Anonymous wrote:So what happened at this ECNL meeting that was to happen this week??

I guess we will find out when the rules come out?..

So what happened at this ECNL meeting that was to happen this week??

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At least at our club which is not affiliated with a MLS team:

MLS Next 1 switched name to MLS Next Homegrown
MLS Next 2 switched name to MLS Next Academy

This implies there are now 3 levels.

1. True MLSN Adcademies (Associated with MLS teams)
2. MLS Next Homegrown (Previously Ptp MLSN1)
3. MLS Next Academy (Previously Ptp MLSN2)

Maybe 2 and 3 changing to SY and 1 not. Most confusing and clustered rollout ever.

It is designed to be confusing. Because they need to sell mlsn2.

I am sure there are a few parents out there who signed up mlsn2 thinking it is mlsn1.

Even for the informed customers, the word "academy" just makes it a little bit easier to open the check book. It works kinda like the hot chicks in the beer commercials.

Nothing a club director loves more than a rich ignorant parent.

Anonymous wrote:At least at our club which is not affiliated with a MLS team:

MLS Next 1 switched name to MLS Next Homegrown
MLS Next 2 switched name to MLS Next Academy

This implies there are now 3 levels.

1. True MLSN Adcademies (Associated with MLS teams)
2. MLS Next Homegrown (Previously Ptp MLSN1)
3. MLS Next Academy (Previously Ptp MLSN2)

Maybe 2 and 3 changing to SY and 1 not. Most confusing and clustered rollout ever.

It is designed to be confusing. Because they need to sell mlsn2.

I am sure there are a few parents out there who signed up mlsn2 thinking it is mlsn1.

Even for the informed customers, the word "academy" just makes it a little bit easier to open the check book. It works kinda like the hot chicks in the beer commercials.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seems like MLS Next is setting the way for a SY change for their non academy teams. Hard to not read between the lines.

If that is the case, they will bioband 3 Q3/Q4 down to start SY team buildup and steal talents from ECNL.

They can’t bioband all q3/4 and keep BY as the range would be 17 months which is neither BY or SY. There will need to be an adherence to a cutoff. The Biobanding is reserved for special cases and not a blanket pardon to cheat.

Anonymous wrote:Seems like MLS Next is setting the way for a SY change for their non academy teams. Hard to not read between the lines.

If that is the case, they will bioband 3 Q3/Q4 down to start SY team buildup and steal talents from ECNL.

Seems like MLS Next is setting the way for a SY change for their non academy teams. Hard to not read between the lines.

Anonymous wrote:Seems to imply all MLSN that is NOT associated directly with an MLS team will likely switch to SY? Maybe?
Incompetent either way

Remember that LAFC dad. He said long time ago p2p MLSN will switch to SY and MLS Academy will stay in BY and play up.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the number of parents preferring a RAE over leaving BY is closer to 50/50 than people realize. The crazies on this forum are a selective group. Most real soccer people know that playing up even within an age group makes you better and by age 16 it largely shakes out with RAE.

You should play up if you can help the team compete and the club is okay with it. We have girls who play ECNL their age and also play boys instead of playing up.
Always think about development.

I would say U16/17 should goto showcases with your age group over playing up. That’s just my opinion.

They better be careful with that dual rostering. Ask PDA why they were DQ'd from the playoffs if you need more details.

I thought it was because they used too many DP? You can play up no problem just not on the same day?

PDA had too many dual rostered on MLSNext teams. Matchfit had too many discovery players (brought in a lot of Futbol Academy players for the last few league games)

MFA was called out first then they retailated by spilling the details on PDA. If you trust other random forums, there are many teams that do both all the time and now it was finally put in the spotlight.

So you can't play high school while playing MLS Next but you can play ECNL?

I have no clue, I'm looking at this from a girls ECNL perspective. 2.11 is what got everyone in trouble

https://docs.google.com/document/d/19i_HAUsN75dvDyLkg76QK9mQYbZ_MIbj/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=105529520767430700234&rtpof=true&sd=true%20--

So does that mean ECNL rostered players can’t play GA as guest? Because pretty much every GA team in the conference uses RL/NL guest players.

Seems to imply all MLSN that is NOT associated directly with an MLS team will likely switch to SY? Maybe?
Incompetent either way

Anonymous wrote:At least at our club which is not affiliated with a MLS team:

MLS Next 1 switched name to MLS Next Homegrown
MLS Next 2 switched name to MLS Next Academy

This implies there are now 3 levels.

1. True MLSN Adcademies (Associated with MLS teams)
2. MLS Next Homegrown (Previously Ptp MLSN1)
3. MLS Next Academy (Previously Ptp MLSN2)

Maybe 2 and 3 changing to SY and 1 not. Most confusing and clustered rollout ever.

I don't think so? The website seems to differentiate between "MLS Clubs" (associated with professional MLS teams, Chicago Fire, NY Red Bulls etc) and "MLS Elite Academies" which are just MLS Next P2P clubs. "With the addition of the new competition tier in 2025, membership for the 2025-26 season will include 29 MLS academies, 244 Elite Academies (273 total clubs)"

They also clarify that MLS Clus will all play up an age group when they play MLS Elite Academies in order for it to be better competition. Presumably this is all happening in the MLS Next Homegrown league and confusingly not in the league called Academy.

They should consider hiring a competent comms/branding person. Would REALLY go a long way. The confusing nature of the way they name things and talk about has really led me to believe that there is no 3D chess behind the age group switch. They're just largely incompetent at this. Just like everyone else running a youth soccer league.

At least at our club which is not affiliated with a MLS team:

MLS Next 1 switched name to MLS Next Homegrown
MLS Next 2 switched name to MLS Next Academy

This implies there are now 3 levels.

1. True MLSN Adcademies (Associated with MLS teams)
2. MLS Next Homegrown (Previously Ptp MLSN1)
3. MLS Next Academy (Previously Ptp MLSN2)

Maybe 2 and 3 changing to SY and 1 not. Most confusing and clustered rollout ever.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.mlssoccer.com/mlsnext/news/mls-next-announces-transformative-sporting-initiatives-for-the-2025-26-season

Don't get mixed up here between MLS Next Academy league (MLSN2) and MLS academies as a club. Reading the link above I believe it provides an option for MLS teams academies to have a u15 team that plays up a year in.. what league is not clear, probably MLSN1.

MLSN academy teams will play up against MLSN Homegrown teams at u-15 and up.

MLSN Homegrown teams are MLS academies teams (Inter Miami, LA Galaxy, Minnesota United, Chicago Fire etc)

Now, MLSN Academies will be P2P clubs.

The new naming leads to confusion.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.mlssoccer.com/mlsnext/news/mls-next-announces-transformative-sporting-initiatives-for-the-2025-26-season

Don't get mixed up here between MLS Next Academy league (MLSN2) and MLS academies as a club. Reading the link above I believe it provides an option for MLS teams academies to have a u15 team that plays up a year in.. what league is not clear, probably MLSN1.

MLSN academy teams will play up against MLSN Homegrown teams at u-15 and up.

Anonymous wrote:https://www.mlssoccer.com/mlsnext/news/mls-next-announces-transformative-sporting-initiatives-for-the-2025-26-season

Don't get mixed up here between MLS Next Academy league (MLSN2) and MLS academies as a club. Reading the link above I believe it provides an option for MLS teams academies to have a u15 team that plays up a year in.. what league is not clear, probably MLSN1.