Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look, if your son or daughter is not in the top 10 players in your ENTIRE STATE in their age group, forget about it.

The #6-#10 players in the state have an outside shot but no guarantees. #1-#5 are where any ussf scouts actually take note.

Who decides the #1-#10 player your team coach?

Anonymous wrote:Look, if your son or daughter is not in the top 10 players in your ENTIRE STATE in their age group, forget about it.

The #6-#10 players in the state have an outside shot but no guarantees. #1-#5 are where any ussf scouts actually take note.

Anonymous wrote:Look, if your son or daughter is not in the top 10 players in your ENTIRE STATE in their age group, forget about it.

The #6-#10 players in the state have an outside shot but no guarantees. #1-#5 are where any ussf scouts actually take note.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:unless you are just a true baller and can put a hurting on the top kids from ECNL/GA clubs in the top bracket at JefCup, CASL or Bethesda Cup.

This is almost impossible even if you are "a true baller". One kid, no matter how talented, cannot operate outside the constraints of his team. The best striker in the world does not win a game unless his teammates can deliver him the ball.

Exactly—sums up Jody Altidore’s career with USMNT

Altidore is the best striker in the world? I assume you’re being tongue in cheek?

As far as a true baller, I do think at younger ages, and the fact that soccer is such a low scoring sport, that a kid that has a knack for beating defenders and scoring can make a big difference.

Yes - up to say U10 a single player can take over a game, and even older than this at lower levels of play. BUT the poster here is not talking about those ages since he is referring to YNT, ECNL/GA, JefCup etc. all of which imply older age groups. At those ages, the best player in the state on a medicore team is not going to accomplish much. And - as the best player he is likely to be playing in a position where he may well even not get noticed if his teammates cannot get him the ball.

Hmmm... you think France ever wins a World Cup without Zidane or Mbappe? You think Spain wins without Iniesta? You think Argentina wins without Maradonna? Barca without Messi? Madrid without Ronaldo? Time after time, a great player lifts their team over the edge. Clearly they can’t do it alone, but a great player makes the difference at the very top of the sport. Always.

Get back to us when the US gets a Zidane, Mbappe, Iniesta, Maradonna, Messi, or Ronaldo.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:unless you are just a true baller and can put a hurting on the top kids from ECNL/GA clubs in the top bracket at JefCup, CASL or Bethesda Cup.

This is almost impossible even if you are "a true baller". One kid, no matter how talented, cannot operate outside the constraints of his team. The best striker in the world does not win a game unless his teammates can deliver him the ball.

Exactly—sums up Jody Altidore’s career with USMNT

Altidore is the best striker in the world? I assume you’re being tongue in cheek?

As far as a true baller, I do think at younger ages, and the fact that soccer is such a low scoring sport, that a kid that has a knack for beating defenders and scoring can make a big difference.

Yes - up to say U10 a single player can take over a game, and even older than this at lower levels of play. BUT the poster here is not talking about those ages since he is referring to YNT, ECNL/GA, JefCup etc. all of which imply older age groups. At those ages, the best player in the state on a medicore team is not going to accomplish much. And - as the best player he is likely to be playing in a position where he may well even not get noticed if his teammates cannot get him the ball.

Most technically sound players should be at CDM and CBs. I'm not saying best goal scorer. I'm saying best footballers keeping control. CB's and CDM's, even to the #8 will be on the ball a lot and are tasked with making the most correct decisions with the ball. The further up the field the more the players can create and not always make the "correct" pass.. If you are playing with weak wingers which is common in youth footballl, then you need those back players feeding the ball more to the front players.

I agree that you cannot hide a technically weak player at CDM or CB. I also agree that weak players do the least damage when played on the wing. That said I would typically expect to see the most technical player playing the attacking midfield position because that is the midfielder who usually has to operate in the least space, and is tasked with drawing defenders and/or passes that need to be accurate enough to unlock the defense.

I also think decision-making and technical skill are two different things and your point regarding "correct" passes is really a point about decision-making, not technical ability. Further up the field the riskier pass is more often the "correct" pass even though it sometimes goes wrong. But - just because the cost of failure is not immediate doesn't mean you can player a weaker player in the attacking midfield position. You want your best passer in that spot because you want to maximize the number of completions so you score goals.

And a good attacking mid playing on a team which is significantly weaker than the opponent likely won't see enough of the ball to change the resuklt of the game.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:unless you are just a true baller and can put a hurting on the top kids from ECNL/GA clubs in the top bracket at JefCup, CASL or Bethesda Cup.

This is almost impossible even if you are "a true baller". One kid, no matter how talented, cannot operate outside the constraints of his team. The best striker in the world does not win a game unless his teammates can deliver him the ball.

