Neither league is going away, both have good pathways especially if you are in a top club in either. ECNL missed its chance to kill of GA a few years ago. They are both here to stay until the next cool name and acronym come along.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So far 3 MLSN teams moving to ECNL - probably a combination of losing a lot of games plus the fact that a lot of these kids really just want to play HS soccer. The reality is now that most MLSN HG kids do not play D1 anymore - because of the transfer portal and int'l recruits. So why skip HS soccer just to end up playing D3 or not at all?

If I’m MLSN I’m pushing the ncaa to allow minimal international scholarships players on D1-2. American University Scholarships should be for Americans.

What happened to believing in meritocracy? Presumably if the US players were better colleges would take them. Man up.

colleges/universities receiving taxpayer money should not be allowed to take foreigners and/or illegals over Americans.

you went right to "illegals" with also being a total f'ing idiot and not understanding how any of this works. I feel bad for your kid.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So far 3 MLSN teams moving to ECNL - probably a combination of losing a lot of games plus the fact that a lot of these kids really just want to play HS soccer. The reality is now that most MLSN HG kids do not play D1 anymore - because of the transfer portal and int'l recruits. So why skip HS soccer just to end up playing D3 or not at all?

this is a very good point. my son and 2 other teammates will not be returning to mlsn. they want to play high school their last year (senior) and will be joining a close ecnl team. they realizes they are not going pro or D1. I think these kids, knowing all of them, are making the right decision.

I'm sure they are. If you do the basic math and assume every D1 HS recruit comes from MLSN HG, there are 205-210 D1 teams and they probably average 4-6 HS recruits a year so maybe 1,000 kids total go D1 and there are 150 HG teams x approx 20 players = 3,000. And then another 3,000 ECNL kids per year. My freshman son won't even try out for a HG team because he loves playing for his HS. It's terrible soccer and the coach loves kick and run, but you can't really steal that joy from your kid. Gotta let them enjoy their HS years.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For ECNL hats questioning whether GA is gaining ground on ECNL, look at the U15 USYNT numbers:

23 Girls Academy call-ups in 2025-26 — 33.8% of the U15 pool, up from 9.5% last year. That’s not a small bump… that’s a major jump.

14 players from 11 GA clubs earned spots. That kind of club diversity also says something important: talent identification in GA is broadening, not concentrated.

The gap between GA and ECNL is continuing to narrow and arguably shifting at younger age groups.

6 of those 14 are from one club.

boom. the bonnets got gobsmacked!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So far 3 MLSN teams moving to ECNL - probably a combination of losing a lot of games plus the fact that a lot of these kids really just want to play HS soccer. The reality is now that most MLSN HG kids do not play D1 anymore - because of the transfer portal and int'l recruits. So why skip HS soccer just to end up playing D3 or not at all?

If I’m MLSN I’m pushing the ncaa to allow minimal international scholarships players on D1-2. American University Scholarships should be for Americans.

What happened to believing in meritocracy? Presumably if the US players were better colleges would take them. Man up.

colleges/universities receiving taxpayer money should not be allowed to take foreigners and/or illegals over Americans.

Anonymous wrote:So far 3 MLSN teams moving to ECNL - probably a combination of losing a lot of games plus the fact that a lot of these kids really just want to play HS soccer. The reality is now that most MLSN HG kids do not play D1 anymore - because of the transfer portal and int'l recruits. So why skip HS soccer just to end up playing D3 or not at all?

this is a very good point. my son and 2 other teammates will not be returning to mlsn. they want to play high school their last year (senior) and will be joining a close ecnl team. they realizes they are not going pro or D1. I think these kids, knowing all of them, are making the right decision.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So far 3 MLSN teams moving to ECNL - probably a combination of losing a lot of games plus the fact that a lot of these kids really just want to play HS soccer. The reality is now that most MLSN HG kids do not play D1 anymore - because of the transfer portal and int'l recruits. So why skip HS soccer just to end up playing D3 or not at all?

If I’m MLSN I’m pushing the ncaa to allow minimal international scholarships players on D1-2. American University Scholarships should be for Americans.

What happened to believing in meritocracy? Presumably if the US players were better colleges would take them. Man up.

American kids going to college start at 18 these internationals are 21/22 it’s not the same thing. Also we should have a system trying to build up American soccer and players.

21/22 and have been playing 3 hours a day since they were 16.

You forgot that part.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So far 3 MLSN teams moving to ECNL - probably a combination of losing a lot of games plus the fact that a lot of these kids really just want to play HS soccer. The reality is now that most MLSN HG kids do not play D1 anymore - because of the transfer portal and int'l recruits. So why skip HS soccer just to end up playing D3 or not at all?

If I’m MLSN I’m pushing the ncaa to allow minimal international scholarships players on D1-2. American University Scholarships should be for Americans.

