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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]DCU parent here. In assessing MLS Next vs ECNL, you probably need to evaluate DCU separately from the other MLS Next clubs in the area. The MLS clubs play the vast majority of their games against each other. I think 21 of our 29 "regular season" games are against other MLS academies (from Toronto and Montreal down to Orlando and Miami). The reverse is true for the non-MLS clubs in the league (Bethesda, Armour, SYC, Alexandria) -- they only play a handful of games against MLS academies. They mostly play other non-MLS clubs (including good ones like PDA, Delco, Cedar Stars). But it's really two pretty different experiences of one league.

This asymmetry was part of what MLS clubs wanted, but never got, from the DA; now they can do it, since they created the league.[/quote]

There is no DCU at U13-14; Achilles, Alexandria, BSC, SYC and Armour are playing each other and others, including Philadelphia Union and Red Bulls.  It is designed to be a pyramid, or funnel, where top players go to DCU.  We are at one of the other clubs and don't really care about being on a par with DCU.  That's not the objective and people are smoking serious dope if they think their ECNL clubs are truly competitive with MLS academies among the same age groups.  That's also true for the non-MLS Academy MLS Next teams, with a few exceptions.

But if you are really caught up in being treated first among equals, have no doubt, I am sure you can find that in the ECNL.

[/quote]

True.  Pro MLS clubs are truly a different level than ECNL clubs.  Non pro MLS clubs are about the same level as ECNL.  Non pro MLS clubs simply do not have the facilities, coaching staff, and recruiting to compete with pro MLS clubs.[/quote]

Pro MLS clubs are not all at a different level.  Here on the east coast they mostly are, as we have arguably two of the three most competitive youth programs in the MLS in NYRB and PU.  There are MLS clubs in other parts of the country that are not nearly as strong.

And re facilities, coaching staff and recruiting - that is generally true, but not for DCU which invests very little in its youth program.[/quote]

As someone who went to the MLS Cup this year and saw most of the pro MLS clubs at multiple age groups, I can tell you that NYRB and PU are not exceptions.  All the pro MLS clubs across the country are exceptionally strong.[/quote]

And as someone else who has observed the MLS academies playing for years, I disagree.[/quote]

The winning teams from the MLS Cup.  None are PU or NYRB.

https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/four-mls-next-cup-champions-crowned-at-inaugural-tournament[/quote]

Really?  That's your argument?

Those clubs only enter U15 and U17 teams in the first place, so they don't even compete in the U16 or U19 age groups.  And just because two clubs are amongst the top MLS academies doesn't mean their teams are the best every single year, and nor does the best team always win a knock-out competition - in fact the best team often does not win.  And in many cases the best players at those clubs are not playing on age, but are playing up or with the first team or a USL team.

And to illustrate the self-contradictory nature of your argument, four of the eight finalists (Philadelphia reached one of the two finals where they entered a team by the way) were not even MLS clubs and it is you (or your co-arguer) who claimed that all MLS clubs are on a totally different level from non MLS clubs.[/quote]

The question is whether ECNL clubs could compete with pro MLS clubs.  Keeping non pro MLS clubs aside, the answer is "No".[/quote]

I rather think the top ECNL clubs (the ex DA ones) can compete with the weaker MLS clubs.  Look at the results Richmond or Arlington get against DCU when they play.  And I think they would do the same or better against any of Charlotte/Houston/Cincinnati/Columbus for example.  And the same holds true for the Dallas Texans, NCFC, and a handful of other top ECNL clubs.[/quote]

Will MLS Next be tiered? That was the initial plan? [/quote]

It is effectively tiered.

The MLS clubs play a lot of games against each other.  The remaining clubs play the MLS clubs occasionally (max three times in our region, depending on age group) and mainly against each other.  At some age groups the MLS clubs don't enter teams so for example if you are U13, U14 you don't play against DCU because they don't have a team.  At U16 you don't play PU or NYRB and at U19 you don't play any MLS clubs.

In my opinion there aren't enough games for the non MLS clubs.  For example SYC's U19 team gets 14 league games and that's it.  The U16 team gets 15 games.  The younger teams are a little better off - the U15 team gets 17 games for example.  But the DCU U15 team gets 24 games.

Contrast this with the old DA where a local team would play five games against MLS opponents (3 against DCU and 1 each against NYRB and PU) and more games in total.[/quote]

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