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[quote=westsidesoccer][quote=MightyRobb]MLSNext is broken down between the Pro Team Academies and the Non-Pro Academies although they all play each other.  The Pro Academies are a pipeline to professional soccer whereas the Non-Pro Academies are roughly in line with ECNL.  Non-Pro Academies and ECNL are more college focused.

If you look at age group rankings, the top 25 teams are mixed between MLS and ECNL teams with more MLS teams there.

Another difference is that ECNL players can play high school soccer, MLSNext players can't.

The new National Academy League may be good but ultimately it will always be the 2nd team for a club whereas ENCL teams are the 1st team for that club.  So even if a kid has his heart set on MLSNext, playing on a second team does not mean they will have a chance at the 1st team over outside players.  As a matter of fact, it may be worse for the kid already at the club versus an outside player coming in.[/quote]

The top ECNL teams can undoubtedly compete with top MLS Next non-academy teams, but in this area especially, the middle and bottom of MLS Next is substantially better than the middle of ECNL, and I think those gaps are likely to grow over time as we continue to see more movement at younger ages to MLS Next.  Also, the ECNL schedules are very, very light for high school players to permit them to play high school soccer, as you note.  I think that's great, and frankly, the ban on high school soccer for everybody in MLS Next outside club academy teams is preposterous.  But it is a major difference.

For competitive players, I agree that ECNL is going to be better than National Academy teams.  I don't think clubs will begin using those second teams as an MLS Next reserve (any more than they already might with 2-3 top second team players).[/quote]

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