Exactly—sums up Jody Altidore’s career with USMNT

Altidore is the best striker in the world? I assume you’re being tongue in cheek?

As far as a true baller, I do think at younger ages, and the fact that soccer is such a low scoring sport, that a kid that has a knack for beating defenders and scoring can make a big difference.

Yes - up to say U10 a single player can take over a game, and even older than this at lower levels of play. BUT the poster here is not talking about those ages since he is referring to YNT, ECNL/GA, JefCup etc. all of which imply older age groups. At those ages, the best player in the state on a medicore team is not going to accomplish much. And - as the best player he is likely to be playing in a position where he may well even not get noticed if his teammates cannot get him the ball.

Most technically sound players should be at CDM and CBs. I'm not saying best goal scorer. I'm saying best footballers keeping control. CB's and CDM's, even to the #8 will be on the ball a lot and are tasked with making the most correct decisions with the ball. The further up the field the more the players can create and not always make the "correct" pass.. If you are playing with weak wingers which is common in youth footballl, then you need those back players feeding the ball more to the front players.

I agree that you cannot hide a technically weak player at CDM or CB. I also agree that weak players do the least damage when played on the wing. That said I would typically expect to see the most technical player playing the attacking midfield position because that is the midfielder who usually has to operate in the least space, and is tasked with drawing defenders and/or passes that need to be accurate enough to unlock the defense.

I also think decision-making and technical skill are two different things and your point regarding "correct" passes is really a point about decision-making, not technical ability. Further up the field the riskier pass is more often the "correct" pass even though it sometimes goes wrong. But - just because the cost of failure is not immediate doesn't mean you can player a weaker player in the attacking midfield position. You want your best passer in that spot because you want to maximize the number of completions so you score goals.

And a good attacking mid playing on a team which is significantly weaker than the opponent likely won't see enough of the ball to change the resuklt of the game.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:unless you are just a true baller and can put a hurting on the top kids from ECNL/GA clubs in the top bracket at JefCup, CASL or Bethesda Cup.

This is almost impossible even if you are "a true baller". One kid, no matter how talented, cannot operate outside the constraints of his team. The best striker in the world does not win a game unless his teammates can deliver him the ball.

Exactly—sums up Jody Altidore’s career with USMNT

Altidore is the best striker in the world? I assume you’re being tongue in cheek?

As far as a true baller, I do think at younger ages, and the fact that soccer is such a low scoring sport, that a kid that has a knack for beating defenders and scoring can make a big difference.

Yes - up to say U10 a single player can take over a game, and even older than this at lower levels of play. BUT the poster here is not talking about those ages since he is referring to YNT, ECNL/GA, JefCup etc. all of which imply older age groups. At those ages, the best player in the state on a medicore team is not going to accomplish much. And - as the best player he is likely to be playing in a position where he may well even not get noticed if his teammates cannot get him the ball.

Most technically sound players should be at CDM and CBs. I'm not saying best goal scorer. I'm saying best footballers keeping control. CB's and CDM's, even to the #8 will be on the ball a lot and are tasked with making the most correct decisions with the ball. The further up the field the more the players can create and not always make the "correct" pass.. If you are playing with weak wingers which is common in youth footballl, then you need those back players feeding the ball more to the front players.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:unless you are just a true baller and can put a hurting on the top kids from ECNL/GA clubs in the top bracket at JefCup, CASL or Bethesda Cup.

This is almost impossible even if you are "a true baller". One kid, no matter how talented, cannot operate outside the constraints of his team. The best striker in the world does not win a game unless his teammates can deliver him the ball.

Exactly—sums up Jody Altidore’s career with USMNT

Altidore is the best striker in the world? I assume you’re being tongue in cheek?

As far as a true baller, I do think at younger ages, and the fact that soccer is such a low scoring sport, that a kid that has a knack for beating defenders and scoring can make a big difference.

Yes - up to say U10 a single player can take over a game, and even older than this at lower levels of play. BUT the poster here is not talking about those ages since he is referring to YNT, ECNL/GA, JefCup etc. all of which imply older age groups. At those ages, the best player in the state on a medicore team is not going to accomplish much. And - as the best player he is likely to be playing in a position where he may well even not get noticed if his teammates cannot get him the ball.

Hmmm... you think France ever wins a World Cup without Zidane or Mbappe? You think Spain wins without Iniesta? You think Argentina wins without Maradonna? Barca without Messi? Madrid without Ronaldo? Time after time, a great player lifts their team over the edge. Clearly they can’t do it alone, but a great player makes the difference at the very top of the sport. Always.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:unless you are just a true baller and can put a hurting on the top kids from ECNL/GA clubs in the top bracket at JefCup, CASL or Bethesda Cup.

