Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are the realistic expectations of teams going?

Well, if you are an ECNL team, you will be grouped with teams that have a similar record (more or less). It tends to decrease blowouts and makes for more competitive games. Our ECNL team is middle of the pack, we have historically played other middle of the pack teams and the competitition is good.

Is your ECNL team built or have had the competition to win. You can get good competition at Jeff Cup. Question is, with the teams going to California do they have a real chance of winning the entire thing? Alot of $$ to be spent going cross country for competition.

The goal is recruiting not winning. Nice to win but not the main reason for going. At younger ages maybe but all recruiting at high school ages. D1s are tracking and watching Freshman and Sophomores that get on their radar and they talk to team coaches. So all of those years can be important. There is little relationship to winning and recruiting.

Interesting take. But end of the day, limited D1 coaches, would they target the teams that have better chance of making it back to Richmond?

They do not target teams but players. All 4 teams going to Richmond have what in total -- 80 player -- maybe less. Of the 80 there will be some not good enough for D1 even on a championship team and those that are not interested in D1. Let's say that's only 20 -- so 60 girls. There are 68 Power 4 schools, plus Ivys, plus non-power $ that are top programs. More than 100 in total. So that is 100 schools looking for 4 girls each at least --- so those schools are looking for 400 girls -- only 60 of which are in Richmond --- with not all of the 60 being top D1 talent. Girls cannot go to multiple places.

Winning does not hurt. Getting to Richmond helps. But there are at least a couple/few Power 4 and other top soccer college commits for almost every ECNL club.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How crazy would it be if VDA 09s win ECNL and VRSC 09s win GA? That's what I'm routing for!!!
Along with FVU 10s and Arlington 11s. VDA 08s have a chance too.

FVU 10s were in a 3 way tie to win the MA. CSA and VDA have just as good of a chance. Not a very good one.

Watch out for this guy with these honest comments: This topic has been pretty chill and supportive. Take the negative energy elsewhere.

Anonymous wrote:How crazy would it be if VDA 09s win ECNL and VRSC 09s win GA? That's what I'm routing for!!!
Along with FVU 10s and Arlington 11s. VDA 08s have a chance too.

FVU 10s were in a 3 way tie to win the MA. CSA and VDA have just as good of a chance. Not a very good one.

How crazy would it be if VDA 09s win ECNL and VRSC 09s win GA? That's what I'm routing for!!!
Along with FVU 10s and Arlington 11s. VDA 08s have a chance too.

Anonymous wrote:I expect to spend a few thousand dollars to travel to California and watch my kid play 3 soccer games.

If youre looking for more games have your club reach out to City SC. Their fieds are 20 min north of the Polo fields + they do friendlies with ECNL clubs all the time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I expect to spend a few thousand dollars to travel to California and watch my kid play 3 soccer games.

I just did flight, hotel, and car for two... 1.5k

Not cheap, but much better than I thought it would be.

That is better than i thought. Good deal. You should share with group airline, hotel, etc...

I bundled with americanforces.com ... outta luck if you aren't a service member, but there are other services out there that would yield similar results I think.

I was not picky with hotels, rental car, etc... I'm happy with it right now, we'll see how I feel when I am out there driving a fiesta (or the like) hahaha

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are the realistic expectations of teams going?

Well, if you are an ECNL team, you will be grouped with teams that have a similar record (more or less). It tends to decrease blowouts and makes for more competitive games. Our ECNL team is middle of the pack, we have historically played other middle of the pack teams and the competitition is good.

Is your ECNL team built or have had the competition to win. You can get good competition at Jeff Cup. Question is, with the teams going to California do they have a real chance of winning the entire thing? Alot of $$ to be spent going cross country for competition.

The goal is recruiting not winning. Nice to win but not the main reason for going. At younger ages maybe but all recruiting at high school ages. D1s are tracking and watching Freshman and Sophomores that get on their radar and they talk to team coaches. So all of those years can be important. There is little relationship to winning and recruiting.

I would agree and say that is true, but playing on a winning team certainly helps. I know coaches don't track teams, they track players and they will go watch who they want to watch, but being a winning team and playing other strong teams, especially in showcases, helps draw coaches to the field. It will be interesting to see who shows up at the playoffs, especially since for the sophomores, it's past the June 15 blackout date, so they can be approached directly now by the college coaches rather than through their club coach.

Good luck to everyone who is heading to San Diego.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are the realistic expectations of teams going?

Well, if you are an ECNL team, you will be grouped with teams that have a similar record (more or less). It tends to decrease blowouts and makes for more competitive games. Our ECNL team is middle of the pack, we have historically played other middle of the pack teams and the competitition is good.

Is your ECNL team built or have had the competition to win. You can get good competition at Jeff Cup. Question is, with the teams going to California do they have a real chance of winning the entire thing? Alot of $$ to be spent going cross country for competition.

The goal is recruiting not winning. Nice to win but not the main reason for going. At younger ages maybe but all recruiting at high school ages. D1s are tracking and watching Freshman and Sophomores that get on their radar and they talk to team coaches. So all of those years can be important. There is little relationship to winning and recruiting.

Interesting take. But end of the day, limited D1 coaches, would they target the teams that have better chance of making it back to Richmond?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I expect to spend a few thousand dollars to travel to California and watch my kid play 3 soccer games.

I just did flight, hotel, and car for two... 1.5k

Not cheap, but much better than I thought it would be.

That is better than i thought. Good deal. You should share with group airline, hotel, etc...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are the realistic expectations of teams going?

Well, if you are an ECNL team, you will be grouped with teams that have a similar record (more or less). It tends to decrease blowouts and makes for more competitive games. Our ECNL team is middle of the pack, we have historically played other middle of the pack teams and the competitition is good.

Is your ECNL team built or have had the competition to win. You can get good competition at Jeff Cup. Question is, with the teams going to California do they have a real chance of winning the entire thing? Alot of $$ to be spent going cross country for competition.

The goal is recruiting not winning. Nice to win but not the main reason for going. At younger ages maybe but all recruiting at high school ages. D1s are tracking and watching Freshman and Sophomores that get on their radar and they talk to team coaches. So all of those years can be important. There is little relationship to winning and recruiting.

Anonymous wrote:I expect to spend a few thousand dollars to travel to California and watch my kid play 3 soccer games.

I just did flight, hotel, and car for two... 1.5k

Not cheap, but much better than I thought it would be.

I expect to spend a few thousand dollars to travel to California and watch my kid play 3 soccer games.

Anonymous wrote:Last year out of NA and MA that made round of 16 were:

2011 - CSA, Richmond
2009 - VDA
2008 - PDA Blue, Penn Fusion

last year the 2009 penn fusion and Pda blue made it to elite 8. NA is much stronger than MA.

2009 VDA team is very solid and has a chance to come back to Richmond and play in the Final 8.

2009 Richmond team is solid and could make a run if matchups work in their favor.

2012 Richmond squad is also very good.

Agree about 2010 Bethesda as well.

Penn Fusion has some solid groups as well along with PDA.

But, of course, expect the Final 8 to be highly filled with TX and CA based teams with a few stragglers sprinkled in.