Reply to Is GAL just letting anyone in? What ECNL should have done

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]The number of last place teams is almost completely balanced by the number of first place teams in NoVA. If anything, the distribution is bathtub shaped with a more than normal number of first and last place teams. Those first and last place teams are distributed across all age groups too, so there are no generalizations to be made about age groups. It stands to reason that the area is diluted in general, but that would also include some of the NoVA EDP teams. Regardless, the argument that NoVA ECNL teams in MA are weak cannot be made based on this years standings. I am not about to do this, but a better indicator of ECNL vs EDP strength might come from stacking up the head to head records of NoVA ECNL clubs against EDP clubs. I suspect you would find that ECNL teams own a distinct advantage and that most people would agree. On an individual player level, there are obviously going to be EDP players who could easily play on NoVA ECNL teams but the average skill level is lower.[/quote]

The premise is that by virtue of being in ECNL would indicate that an ECNL player is automatically better than a non-ECNL player.

Based on dilution, roster sizes and performance, that assumption is just not true. The gap from the top 4 players on a ECNL team compared to the bottom 4 on the same team is large. The bottom 4 kids on any local ECNL team could easily be replaced by current non-ECNL players.

The starting 11 on ECNL are better but the drop off with the bench players becomes staggering. But, they are on the team because they can afford it but it doesn’t mean they are better than the top 4-5 kids on a top EDP team. Not by a long shot.

Dilution doesn’t present itself with the starting roster but with the depth and quality of the bench. And the bench is still the team, still wears the patch and still believes they are superior.

And then when you factor the mediocre league performance of our region in ECNL league play there just isn’t much special. The ECNL team is simply that clubs A team just like every club has an A team. Two years ago Loudoun ECNL teams were simply Red. You give those kids a new patch and they suddenly became better at soccer?

BRYC was just a color two years ago too, now they get a patch and they are better?

VDA was was DA and the new patch somehow made them better?

FCV was ECNL and now they are worse?

It is just a patch and a patch that has never been easier to get now. [/quote]

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