MLS Next

[Anonymous]

Who has it currently and what ages? Has it been announced what ages will have it next year? I guess DCU has the best one in the area? Does it continue through the recruiting years? I saw someone post something on"tiers". Please explain.

[Anonymous]

This lists age groups and teams per age group:
https://system.gotsport.com/org_event/events/3398

[Anonymous]

Have they all only played 2 games?

[Anonymous]

Where do most of the players on DCU play prior to U15? I'm sure it is a mix of various local clubs but are there 2 or 3 that send more players?

Also for our area is DCU the strongest MLS Next club? How does Bethesda and Baltimore compare?

DO these teams enter tournaments?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where do most of the players on DCU play prior to U15? I'm sure it is a mix of various local clubs but are there 2 or 3 that send more players?

Also for our area is DCU the strongest MLS Next club? How does Bethesda and Baltimore compare?

DO these teams enter tournaments?

DCU has an arrangement with 6 local clubs where these clubs send their top kids to sessions led by DCU coaches. This arrangement is called P2P or Pathway to Pro. The 6 clubs are...Arlington, Alexandria, Pipeline, VDA, PPA, and and Loudoun. So DCU takes a good look at these kids and obviously MLS Next teams but I don't really think many kids from Bethesda join DCU. They look at DCU as a final not a feeder to it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where do most of the players on DCU play prior to U15? I'm sure it is a mix of various local clubs but are there 2 or 3 that send more players?

Also for our area is DCU the strongest MLS Next club? How does Bethesda and Baltimore compare?

DO these teams enter tournaments?

All of the core members are really good programs. Obviously there are the standard differences you would find from age group to age group. If you are looking for tournaments, you are barking up the wrong tree. They play top flight academies within league (Red Bulls, Philly Union, and others). Some tournaments organize MLS only brackets, but those end up being a lot of the same academies teams play within MLS Next, and most coaches who know what they are doing do not like the potential injuries that can arise from multiple games in a single weekend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where do most of the players on DCU play prior to U15? I'm sure it is a mix of various local clubs but are there 2 or 3 that send more players?

Also for our area is DCU the strongest MLS Next club? How does Bethesda and Baltimore compare?

DO these teams enter tournaments?

Why are you asking? Might help with the answers if we understood what you're after. e.g. Do you have a kid you think might be good enough to play for DCU and want to find out how best to get him noticed? Or something else?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where do most of the players on DCU play prior to U15? I'm sure it is a mix of various local clubs but are there 2 or 3 that send more players?

Also for our area is DCU the strongest MLS Next club? How does Bethesda and Baltimore compare?

DO these teams enter tournaments?

Why are you asking? Might help with the answers if we understood what you're after. e.g. Do you have a kid you think might be good enough to play for DCU and want to find out how best to get him noticed? Or something else?

I have a much younger DS at Arlington and am just asking out of curiosity.

[Anonymous]

Your kid will get noticed (if noticeable) if they play at Arlington or Alexandria or the other clubs mentioned. DCU frequently has kids from other clubs come out to their base in Loudon for a lookover. That said, the travel required for training out there puts off a number of families.

If I lived in Bethesda, I'd go to Bethesda.
If I lived in Baltimore, I'd go to Baltimore.
If I lived by Dulles, I'd go to DCU.

As for "who is better" kind of stuff, I don't really think the difference in coaching or opportunities is greater than loss due to the added time and pain if you are traveling out of the area to play. I wouldn't say "DC United is worth 8 extra hours a week of commuting time for practices from Bethesda" for example (or vice versa).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your kid will get noticed (if noticeable) if they play at Arlington or Alexandria or the other clubs mentioned. DCU frequently has kids from other clubs come out to their base in Loudon for a lookover. That said, the travel required for training out there puts off a number of families.

If I lived in Bethesda, I'd go to Bethesda.
If I lived in Baltimore, I'd go to Baltimore.
If I lived by Dulles, I'd go to DCU.

As for "who is better" kind of stuff, I don't really think the difference in coaching or opportunities is greater than loss due to the added time and pain if you are traveling out of the area to play. I wouldn't say "DC United is worth 8 extra hours a week of commuting time for practices from Bethesda" for example (or vice versa).

I agree with this, especially if the ultimate goal is college recruitment. Baltimore and Bethesda both have an outstanding track record of sending kids to great D1 programs. If your kid wants to go pro, DC United makes more sense, but it’s by no means the best run academy program out there. Some serious kids from our area have opted for the Philadelphia Union Academy or others that have a boarding option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where do most of the players on DCU play prior to U15? I'm sure it is a mix of various local clubs but are there 2 or 3 that send more players?

Also for our area is DCU the strongest MLS Next club? How does Bethesda and Baltimore compare?

DO these teams enter tournaments?

Why are you asking? Might help with the answers if we understood what you're after. e.g. Do you have a kid you think might be good enough to play for DCU and want to find out how best to get him noticed? Or something else?

I have a much younger DS at Arlington and am just asking out of curiosity.

My DS is also at Arlington. From an exposure perspective you're fine where you are - Arlington sends as many as any other club, DCU regularly scrimmages the Arlington teams and also scouts Arlington games a few times a year so he will definitely get noticed if he's good enough. From a coaching perspective I have been very happy with the coaching my DS has been getting although we weren't at Arlington at pre-academy ages and the acdemy coaching is run almost like a separate club within a club - so it may not be as good until you get to U12 (or it may be - I just don't know).

[Anonymous]

A lot of the teams in the U13 boys bracket played in the 2nd division at the Bethesda tournament this past weekend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A lot of the teams in the U13 boys bracket played in the 2nd division at the Bethesda tournament this past weekend.

No mls teams played u13 at Bethesda cup other than perhaps Bethesda’s team in the first division.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of the teams in the U13 boys bracket played in the 2nd division at the Bethesda tournament this past weekend.

No mls teams played u13 at Bethesda cup other than perhaps Bethesda’s team in the first division.

Delco ECNL (Penn) did

[Anonymous]

FC Delco's u13 MLS team played at the Easter Invitational Tournament in Orlando last weekend. Also, they don't have "ECNL" in their name.

http://www.gotsport.com/events/?eventid=80427