Anonymous
Post 11/14/2025 23:16     Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don’t think MLS Next truly wants to move to SY. However, they could not effectively communicate and execute their scouting weekend so not really sure why they would willingly choose to be an outlier. They would not be the first entity to lack self awareness.

Moving to SY puts their clubs at a slight disadvantage for the GA Cup as they would have to play up against international competition but I think staying BY would be a logistical nightmare with all feeder leagues, even with Homegrown clubs, being SY.

Just so you know. It goes...

1. MLS Pro
2. MLS Next Homegrown
3. MLS Next Academy
4. MLS p2p (whatever they're going to call it)

If anything it would be the MLS p2p clubs that might switch to SY. Which would make MLS p2p a direct competitor to ECNL. Maintaining two differnet age groupings isnt that difficult if you own the entire

funnel. Also If homegrown and Academy stayed BY every game against MLS p2p would be like playjng up 6 months which wouldn't be that bad.


Hey, believe me, you don’t know what you are talking about. Your post shows you are ignorant about MLS Next tier.

Anonymous
Post 11/14/2025 22:25     Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Luis said that "England is the only country that does that" in reference to a 9/1-8/31 eligibility window. Then he listed 4-5 countries that didnt do 9/1-8/31 implying that they were all BY 1/1-12/31.


I think there is some danger in making decisions just because most of Europe, the world, whatever, does it that way. Just because they do doesn’t mean it’s best for US soccer. Clearly for MOST of US soccer, 8/1 is the better fit. We’re not Europe and it’s not an age cutoff that’s keeping us from being Europe.

The same type of thing has happened in Brazil over the last decade or two. They’ve been influenced too much by the European style of play and have gotten away from doing what they do best and what makes Brazil… Brazil.

Ideally the US Soccer Federation should be making decisions regarding what is best for soccer in the US and our unique circumstances. I guess that ship has sailed with this issue.

You should listen to the podcast.

Luis actually agreed that when players are younger seemed to be around 8 that playing with your grade made sense.

But he said once players are older u13 and above that NLS Next is looking for the best ways to develop the best possible pro level talent. Because of this it was implied that playing with your grade in school wasnt important. Which I agree with. Top club teams roster players from all over. If you're not in the same school why does being in the same grade matter.


I’ve listened to the podcast and this is an incredibly simplistic argument that misses the point of the current decision.

Very few kids playing at a high level are playing with classmates, that true for ecnl/GA too and not specific to mlsnext. For those living outside of a major metro area, that starts very young. Neither of my kids have ever played with a classmate. The only reason this guys daughter plays with classmates is because they live in the NY market.

The entire youth soccer system in the US is shifting to 8/1. The reasons for the switch aren’t important and don’t really apply to mlsnext. No one is arguing otherwise. What mlsnext has to decide is how they are going to function in a landscape that is entirely 8/1 and if it makes most financial sense to switch to 8/1 or if they can come up with a plan that makes it feasible to stay 1/1.


Agree but these people that run leagues like to portend it is not about money at all when it really has to be at the end of the day. So yes 8/1 is the only answer.
Anonymous
Post 11/14/2025 20:18     Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2
Podcast almost certainly was recorded in late June 2025:

1. Luis states quality of play has been in effect for 2 to 3 months (quality of play started early April)
2. They were all excited about MLS Cup as if it just happened
3. Luis says "as we look to 25 26 we need to look at playing time"

So this podcast about 500 pages behind this thread
Anonymous
Post 11/14/2025 19:53     Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Luis said that "England is the only country that does that" in reference to a 9/1-8/31 eligibility window. Then he listed 4-5 countries that didnt do 9/1-8/31 implying that they were all BY 1/1-12/31.


I think there is some danger in making decisions just because most of Europe, the world, whatever, does it that way. Just because they do doesn’t mean it’s best for US soccer. Clearly for MOST of US soccer, 8/1 is the better fit. We’re not Europe and it’s not an age cutoff that’s keeping us from being Europe.

The same type of thing has happened in Brazil over the last decade or two. They’ve been influenced too much by the European style of play and have gotten away from doing what they do best and what makes Brazil… Brazil.

Ideally the US Soccer Federation should be making decisions regarding what is best for soccer in the US and our unique circumstances. I guess that ship has sailed with this issue.

You should listen to the podcast.

Luis actually agreed that when players are younger seemed to be around 8 that playing with your grade made sense.

But he said once players are older u13 and above that NLS Next is looking for the best ways to develop the best possible pro level talent. Because of this it was implied that playing with your grade in school wasnt important. Which I agree with. Top club teams roster players from all over. If you're not in the same school why does being in the same grade matter.


I’ve listened to the podcast and this is an incredibly simplistic argument that misses the point of the current decision.

Very few kids playing at a high level are playing with classmates, that true for ecnl/GA too and not specific to mlsnext. For those living outside of a major metro area, that starts very young. Neither of my kids have ever played with a classmate. The only reason this guys daughter plays with classmates is because they live in the NY market.

The entire youth soccer system in the US is shifting to 8/1. The reasons for the switch aren’t important and don’t really apply to mlsnext. No one is arguing otherwise. What mlsnext has to decide is how they are going to function in a landscape that is entirely 8/1 and if it makes most financial sense to switch to 8/1 or if they can come up with a plan that makes it feasible to stay 1/1.
Anonymous
Post 11/14/2025 19:22     Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2
Anonymous wrote:I don’t think MLS Next truly wants to move to SY. However, they could not effectively communicate and execute their scouting weekend so not really sure why they would willingly choose to be an outlier. They would not be the first entity to lack self awareness.

Moving to SY puts their clubs at a slight disadvantage for the GA Cup as they would have to play up against international competition but I think staying BY would be a logistical nightmare with all feeder leagues, even with Homegrown clubs, being SY.



Yes for sure, MLSN would take a hit forcing the transition to BY for the 11-12 year olds. Those teams will be mostly be Aug through December kids primed and expecting to continue being on top teams. A switch to birth year cutoff would force a decision for them to switch sports or switch to ECNL . ECNL wins no doubt if MLSN stays BY. MLSN might get the Jan to Jul kids that played in ECNL clubs in younger years but they won’t be as strong or deep of a cohort on average.
Anonymous
Post 11/14/2025 19:16     Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don’t think MLS Next truly wants to move to SY. However, they could not effectively communicate and execute their scouting weekend so not really sure why they would willingly choose to be an outlier. They would not be the first entity to lack self awareness.

Moving to SY puts their clubs at a slight disadvantage for the GA Cup as they would have to play up against international competition but I think staying BY would be a logistical nightmare with all feeder leagues, even with Homegrown clubs, being SY.

Just so you know. It goes...

1. MLS Pro
2. MLS Next Homegrown
3. MLS Next Academy
4. MLS p2p (whatever they're going to call it)

If anything it would be the MLS p2p clubs that might switch to SY. Which would make MLS p2p a direct competitor to ECNL. Maintaining two differnet age groupings isnt that difficult if you own the entire funnel. Also If homegrown and Academy stayed BY every game against MLS p2p would be like playjng up 6 months which wouldn't be that bad.


What are you talking about? MLS Pro is the league for MLS second teams, it has no age group. Are you confusing this with MLS academies?

MLS academies play in the mlsnext homegrown division with other p2p (pay to play) clubs.

Finally, there is the mlsnext academy division which is also made up of p2p clubs.


This would be correct