2011 Boys

The countries you mention (and you don't even include France, Spain, Belgium, Portugal, etc) can create world-class players because they all have a longer culture of soccer where everybody plays soccer and not basketball and football and baseball even though I don't know why anybody likes baseball. Every single town has essentially a pro team nearby (look up all the tiers in the soccer pyramid in England!) and the costs of playing is subsidized by the team/government. In England, the TSF, PDA, and Cedar Stars of the world would actually be cost free and have real pro first teams (sorry, not counting USL 2 or whatever). Youth soccer isn't the money-making factory that it is in the US. Also, as you say, all of those countries are smaller so things like travel isn't as difficult. Lots of people have thought about how to get rid of the pay-to-play system but the infrastructure isn't there. Maybe your kid can get on an MLS club or get a scholarship for one of the teams. Our MLS academies are as good as those in Europe up to about U15 (even in U17 world cups we do ok), but in Europe those kids drop out of school and just play soccer (I know they do some academics, but basically they're pros with no futures if they don't make it). Our kids don't do that mostly (does Cavan Sullivan finish high school?). So the European (and South American) players are going to get better faster after U15.

There you go, all you gotta do is change the entire culture of the country quickly, solve the pay-to-play problem, shrink the USA, and convince all of our best teenagers to drop out of school and forget about college and maybe we'll get one world-class player.

I am sorry but we could EASILY follow the European model in this country. We are so hard headed and think America is always better, we do it in everything not just soccer. We crown sports world champions and only play in our own country. NJ has a larger population than half these counties you mentioned so combine, NY and PA and maybe MA. You have the same coverage as these larger European countries, same travel and a larger population to choose from, so where is the excuse. We probably have more home schooled kids, so that is also an option, we have all the same resources. We have the fields, the clubs, the want, we lack guidance and structure from us soccer because they think American parents are dumb and well, we prove them correct every year.
the issue is the money and capitalist nature at the top. We don’t want to kick back to youth clubs, there is no reward for producing players, Red Bulls have 4 teams per age group in their RDS ages destroying the youth landscape at the first chance they get. Red Bulls do nothing to support youth clubs, MLS do nothing, NJ youth soccer do nothing and the US government do nothing. They put on fake small give backs to look good on social media, but they are not investing in the sport, so for that point you are correct.
however, we have proven as parents we are willing to pay, so we don’t really need the investment from these people above, we put in probably the same monetary investment England gives, it is already generated here by us, the parents.

LOL nc rlly said Cavan Sullivan. i played against dat nc before n blud looked like an average player on ma team. n we won the kid’s team twice.

Who wrote this…..English please.

The countries you mention (and you don't even include France, Spain, Belgium, Portugal, etc) can create world-class players because they all have a longer culture of soccer where everybody plays soccer and not basketball and football and baseball even though I don't know why anybody likes baseball. Every single town has essentially a pro team nearby (look up all the tiers in the soccer pyramid in England!) and the costs of playing is subsidized by the team/government. In England, the TSF, PDA, and Cedar Stars of the world would actually be cost free and have real pro first teams (sorry, not counting USL 2 or whatever). Youth soccer isn't the money-making factory that it is in the US. Also, as you say, all of those countries are smaller so things like travel isn't as difficult. Lots of people have thought about how to get rid of the pay-to-play system but the infrastructure isn't there. Maybe your kid can get on an MLS club or get a scholarship for one of the teams. Our MLS academies are as good as those in Europe up to about U15 (even in U17 world cups we do ok), but in Europe those kids drop out of school and just play soccer (I know they do some academics, but basically they're pros with no futures if they don't make it). Our kids don't do that mostly (does Cavan Sullivan finish high school?). So the European (and South American) players are going to get better faster after U15.

There you go, all you gotta do is change the entire culture of the country quickly, solve the pay-to-play problem, shrink the USA, and convince all of our best teenagers to drop out of school and forget about college and maybe we'll get one world-class player.

LOL nc rlly said Cavan Sullivan. i played against dat nc before n blud looked like an average player on ma team. n we won the kid’s team twice.

Unless your kid is on CSA Bergan, there's little to no chance you'll have to drive out to play DUSC or Long Island by this age group. Maybe in a non-MLS next league.

Last 2 posts have great points.

Why are Denmark, Sweden, England able to produce world class players consistently despite being the size of some states in our country. Because when it comes to crunch time we just can’t compete, these countries are all about elite level completion for all players. It really is simple.

The countries you mention (and you don't even include France, Spain, Belgium, Portugal, etc) can create world-class players because they all have a longer culture of soccer where everybody plays soccer and not basketball and football and baseball even though I don't know why anybody likes baseball. Every single town has essentially a pro team nearby (look up all the tiers in the soccer pyramid in England!) and the costs of playing is subsidized by the team/government. In England, the TSF, PDA, and Cedar Stars of the world would actually be cost free and have real pro first teams (sorry, not counting USL 2 or whatever). Youth soccer isn't the money-making factory that it is in the US. Also, as you say, all of those countries are smaller so things like travel isn't as difficult. Lots of people have thought about how to get rid of the pay-to-play system but the infrastructure isn't there. Maybe your kid can get on an MLS club or get a scholarship for one of the teams. Our MLS academies are as good as those in Europe up to about U15 (even in U17 world cups we do ok), but in Europe those kids drop out of school and just play soccer (I know they do some academics, but basically they're pros with no futures if they don't make it). Our kids don't do that mostly (does Cavan Sullivan finish high school?). So the European (and South American) players are going to get better faster after U15.

