others have pointed out, once the flow of top clubs starts to move in one direction, it is very difficult to reverse.

Expanding to U12 means 5th and 6th graders who are on B teams are going along for ECNL bus rides!?!? Yes, parents will pay. ECNL makes more money.

[Anonymous]

Take the E of of ECNL and just call it CNL.

CNL is the new CCL, just with more driving, costs, and inappropriate curriculum/format for young girls nowhere near elite and nowhere near college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ECNL is the better league.

For local DMV teams, I propose a DA v. ECNL fall tourney for all ages. End the Bethesda tournament. Have all local Va and MD teams in both DA and ECNL compete on good fields, not Bethesda horse pastures. Have it spread between Evergreen/Loudon/BRYC/McLean, starting fall 2019.

Let's get it on. Loser is relegated to DA, winner promoted to ECNL.

Let’s hear your “unbiased” top-5 ranking for the dc metro in each age group 07 and older. Extend the range to Richmond and Baltimore.

Soccer rankings are useless given how they’re calculated. Let’s have some fun.

How about top3? 07 too tough.

06: FCV VDA ARL
05: FCV WSMD ARL
04: FCV WSMD RICH
03: BRYC MDU MCL
02: MCL FCV MDU
00/01: MCL FCV BRYC BETH

My “professional” rankings show the DA strongest in younger ages while ECNL stronger in older. Let the attacks begin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ECNL is the better league.

For local DMV teams, I propose a DA v. ECNL fall tourney for all ages. End the Bethesda tournament. Have all local Va and MD teams in both DA and ECNL compete on good fields, not Bethesda horse pastures. Have it spread between Evergreen/Loudon/BRYC/McLean, starting fall 2019.

Let's get it on. Loser is relegated to DA, winner promoted to ECNL.

Let’s hear your “unbiased” top-5 ranking for the dc metro in each age group 07 and older. Extend the range to Richmond and Baltimore.

Soccer rankings are useless given how they’re calculated. Let’s have some fun.

How about top3? 07 too tough.

06: FCV VDA ARL
05: FCV WSMD ARL
04: FCV WSMD RICH
03: BRYC MDU MCL
02: MCL FCV MDU
00/01: MCL FCV BRYC BETH

My “professional” rankings show the DA strongest in younger ages while ECNL stronger in older. Let the attacks begin.

That would make sense based on the CW that GDA was eventually going to win out, but I wonder if it will change if the "ECNL is becoming the stronger league" narrative takes hold.

[Anonymous]

The DA stole ENCL clubs and rebranded them. They then back filled with NPL clubs. US Soccer created nothing. In fact, they screwed up a good thing.

Then the put stupid restrictions in place to show quality control. Now they are slowly removing the restrictions and becoming a second ECNL league.

So why should a club give up control and hurt their bottom line just to say they are a DA club?

The ECNL will remain a viable option to get your kid recruited. Anything other then that is propaganda.

[Anonymous]

In NOVA we just need fewer options to force talent consolidation. I don't really care whether the options that fold versus remain are ECNL or DA. In part that's because I'm confident my daughter would be rostered on one of the remaining teams (no she's not a YNT player but she's got a good work ethic and she's talented, and she was made multiple offers when she decided she wanted to go DA/ECNL). If your kid is the last girl rostered on a current 'high level' team, you might have a different opinion.

[Anonymous]

Richmond is best team in state at 04 ... 2 YNT kids on that group, tied fcv in pre season match with most of team missing