What happened to believing in meritocracy? Presumably if the US players were better colleges would take them. Man up.

American kids going to college start at 18 these internationals are 21/22 it’s not the same thing. Also we should have a system trying to build up American soccer and players.

Anonymous wrote:For ECNL hats questioning whether GA is gaining ground on ECNL, look at the U15 USYNT numbers:

23 Girls Academy call-ups in 2025-26 — 33.8% of the U15 pool, up from 9.5% last year. That’s not a small bump… that’s a major jump.

14 players from 11 GA clubs earned spots. That kind of club diversity also says something important: talent identification in GA is broadening, not concentrated.

The gap between GA and ECNL is continuing to narrow and arguably shifting at younger age groups.

Ok, this is the canary in the coal mine for ECNL.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For ECNL hats questioning whether GA is gaining ground on ECNL, look at the U15 USYNT numbers:

23 Girls Academy call-ups in 2025-26 — 33.8% of the U15 pool, up from 9.5% last year. That’s not a small bump… that’s a major jump.

14 players from 11 GA clubs earned spots. That kind of club diversity also says something important: talent identification in GA is broadening, not concentrated.

The gap between GA and ECNL is continuing to narrow and arguably shifting at younger age groups.

6 of those 14 are from one club.

That’s the best spin you have?

That's their spin. You left off that part of the GA social media post.

You must be the “journalists are frauds” guy.

Let me break this down for you… these are facts, and they’re easily proven. The numbers came from GA social media, and where they were posted doesn’t change the facts themselves… Those are objective numbers.

Spin would be trying to diminish or disprove those facts because they challenge a preferred narrative. Pointing out measurable growth in the GA pathway isn’t propaganda, it’s observing what the data shows.

And what the data shows is pretty simple: GA is gaining ground.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For ECNL hats questioning whether GA is gaining ground on ECNL, look at the U15 USYNT numbers:

23 Girls Academy call-ups in 2025-26 — 33.8% of the U15 pool, up from 9.5% last year. That’s not a small bump… that’s a major jump.

14 players from 11 GA clubs earned spots. That kind of club diversity also says something important: talent identification in GA is broadening, not concentrated.

The gap between GA and ECNL is continuing to narrow and arguably shifting at younger age groups.

6 of those 14 are from one club.

That’s the best spin you have?

6 of 14? That’s not even what the post said. There is no reference to 14 players. Just that there were 23 call-ups representing 11 different clubs. Several were repeat call ups, 6 of which were from one club (Tophat). One third of all call-ups were from GA clubs.
You can see that, much like the DI commitments, a few clubs are sending the bulk of the players, regardless of what league they play in.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For ECNL hats questioning whether GA is gaining ground on ECNL, look at the U15 USYNT numbers:

23 Girls Academy call-ups in 2025-26 — 33.8% of the U15 pool, up from 9.5% last year. That’s not a small bump… that’s a major jump.

14 players from 11 GA clubs earned spots. That kind of club diversity also says something important: talent identification in GA is broadening, not concentrated.

The gap between GA and ECNL is continuing to narrow and arguably shifting at younger age groups.

6 of those 14 are from one club.

50% of ECNL D1 commits come from 30 clubs ... what is the point

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For ECNL hats questioning whether GA is gaining ground on ECNL, look at the U15 USYNT numbers:

23 Girls Academy call-ups in 2025-26 — 33.8% of the U15 pool, up from 9.5% last year. That’s not a small bump… that’s a major jump.

14 players from 11 GA clubs earned spots. That kind of club diversity also says something important: talent identification in GA is broadening, not concentrated.

The gap between GA and ECNL is continuing to narrow and arguably shifting at younger age groups.

6 of those 14 are from one club.

That’s the best spin you have?

That's their spin. You left off that part of the GA social media post.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For ECNL hats questioning whether GA is gaining ground on ECNL, look at the U15 USYNT numbers:

23 Girls Academy call-ups in 2025-26 — 33.8% of the U15 pool, up from 9.5% last year. That’s not a small bump… that’s a major jump.

14 players from 11 GA clubs earned spots. That kind of club diversity also says something important: talent identification in GA is broadening, not concentrated.

The gap between GA and ECNL is continuing to narrow and arguably shifting at younger age groups.

6 of those 14 are from one club.

That’s the best spin you have?

Anonymous wrote:For ECNL hats questioning whether GA is gaining ground on ECNL, look at the U15 USYNT numbers:

23 Girls Academy call-ups in 2025-26 — 33.8% of the U15 pool, up from 9.5% last year. That’s not a small bump… that’s a major jump.

14 players from 11 GA clubs earned spots. That kind of club diversity also says something important: talent identification in GA is broadening, not concentrated.

The gap between GA and ECNL is continuing to narrow and arguably shifting at younger age groups.

6 of those 14 are from one club.