This is almost impossible even if you are "a true baller". One kid, no matter how talented, cannot operate outside the constraints of his team. The best striker in the world does not win a game unless his teammates can deliver him the ball.

Exactly—sums up Jody Altidore’s career with USMNT

Altidore is the best striker in the world? I assume you’re being tongue in cheek?

As far as a true baller, I do think at younger ages, and the fact that soccer is such a low scoring sport, that a kid that has a knack for beating defenders and scoring can make a big difference.

Yes - up to say U10 a single player can take over a game, and even older than this at lower levels of play. BUT the poster here is not talking about those ages since he is referring to YNT, ECNL/GA, JefCup etc. all of which imply older age groups. At those ages, the best player in the state on a medicore team is not going to accomplish much. And - as the best player he is likely to be playing in a position where he may well even not get noticed if his teammates cannot get him the ball.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:unless you are just a true baller and can put a hurting on the top kids from ECNL/GA clubs in the top bracket at JefCup, CASL or Bethesda Cup.

This is almost impossible even if you are "a true baller". One kid, no matter how talented, cannot operate outside the constraints of his team. The best striker in the world does not win a game unless his teammates can deliver him the ball.

Exactly—sums up Jody Altidore’s career with USMNT

Altidore is the best striker in the world? I assume you’re being tongue in cheek?

As far as a true baller, I do think at younger ages, and the fact that soccer is such a low scoring sport, that a kid that has a knack for beating defenders and scoring can make a big difference.

Yes - up to say U10 a single player can take over a game, and even older than this at lower levels of play. BUT the poster here is not talking about those ages since he is referring to YNT, ECNL/GA, JefCup etc. all of which imply older age groups. At those ages, the best player in the state on a medicore team is not going to accomplish much. And - as the best player he is likely to be playing in a position where he may well even not get noticed if his teammates cannot get him the ball.

Hmmm... you think France ever wins a World Cup without Zidane or Mbappe? You think Spain wins without Iniesta? You think Argentina wins without Maradonna? Barca without Messi? Madrid without Ronaldo? Time after time, a great player lifts their team over the edge. Clearly they can’t do it alone, but a great player makes the difference at the very top of the sport. Always.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:unless you are just a true baller and can put a hurting on the top kids from ECNL/GA clubs in the top bracket at JefCup, CASL or Bethesda Cup.

This is almost impossible even if you are "a true baller". One kid, no matter how talented, cannot operate outside the constraints of his team. The best striker in the world does not win a game unless his teammates can deliver him the ball.

Exactly—sums up Jody Altidore’s career with USMNT

Altidore is the best striker in the world? I assume you’re being tongue in cheek?

As far as a true baller, I do think at younger ages, and the fact that soccer is such a low scoring sport, that a kid that has a knack for beating defenders and scoring can make a big difference.

Yes - up to say U10 a single player can take over a game, and even older than this at lower levels of play. BUT the poster here is not talking about those ages since he is referring to YNT, ECNL/GA, JefCup etc. all of which imply older age groups. At those ages, the best player in the state on a medicore team is not going to accomplish much. And - as the best player he is likely to be playing in a position where he may well even not get noticed if his teammates cannot get him the ball.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one is knocking ODP. What they are telling you is the reality of today's landscape. Elite players are mostly in ECNL/GA. Big clubs or strong teams produce the lion's share of invites. Look at the latest invites from the area (Bethesda (2), FCV (2), Pipeline (2) and Richmond (3)). Solar, PDA, Real Col, LAFC, Real SolCal, etc., have track records of delivering top talent. If you are not on an ECNL/GA team then ODP is your main option unless you are just a true baller and can put a hurting on the top kids from ECNL/GA clubs in the top bracket at JefCup, CASL or Bethesda Cup.

OP here, thanks for the responses. Nobody is disputing which league the elite players are (mostly) in. ODP is not mutually exclusive from club because players can participate in both. How many of the ODP players are in ECNL, for example? If they are in both ODP and ECNL is it their presence and performance at the ODP events that get them into YNT radar more so than an ECNL match?

My son did VA state ODP for the first time this year. In his age group, best as I can tell from the list there were 4 players from ECNL clubs. That is out of almost 50 kids. I don't know if they were on their club's top team. We don't do it for YNT exposure though, which you wouldn't get anyways at a state level.

Interesting, thanks for the info.

My DS is at an ECNL (ex DA) club. ODP wasn't really on most of our radars as DA had not permitted the kids to particpate previously, but a couple of kids from the first team in his age group went. They felt the level was below the club training but still found the experience worthwhile and enjoyed it. My guess is that they will return next year, and maybe a few more teammates will sign up too.

If that were to become a trend, presumably ODP could become more relevant again although it would also make it more difficult to get selected to the higher levels. But you can't have one without the other.