Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The “let’s just be a small neighborhood club” argument doesn’t hold water when they have RS, NM and ML making director $ and have coaches that also are looking to get paid - GD, MW, etc.

+1000

You cannot claim to want to be a “local” club then pay the high salaries of the heavy hitters from TF. Something happened between GFR and FVU and neither party is coming clean about it. Now, the claim of “local neighborhood” club sounds disingenuous.

It was clear around March of 2025 that NM and ML were not going to be returning to FVU after the season was over. After that, the merger of GFR into FVU fell apart. My guess is that NM convinced RS to not be a part of it, to which RS happily obliged. Now NM and ML are doing ECNL at Bethesda while keeping a foot in the door at GFR (NM is still TD at GFR). So, they cannot allow GFR to go GA/MLSNext and again RS is happy to oblige. But they blew the one chance for GFR to dominate in a ECNL alliance. So the GFR families are now being told that "local neighborhood" club is the way to go. This kind of stuff is why we left season and don't plan on ever coming back!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The “let’s just be a small neighborhood club” argument doesn’t hold water when they have RS, NM and ML making director $ and have coaches that also are looking to get paid - GD, MW, etc.

+1000

You cannot claim to want to be a “local” club then pay the high salaries of the heavy hitters from TF. Something happened between GFR and FVU and neither party is coming clean about it. Now, the claim of “local neighborhood” club sounds disingenuous.

Anonymous wrote:[twitter]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is HM still with GFR? I heard he left a while ago.

He’s long gone

Where did he go?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:there's nothing wrong with being a local club. GFR has never been a destination club. It has always been on par with the Herndons and Valors of the world.

Both those clubs have pathways and Valor is the strongest club in Union now -- probably the only decent one. GFR has been a strong club but will continue to decline unless they fix their pathway issue.

GFR had a pathway to NVA and it was a disaster for them. You don't have to have a direct pathway to a national league, you can just be a local club.....and GFR has done that well for a while now.

They continue to lose players due to the pathway issue and will continue to do so until they address it -- Loudoun, McLean, SYC, Arlington have all been beneficiaries of good GFR players wanting more than RL.

It is fine to lose players to other clubs. It happens even to clubs WITH a pathway. Having strong local and regional teams and not competing nationally is FINE. How many ECNL and GA/MLS NEXT clubs can there be in just the DMV? As long as they encourage talented players to move to other clubs I do not see why it matters that they don't aspire to be bigger/better.

Last season was one of the worst retention years for GFR during tryouts. Granted much of that was because of the craziness initiated by the board. But it was also GFR’s first season in a while without a pathway. Don’t be naive to think that GFR didn’t want a pathway. Last year it looked very likely that GFR was going to join BRYC, VYS and McLean in FVU. Then McLean made the surprise announcement and left. To this day no one knows why GFR didn’t join. It also seems odd that they are not entertaining a move to GA/MLS2. Why is that? I’m not buying this whole “local club” story. Something is not adding up. Any club of GFR’s size is making moves but why are they not?

What are you talking about? GFR had ONE season with NVA and it was a disaster so they left. Prior to that there was no "pathway" at GFR beyond RL. It's not "odd" they aren't moving to GA/MLS2 - it's not what they want or even have the players for. "No one knows why GFR didn't join" - yes, they do. Ask the coaches or anyone at the club in a director role if they plan(ned) to try to move to GA/MLS2 and they will tell you they do not. That is WHY.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is HM still with GFR? I heard he left a while ago.

He’s long gone

Anonymous wrote:The “let’s just be a small neighborhood club” argument doesn’t hold water when they have RS, NM and ML making director $ and have coaches that also are looking to get paid - GD, MW, etc.

Anonymous wrote:The “let’s just be a small neighborhood club” argument doesn’t hold water when they have RS, NM and ML making director $ and have coaches that also are looking to get paid - GD, MW, etc.

Anonymous wrote:Is HM still with GFR? I heard he left a while ago.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:there's nothing wrong with being a local club. GFR has never been a destination club. It has always been on par with the Herndons and Valors of the world.

Both those clubs have pathways and Valor is the strongest club in Union now -- probably the only decent one. GFR has been a strong club but will continue to decline unless they fix their pathway issue.

GFR had a pathway to NVA and it was a disaster for them. You don't have to have a direct pathway to a national league, you can just be a local club.....and GFR has done that well for a while now.

They continue to lose players due to the pathway issue and will continue to do so until they address it -- Loudoun, McLean, SYC, Arlington have all been beneficiaries of good GFR players wanting more than RL.

It is fine to lose players to other clubs. It happens even to clubs WITH a pathway. Having strong local and regional teams and not competing nationally is FINE. How many ECNL and GA/MLS NEXT clubs can there be in just the DMV? As long as they encourage talented players to move to other clubs I do not see why it matters that they don't aspire to be bigger/better.

Last season was one of the worst retention years for GFR during tryouts. Granted much of that was because of the craziness initiated by the board. But it was also GFR’s first season in a while without a pathway. Don’t be naive to think that GFR didn’t want a pathway. Last year it looked very likely that GFR was going to join BRYC, VYS and McLean in FVU. Then McLean made the surprise announcement and left. To this day no one knows why GFR didn’t join. It also seems odd that they are not entertaining a move to GA/MLS2. Why is that? I’m not buying this whole “local club” story. Something is not adding up. Any club of GFR’s size is making moves but why are they not?

What are you talking about? GFR had ONE season with NVA and it was a disaster so they left. Prior to that there was no "pathway" at GFR beyond RL. It's not "odd" they aren't moving to GA/MLS2 - it's not what they want or even have the players for. "No one knows why GFR didn't join" - yes, they do. Ask the coaches or anyone at the club in a director role if they plan(ned) to try to move to GA/MLS2 and they will tell you they do not. That is WHY.

