Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any boys ECNL club would join MLS next if they could.

Any Girls GA club would join the ECNL if they could.

This is a fact. Respected clubs and talented players want to go where the best competition and highest level of achievement is.

What would happen if NWSL created NWSL Next?

NWSL has 14 teams less than half what the MLS has. Multiple NWSL “academy” clubs are already playing in the ECNL. To mixed results. While the number of direct from club NWSL players has increased its still a “from” college draft and invite league.

Financials are very different for NWSL teams than MLS. VERY different. 18 months ago the league and multiple teams were very concerned with finances from the loss of their single albeit largest sponsor.

The chances of the NWSL investing in true academies is slim. The chances of them doing so by joining in one way or another a quickly diminishing 2nd league even less so. And why would they want to spend money when the ECNL has already given them everything they need.

The ECNL is the pipeline for College, NWSL, Natl. team invites etc…. You can certainly get there taking other routes but the most consistent route is the ECNL. Facts are facts even if you don’t want to hear them. My grandpa always said if you have your head in the sand, it’s your a** that’s showing.

I think eventually ECNL will annoy MLS and NWSL and US Soccer enough to start playing hardball.

They have all kinds of levers to pull just need to get everything lined up (which they appear to be doing) before making a move.

No they don't. ECNL is a college pipeline. The consumers are parents and college soccer coaches. NWSL and US Soccer do not even live on the same planet. Now if you piss off rich parents and college coaches you could get in trouble but they know what they are doing.

Shut up loudmouth.

MLS Next literally exists just so MLS can control the player pool.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any boys ECNL club would join MLS next if they could.

Any Girls GA club would join the ECNL if they could.

This is a fact. Respected clubs and talented players want to go where the best competition and highest level of achievement is.

What would happen if NWSL created NWSL Next?

NWSL has 14 teams less than half what the MLS has. Multiple NWSL “academy” clubs are already playing in the ECNL. To mixed results. While the number of direct from club NWSL players has increased its still a “from” college draft and invite league.

Financials are very different for NWSL teams than MLS. VERY different. 18 months ago the league and multiple teams were very concerned with finances from the loss of their single albeit largest sponsor.

The chances of the NWSL investing in true academies is slim. The chances of them doing so by joining in one way or another a quickly diminishing 2nd league even less so. And why would they want to spend money when the ECNL has already given them everything they need.

The ECNL is the pipeline for College, NWSL, Natl. team invites etc…. You can certainly get there taking other routes but the most consistent route is the ECNL. Facts are facts even if you don’t want to hear them. My grandpa always said if you have your head in the sand, it’s your a** that’s showing.

I think eventually ECNL will annoy MLS and NWSL and US Soccer enough to start playing hardball.

They have all kinds of levers to pull just need to get everything lined up (which they appear to be doing) before making a move.

No they don't. ECNL is a college pipeline. The consumers are parents and college soccer coaches. NWSL and US Soccer do not even live on the same planet. Now if you piss off rich parents and college coaches you could get in trouble but they know what they are doing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any boys ECNL club would join MLS next if they could.

Any Girls GA club would join the ECNL if they could.

This is a fact. Respected clubs and talented players want to go where the best competition and highest level of achievement is.

What would happen if NWSL created NWSL Next?

NWSL has 14 teams less than half what the MLS has. Multiple NWSL “academy” clubs are already playing in the ECNL. To mixed results. While the number of direct from club NWSL players has increased its still a “from” college draft and invite league.

Financials are very different for NWSL teams than MLS. VERY different. 18 months ago the league and multiple teams were very concerned with finances from the loss of their single albeit largest sponsor.

The chances of the NWSL investing in true academies is slim. The chances of them doing so by joining in one way or another a quickly diminishing 2nd league even less so. And why would they want to spend money when the ECNL has already given them everything they need.

The ECNL is the pipeline for College, NWSL, Natl. team invites etc…. You can certainly get there taking other routes but the most consistent route is the ECNL. Facts are facts even if you don’t want to hear them. My grandpa always said if you have your head in the sand, it’s your a** that’s showing.

