More defections from DA to ECNL
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Anonymous
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Crossfire Premier announced that it was moving back to ECNL for next season. That is another BIG club to leave DA for ECNL. Serious question: why does it seem like DA is losing out to ECNL? I thought DA was going to be the ultimate winner in this one, but they've now lost a number of the big clubs that originally jumped ship from ECNL. Add to that the rumors that DA is about to remove the prohibition on high school soccer, and it certainly feels like DA is on the back foot in this battle.
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Anonymous
Some clubs leave, some clubs come. http://www.ussoccerda.com/20190220-NEWS-DA-Six-New-Clubs-to-Join-Girls-Development-Academy-for-19-20-Season I thought as you do, that DA would eventually come out on top, but now I think the status quo is just going to continue. That way more clubs get to call themselves "elite". |
Anonymous
The difference is that, for the most part, the clubs coming in to GDA are not at the level of the clubs leaving. You can't compare any of those additions just announced to Crossfire... Last year they lost Stars and PDA--2 of the biggest clubs on the east coast. |
Anonymous
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Fc Stars
PDA Eclipse Concorde Fire Crossfire Michigan Hawks Stop the fight GDA is done |
Anonymous
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I hear you that "some clubs come, and some go," but none of those 6 new DA teams are currently in ECNL. Plus, the teams leaving DA are really good clubs. PDA and LAFC last year were a couple of the best DA girls teams in nearly every age bracket. Michigan Hawks was also a playoff team in most of their age brackets. Same is true for Crossfire.
To put it mildly, it is a bad trend for a league if it is losing some of its top teams in the country to a rival league, and then is replacing those teams with significantly weaker clubs. That is not a recipe for sustained success, and it could ultimately lead to the other big clubs like Tophat, Solar, FC Dallas, etc. to decide to move to ECNL for better competition. Once that happens, the game is over, and DA will have become a second-tier national league. I would never have thought this would happen with the backing of US Soccer, but ECNL is flexing right now. |
Anonymous
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More WC teams rumored to be announcing in the future.
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Anonymous
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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? |
Anonymous
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ECNL is very close to winning.
If Tophat, Solar, FC Dallas and a couple of the big Southern California clubs switch back the GDA will be without doubt the 2nd tier. In my eyes it is already 2nd tier. |
Anonymous
| It was 2nd tier when Michigan Hawks and PDA left |
Anonymous
If you are not on the Hawks or PDA then you are still second tier, that is the point. Being in the same league does not mean you are in the same league. |
Anonymous
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Girls ECNL > GDA
Boys DA > Boys ECNL |
Anonymous
No, some clubs >ECNL/GDA, ECNL=GDA in other areas. Again, if you are not on one of the mega clubs then it doesn't really matter. Sorry, but VDA, Loudoun, BRYC or McLean are not PDA. Hell, it is unlikely that a few teams in our conference will even play PDA. FCV doesn't even play in the same league and their 05's have played against PDA more than any of our local ECNL clubs ever will. |
Anonymous
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In reality, the ECNL didn't have all the nations talent even before the DA came along. That was true before, and that is true now. People forget that the Boys' DA took time to take its foothold. People forget that many top clubs fought it, just like they fight the girls DA now. In fact, many clubs fought the ECNL too. Change takes time, especially with all the politics and personalities involved.
Does the ECNL have all the talent? No. From the Virginia landscape, anyone who tries to deny FCV has the top talent is foolish. It's not McLean, and it's not Loudoun. BRYC is the second top club, but I would still say FCV I would win in most age groups. Clubs have joined the DA that were never in the ECNL and shown they are competitive. |
Anonymous
What a moron. The only time ECNL teams will play teams in different conferences is at showcases or at Nationals. McLean and BRYC 19-17-16s would all be eligible to play PDA at showcases as they all finished top 15 in the country. Someone is still rather bitter PDA hammered FCV 7-0 |
Anonymous
The point is exactly that, claiming ECNL is better because of PDA is nonsensical unless you either play them or are on the team. Every Southern California team could join ECNL and how would that make VDA or McLean a better destination? |