Anonymous
Post 02/20/2024 20:43     Subject: Why doesn't FCV move to ECNL?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:FCV was an early member of ECNL, when member clubs held single-vote blackball privileges to keep out new applicants. For years they protected their turf well, successfully spiking Loudoun’s annual bid and poaching their top players who aspired to play at the next level. As a for-profit venture, this played well with their business model. But when the DA was announced, Loudoun was awarded that bid. In order to hop on that bandwagon, FCV formed a strategic partnership with Loudoun for the DA and left ECNL, burning many bridges in the process. The joint venture lasted less than a year, Loudoun abandoned them and submitted again for ECNL. Without FCV to blackball them, they were immediately accepted. When the DA imploded, FCV attempted to rejoin ECNL but were denied, due to bad blood over their departure. They then became a founding member of the GA.

Their success in placing players at the next level was due to the sheer effort of one person to promote the heck out of his girls. The level of support their players got in recruitment was second to none, again because their for-profit model depended on it. But they were never heads-and-shoulder above the local ECNL teams during the rare times they had matches. Very good, but by no means dominant and definitely not the undisputed best.


Disagree and I have seen those matches...They were much more technical and had much better ball handing skills hands down. Love or hate FCV, there is a reason why this forum continues to talk about their positives and negatives.


They had a reputation for technical skill that enabled ball possession and controlled ball progression without the heavy dependency on individual player physicality (size, strength, speed) so prevalent in the US. With the club all but gone now, who else in the DMV at least tries to play that way?
Anonymous
Post 02/20/2024 20:33     Subject: Why doesn't FCV move to ECNL?
Anonymous wrote:FCV was an early member of ECNL, when member clubs held single-vote blackball privileges to keep out new applicants. For years they protected their turf well, successfully spiking Loudoun’s annual bid and poaching their top players who aspired to play at the next level. As a for-profit venture, this played well with their business model. But when the DA was announced, Loudoun was awarded that bid. In order to hop on that bandwagon, FCV formed a strategic partnership with Loudoun for the DA and left ECNL, burning many bridges in the process. The joint venture lasted less than a year, Loudoun abandoned them and submitted again for ECNL. Without FCV to blackball them, they were immediately accepted. When the DA imploded, FCV attempted to rejoin ECNL but were denied, due to bad blood over their departure. They then became a founding member of the GA.

Their success in placing players at the next level was due to the sheer effort of one person to promote the heck out of his girls. The level of support their players got in recruitment was second to none, again because their for-profit model depended on it. But they were never heads-and-shoulder above the local ECNL teams during the rare times they had matches. Very good, but by no means dominant and definitely not the undisputed best.


Disagree and I have seen those matches...They were much more technical and had much better ball handing skills hands down. Love or hate FCV, there is a reason why this forum continues to talk about their positives and negatives.
Anonymous
Post 02/20/2024 18:03     Subject: Why doesn't FCV move to ECNL?
And for years they likely made money but didn't take it and reinvest into an actual home in Loudoun. And here we are now...
Anonymous
Post 02/20/2024 16:38     Subject: Why doesn't FCV move to ECNL?
Anonymous wrote:FCV was an early member of ECNL, when member clubs held single-vote blackball privileges to keep out new applicants. For years they protected their turf well, successfully spiking Loudoun’s annual bid and poaching their top players who aspired to play at the next level. As a for-profit venture, this played well with their business model. But when the DA was announced, Loudoun was awarded that bid. In order to hop on that bandwagon, FCV formed a strategic partnership with Loudoun for the DA and left ECNL, burning many bridges in the process. The joint venture lasted less than a year, Loudoun abandoned them and submitted again for ECNL. Without FCV to blackball them, they were immediately accepted. When the DA imploded, FCV attempted to rejoin ECNL but were denied, due to bad blood over their departure. They then became a founding member of the GA.

Their success in placing players at the next level was due to the sheer effort of one person to promote the heck out of his girls. The level of support their players got in recruitment was second to none, again because their for-profit model depended on it. But they were never heads-and-shoulder above the local ECNL teams during the rare times they had matches. Very good, but by no means dominant and definitely not the undisputed best.


I’m a fan of what FCV accomplished and how they accomplished it over the last decade, but I just don’t see how any of that history matters going forward. You can debate how much of the success was due to CC and how much was BP (in the 5 years since he joined the club), but the reality is that some combination of those two guys made FCV was it was. Now they’re both gone, along with MJ (the 3rd GA coach) and ED (pre-GA), and whatever what is left may be or may become, it is not FCV. Maybe CC, MJ, and ED can rebuild the old FCV at VRSC, but it will take time.
Anonymous
Post 02/20/2024 16:35     Subject: Why doesn't FCV move to ECNL?
Anonymous wrote:FCV was an early member of ECNL, when member clubs held single-vote blackball privileges to keep out new applicants. For years they protected their turf well, successfully spiking Loudoun’s annual bid and poaching their top players who aspired to play at the next level. As a for-profit venture, this played well with their business model. But when the DA was announced, Loudoun was awarded that bid. In order to hop on that bandwagon, FCV formed a strategic partnership with Loudoun for the DA and left ECNL, burning many bridges in the process. The joint venture lasted less than a year, Loudoun abandoned them and submitted again for ECNL. Without FCV to blackball them, they were immediately accepted. When the DA imploded, FCV attempted to rejoin ECNL but were denied, due to bad blood over their departure. They then became a founding member of the GA.