Please do tell. I have yet to hear the answer to this.

The NVA thing was a disaster, why would they do the same thing with FVU??

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:there's nothing wrong with being a local club. GFR has never been a destination club. It has always been on par with the Herndons and Valors of the world.

Both those clubs have pathways and Valor is the strongest club in Union now -- probably the only decent one. GFR has been a strong club but will continue to decline unless they fix their pathway issue.

GFR had a pathway to NVA and it was a disaster for them. You don't have to have a direct pathway to a national league, you can just be a local club.....and GFR has done that well for a while now.

They continue to lose players due to the pathway issue and will continue to do so until they address it -- Loudoun, McLean, SYC, Arlington have all been beneficiaries of good GFR players wanting more than RL.

It is fine to lose players to other clubs. It happens even to clubs WITH a pathway. Having strong local and regional teams and not competing nationally is FINE. How many ECNL and GA/MLS NEXT clubs can there be in just the DMV? As long as they encourage talented players to move to other clubs I do not see why it matters that they don't aspire to be bigger/better.

Last season was one of the worst retention years for GFR during tryouts. Granted much of that was because of the craziness initiated by the board. But it was also GFR’s first season in a while without a pathway. Don’t be naive to think that GFR didn’t want a pathway. Last year it looked very likely that GFR was going to join BRYC, VYS and McLean in FVU. Then McLean made the surprise announcement and left. To this day no one knows why GFR didn’t join. It also seems odd that they are not entertaining a move to GA/MLS2. Why is that? I’m not buying this whole “local club” story. Something is not adding up. Any club of GFR’s size is making moves but why are they not?

What are you talking about? GFR had ONE season with NVA and it was a disaster so they left. Prior to that there was no "pathway" at GFR beyond RL. It's not "odd" they aren't moving to GA/MLS2 - it's not what they want or even have the players for. "No one knows why GFR didn't join" - yes, they do. Ask the coaches or anyone at the club in a director role if they plan(ned) to try to move to GA/MLS2 and they will tell you they do not. That is WHY.

Please do tell. I have yet to hear the answer to this.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:there's nothing wrong with being a local club. GFR has never been a destination club. It has always been on par with the Herndons and Valors of the world.

Both those clubs have pathways and Valor is the strongest club in Union now -- probably the only decent one. GFR has been a strong club but will continue to decline unless they fix their pathway issue.

GFR had a pathway to NVA and it was a disaster for them. You don't have to have a direct pathway to a national league, you can just be a local club.....and GFR has done that well for a while now.

They continue to lose players due to the pathway issue and will continue to do so until they address it -- Loudoun, McLean, SYC, Arlington have all been beneficiaries of good GFR players wanting more than RL.

It is fine to lose players to other clubs. It happens even to clubs WITH a pathway. Having strong local and regional teams and not competing nationally is FINE. How many ECNL and GA/MLS NEXT clubs can there be in just the DMV? As long as they encourage talented players to move to other clubs I do not see why it matters that they don't aspire to be bigger/better.

Last season was one of the worst retention years for GFR during tryouts. Granted much of that was because of the craziness initiated by the board. But it was also GFR’s first season in a while without a pathway. Don’t be naive to think that GFR didn’t want a pathway. Last year it looked very likely that GFR was going to join BRYC, VYS and McLean in FVU. Then McLean made the surprise announcement and left. To this day no one knows why GFR didn’t join. It also seems odd that they are not entertaining a move to GA/MLS2. Why is that? I’m not buying this whole “local club” story. Something is not adding up. Any club of GFR’s size is making moves but why are they not?

What are you talking about? GFR had ONE season with NVA and it was a disaster so they left. Prior to that there was no "pathway" at GFR beyond RL. It's not "odd" they aren't moving to GA/MLS2 - it's not what they want or even have the players for. "No one knows why GFR didn't join" - yes, they do. Ask the coaches or anyone at the club in a director role if they plan(ned) to try to move to GA/MLS2 and they will tell you they do not. That is WHY.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:there's nothing wrong with being a local club. GFR has never been a destination club. It has always been on par with the Herndons and Valors of the world.

Both those clubs have pathways and Valor is the strongest club in Union now -- probably the only decent one. GFR has been a strong club but will continue to decline unless they fix their pathway issue.

GFR had a pathway to NVA and it was a disaster for them. You don't have to have a direct pathway to a national league, you can just be a local club.....and GFR has done that well for a while now.

They continue to lose players due to the pathway issue and will continue to do so until they address it -- Loudoun, McLean, SYC, Arlington have all been beneficiaries of good GFR players wanting more than RL.

It is fine to lose players to other clubs. It happens even to clubs WITH a pathway. Having strong local and regional teams and not competing nationally is FINE. How many ECNL and GA/MLS NEXT clubs can there be in just the DMV? As long as they encourage talented players to move to other clubs I do not see why it matters that they don't aspire to be bigger/better.

Last season was one of the worst retention years for GFR during tryouts. Granted much of that was because of the craziness initiated by the board. But it was also GFR’s first season in a while without a pathway. Don’t be naive to think that GFR didn’t want a pathway. Last year it looked very likely that GFR was going to join BRYC, VYS and McLean in FVU. Then McLean made the surprise announcement and left. To this day no one knows why GFR didn’t join. It also seems odd that they are not entertaining a move to GA/MLS2. Why is that? I’m not buying this whole “local club” story. Something is not adding up. Any club of GFR’s size is making moves but why are they not?