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Anonymous wrote: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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

Will MLS Next be tiered? That was the initial plan?

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Anonymous wrote: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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

I see a lot of misinformation from parents obviously outside MLS Next on here, and I don't know if it is intentional or not, but it is misinformation.

I think what you are actually seeing is information from DCU parents, which you may not have realized.

First, multiple MLS academies have all age groups. Philadelphia Union and Red Bulls are playing U13s from Alexandria, SYC, Achilles, etc.

This is misinformation if you like. Yes PU and NYRB have younger teams, but they do not have U16 or U19 teams for example.

Second, the U15 MLS Academy teams are playing non-MLS Academy teams. So they are not playing only other MLS Academies.

No - but they are playing a schedule which is much more weighted to playing games against other MLS academies and fewer against MLS Next teams than was the case in the old DA. For example DCU have already played Charlotte, Atlanta, Orlando, NYRB and Nashville, and will play NYCFC, PU, Toronto, and NE Revolution before the end of November.

Third, nobody said MLS Academies are better than all other clubs.

Yes actually they did.

There are certainly some MLS Next clubs in certain age groups that will be competitive You see that in this area.

There are both MLS Next and ECNL clubs which can play competitively against DCU at every age group in this, and other areas.

However I also think there is some confusion between the competitiveness of a team and the talent level of the kids on that team. In general (perhaps always) the MLS academies have more talented kids on their rosters than other clubs in their area. However, although there is a strong correlation between the talent of the players and the competitiveness of the team, there are other factors too so that doesn't always mean that their teams perform better - especially in an area such as ours where there is a large population and a lot of interest in soccer as a sport, and therefore the talent pool runs deep.

But club-wide, the talent gap will tend to be significant.

Within a geographic area this is true. But some MLS academies in other areas struggle to get the talent from their local population pool which is why more of them are starting to operate residency programs. In some cases the talent level on some of these clubs is not dissimilar to better local MLS next/ECNL teams and kids who don't get a call from DCU are able to get offers from them.

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Anonymous wrote: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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

I see a lot of misinformation from parents obviously outside MLS Next on here, and I don't know if it is intentional or not, but it is misinformation.

First, multiple MLS academies have all age groups. Philadelphia Union and Red Bulls are playing U13s from Alexandria, SYC, Achilles, etc.

Second, the U15 MLS Academy teams are playing non-MLS Academy teams. So they are not playing only other MLS Academies.

Third, nobody said MLS Academies are better than all other clubs. There are certainly some MLS Next clubs in certain age groups that will be competitive You see that in this area. But club-wide, the talent gap will tend to be significant.

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Anonymous wrote: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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

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.

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.

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.

Anonymous wrote:Local ENCL clubs have relatively the same level of talent as MLS clubs, including DCU.

The talent level at DCU is definitely higher than other MLS Next or ECNL clubs - most of the best kids end up there by U16 or U17. I would say DCU has 7 or 8 out of the top 10 players in the area in any age group. There is a fair bit of overlap between the stronger kids at MLS Next/ECNL clubs and the lower half of DCU's rosters though.

However, the general exposure to college coaches is greater at an MLS club because of the MLS Showcases.

ECNL has showcases too, and coaches from the top colleges attend them too. I think this is pretty much a wash, as soccer recuiting is driven more by the kid indicating an interest than coaches targeting kids from the other side of the country.

DCU exposure is even greater than a non-pro MLS club for not only college but also US Soccer ID camps and pro play.

Agreed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

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.

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.

Local ENCL clubs have relatively the same level of talent as MLS clubs, including DCU. However, the general exposure to college coaches is greater at an MLS club because of the MLS Showcases. DCU exposure is even greater than a non-pro MLS club for not only college but also US Soccer ID camps and pro play.

Anonymous wrote: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.

In this area, both Baltimore, Arlington and Richmond have all played DCU pretty even over many years now. And DCU, while weaker than NYRB and PU, is not an especially weak MLS academy. PDA could also claim to be competitive with MLS academies as could NCFC.

Anonymous wrote: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.

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.