I think eventually ECNL will annoy MLS and NWSL and US Soccer enough to start playing hardball.

They have all kinds of levers to pull just need to get everything lined up (which they appear to be doing) before making a move.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the ECNL doing that would possibly annoy the NWSL? They are giving them players best prepared for both college and their league. Over 70% of all D1 commits are ECNL and over 80% of NWSL 1st round picks were ECNL.

I get wanting to see the thing you dislike for whatever reason fail. But the ECNL has already proven their youth platform is bigger than USYS and US Soccer. The little guy in both cases came out on top and the league just keeps getting better. Sans a couple of cupcakes taken here and there it remains the best overall competition. 3 months into DA competition clubs were jumping back to the ECNL, after 3 months of GA competition (or lack of it) the better clubs were clamoring for entrance.

The NWSL isn’t getting tired of the ECNL anytime soon. You can hope for it all you want and even if they did it would be next to impossible to create a better platform for the NWSL or women’s soccer than the ECNL. It’s not perfect but for what club soccer and College soccer is in the US it’s pretty close. And U.S. Women’s soccer for all the wanna be “futbol” purists out there is still the best. Not to mention many of the best players on other national teams are playing ECNL and College soccer here in the states.

Annoy because youth clubs are grouping up to get what they want.

Pro clubs want to control their own destiny and talent pool.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Boys side of ECNL will never collapse. MLS Next is important but ECNL Boys will never collapse because there 3x the amount of boys than girls who want to play in a "elite league" and are willing to dish out the money to feel like it. The reality is, not many boys are getting recruited out of US to play D1 anyways, so basically any boys "elite" league will probably be fine.

Truth there. Look at West Virginia (they're localish), they lost in the semi finals most of their roster is filled with international players: Australia, Japan, England, Finland, Spain, Germany - the list goes on.

And there are a lot of ECNL boys teams/clubs with interest in joining mls next

Anonymous wrote:What is the ECNL doing that would possibly annoy the NWSL? They are giving them players best prepared for both college and their league. Over 70% of all D1 commits are ECNL and over 80% of NWSL 1st round picks were ECNL.

I get wanting to see the thing you dislike for whatever reason fail. But the ECNL has already proven their youth platform is bigger than USYS and US Soccer. The little guy in both cases came out on top and the league just keeps getting better. Sans a couple of cupcakes taken here and there it remains the best overall competition. 3 months into DA competition clubs were jumping back to the ECNL, after 3 months of GA competition (or lack of it) the better clubs were clamoring for entrance.

The NWSL isn’t getting tired of the ECNL anytime soon. You can hope for it all you want and even if they did it would be next to impossible to create a better platform for the NWSL or women’s soccer than the ECNL. It’s not perfect but for what club soccer and College soccer is in the US it’s pretty close. And U.S. Women’s soccer for all the wanna be “futbol” purists out there is still the best. Not to mention many of the best players on other national teams are playing ECNL and College soccer here in the states.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any boys ECNL club would join MLS next if they could.

Any Girls GA club would join the ECNL if they could.

This is a fact. Respected clubs and talented players want to go where the best competition and highest level of achievement is.

What would happen if NWSL created NWSL Next?

NWSL has 14 teams less than half what the MLS has. Multiple NWSL “academy” clubs are already playing in the ECNL. To mixed results. While the number of direct from club NWSL players has increased its still a “from” college draft and invite league.

Financials are very different for NWSL teams than MLS. VERY different. 18 months ago the league and multiple teams were very concerned with finances from the loss of their single albeit largest sponsor.

The chances of the NWSL investing in true academies is slim. The chances of them doing so by joining in one way or another a quickly diminishing 2nd league even less so. And why would they want to spend money when the ECNL has already given them everything they need.

The ECNL is the pipeline for College, NWSL, Natl. team invites etc…. You can certainly get there taking other routes but the most consistent route is the ECNL. Facts are facts even if you don’t want to hear them. My grandpa always said if you have your head in the sand, it’s your a** that’s showing.