Their success in placing players at the next level was due to the sheer effort of one person to promote the heck out of his girls. The level of support their players got in recruitment was second to none, again because their for-profit model depended on it. But they were never heads-and-shoulder above the local ECNL teams during the rare times they had matches. Very good, but by no means dominant and definitely not the undisputed best.


Shot themselves in the foot. Confirmed.
Anonymous
Post 02/20/2024 16:33     Subject: Why doesn't FCV move to ECNL?
This checks out. CONFIRMED ✅
Anonymous
Post 02/20/2024 16:27     Subject: Why doesn't FCV move to ECNL?
FCV was an early member of ECNL, when member clubs held single-vote blackball privileges to keep out new applicants. For years they protected their turf well, successfully spiking Loudoun’s annual bid and poaching their top players who aspired to play at the next level. As a for-profit venture, this played well with their business model. But when the DA was announced, Loudoun was awarded that bid. In order to hop on that bandwagon, FCV formed a strategic partnership with Loudoun for the DA and left ECNL, burning many bridges in the process. The joint venture lasted less than a year, Loudoun abandoned them and submitted again for ECNL. Without FCV to blackball them, they were immediately accepted. When the DA imploded, FCV attempted to rejoin ECNL but were denied, due to bad blood over their departure. They then became a founding member of the GA.

Their success in placing players at the next level was due to the sheer effort of one person to promote the heck out of his girls. The level of support their players got in recruitment was second to none, again because their for-profit model depended on it. But they were never heads-and-shoulder above the local ECNL teams during the rare times they had matches. Very good, but by no means dominant and definitely not the undisputed best.
Anonymous
Post 02/17/2024 15:18     Subject: Why doesn't FCV move to ECNL?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:ECNL coaches and parents are crazy!

They love posting nonsense about ECNL on this forum.

CONFIRMED


OP, My kid isn't affiliated with an ECNL or a GA club. Trying to understand why a club with FCV's success would remain with GA.


I'm not with the club, but I think they found great success in GA. Despite the impression that GA is beneath ECNL, I don't think that matters when the club has (or had) YNT placement with BP and CC's YNT scouting connections. Additionally, their college placement program was very successful.

So, I think it's a don't rock the boat kind of a scenario. But with the recent changes afoot, who knows if the club will find those same successes.
Anonymous
Post 02/17/2024 12:41     Subject: Why doesn't FCV move to ECNL?
Anonymous wrote:I didn’t think their boys side was strong? We went to a boys tryout and were not impressed at all.


It's not strong. That's been the problem with how this landscape is. The clubs with the connection to the strongest boys league in MLSN are often locked out of access to the ECNL Girls programs unless you're a select few clubs. Because there's a line drawn as far as that goes, the questions remain what the future will hold for everybody and who will gain ground on the opposite side. Can clubs that have MLS Next grow the GA side? Or can ECNL eat into MLSN boys market? Or maybe both ways will just continue to co-exist.

Regardless of how people feel about the GA. The platform has provided exposure for players and they've gotten to the next level whether that's college, pro, or national teams. Maybe not at the same percentage as ECNL but their contribution each year seems to grow slowly.
Anonymous
Post 02/17/2024 11:42     Subject: Why doesn't FCV move to ECNL?
I didn’t think their boys side was strong? We went to a boys tryout and were not impressed at all.
Anonymous
Post 02/17/2024 11:40     Subject: Why doesn't FCV move to ECNL?
Anonymous wrote:ECNL coaches and parents are crazy!

They love posting nonsense about ECNL on this forum.

CONFIRMED


OP, My kid isn't affiliated with an ECNL or a GA club. Trying to understand why a club with FCV's success would remain with GA.
Anonymous
Post 02/17/2024 10:24     Subject: Why doesn't FCV move to ECNL?
The roledex responsible for those placements and id sessions is now at vda

Confirmed



Also they are homeless in regards to fields

Double confirmed
Anonymous
Post 02/17/2024 10:23     Subject: Why doesn't FCV move to ECNL?
FCV burned that bridge years ago when TF/ CC moved the club to GA. I wonder if they would make that decision again in hindsight?
Anonymous
Post 02/17/2024 10:20     Subject: Why doesn't FCV move to ECNL?
ECNL coaches and parents are crazy!

They love posting nonsense about ECNL on this forum.

CONFIRMED
Anonymous
Post 02/17/2024 10:12     Subject: Why doesn't FCV move to ECNL?
FCV has a great program with a great track record of college and YNT placement. Given the strength of the program, why do they remain in the GA. It seems like they are a much better program than the PA club that was just approved. FCV is closer to CO Rush and Nationals in terms of quality (college and YNT placement and on-the-field success).