There you go, all you gotta do is change the entire culture of the country quickly, solve the pay-to-play problem, shrink the USA, and convince all of our best teenagers to drop out of school and forget about college and maybe we'll get one world-class player.

Last 2 posts have great points.

i understand making the area bigger, but that doesn’t benefit me and my family. I know it is selfish, but I want to be playing the best of the best every week, and joining a pro branded platform, that’s the minimum we should expect. The best teams should be playing, end of story. There is some terrible clubs that I have had to watch and spend gas, hotels and mileage on my car in this supposedly elite platform. Why are these clubs still in 2 years later? We talk about facilities if you play in this region you know there is 3 or 4 clubs that have terrible facilities or fields. I know everyone wants their kids to be great, but I honestly see a sheer lack of want to compete in our culture. Things get hard parents go crazy, they up and leave a new elite platform pops up. When does mls or us soccer put a stop to this.

you make a great point on all the great teams in a small radius, why isn’t every team that is good enough in this area in a 2 flight promo rel situation where we push all these kids to play hard games week in and week out. Forget the badge, if you are good enough you compete. The league provides a neutral venue (like the other poster said) and they play! It’s so simple that we have cracked it in 5 mins on TS. But why, because the league has to spend and invest and that isn’t good for bottom line, the commissioner who’s kids play at dusc might have to earn a couple hundred thousand less by doing this.

I honestly don’t know if my kid is good enough and I don’t think our soccer system can push him to be good enough. I fall in line, follow what is meant to be the best route, but it just isn’t. ECNL says it’s the best for recruitment, mls next doesn’t get enough to pro why has us soccer not created clarity in this system. We have some great clubs, coaches facilities and spend the most yet we don’t have a single world class pro. I know I have said it a couple times, but I don’t think this hits home enough. Why are Denmark, Sweden, England able to produce world class players consistently despite being the size of some states in our country. Because when it comes to crunch time we just can’t compete, these countries are all about elite level completion for all players. It really is simple.

MLS Next rosters are massive. Adding lots of mediocre clubs to the platform helps the big clubs by allowing them to rotate the bottom third of their rosters into several easy games JUST enough to keep the families of those bottom third players as paying customers! If all the teams on the platform were very strong – they wouldn’t be able to give the bottom third players any PT so those families would leave and the big clubs would have to carry smaller rosters and make less $$$

Agreed, adding mid level teams doesn’t make the platform stronger. Geographically to cover more distance and identity talent, I get that part but has it been effective? You still have the same bottom teams at the end of every season. What kind of development or experience these players are gaining from getting smoked in most of their games?
we have tons of examples from our state alone.

MLS Next rosters are massive. Adding lots of mediocre clubs to the platform helps the big clubs by allowing them to rotate the bottom third of their rosters into several easy games JUST enough to keep the families of those bottom third players as paying customers! If all the teams on the platform were very strong – they wouldn’t be able to give the bottom third players any PT so those families would leave and the big clubs would have to carry smaller rosters and make less $$$

So is the elite level of our country’s soccer programming (that I spend 10s of thousands a year on travel because of their geography and events) designed to allow only underserved communities the chance to play now over quality of play. Not saying they shouldn’t be doing this, but why doesn’t the league fund this. Why is everything they do as a league so expensive! Entry, expectation on game day, fines and events. So in order to allow everyone to play I have to spend 6 hours of my day and spend my hard earned money to get a lack of competition! Perhaps you are right, maybe I am thinking short term, because my kid won’t be playing mls next in 10 years time. So I need it to be competitive now and I need to see the competitive growth now!

these teams add no value to bringing up the quality of competition in the league, I am sorry they don’t. Doesn’t make them bad clubs or bad people, but 90% of the teams they will add are B level teams, with the odd good one here or there. There is better clubs, teams and programs out there! I could find 5 clubs better than these 3 adds in 1 minute.

they league is devaluing itself. It’s breaking it’s own rules to allow clubs in, sure you all have wind of the pro club conflict now.

The league started off well, but politics and hand shakes will now pull it apart and we will continue to produce mediocre soccer players. we have 100s of millions of people and Denmark can produce 1 world class player a decade and we can’t. Yeah it’s cool, nothing wrong with the system here!

We spend the most money, we have 150 different leagues and platforms that are all the best and we still have no idea how to produce a soccer player…why because we are petrified of competition, when something gets hard we create something easier and avoid proper competition.

I understand your point, and I do agree with how it sucks for players now adding clubs that arent top level. Think of the league like a cell phone company adding cell phone towers trying to get maximum coverage spreading a wide net. I know PDA, so I will use them for an example. PDA can already drive to 11 different MLS next clubs that are within 65 miles of them. Red Bull, Cedar Stars Monmouth, Ironbound, Cedar Stars Bergen, FA Euro, TSF, Met Oval, BW Gottschee, Real Jersey, NYC FC, FC Delco. Add in DUSC for next year and Long Island SC that is 2 more. Expand that a little further and within 105 miles they have Philadelphia Union, New York Soccer Club, FC Westchester, Beachside and Sporting Athletic Club. Couting PDA that is 19 clubs within 105 miles of each them. Continuing to add in this area just dillutes it long term for a short term game of a good team.

They do not need to expand any more in this area at all. Outside a 2011 team like Football Academy, there arent any "teams" that you would want to add competition/ quality wise to strengthen the league.There are more then enough local locations where the high quality players can go within a short drive and play in the league if they choose to. Strengthen the existing clubs by player movement. Let the league expand to areas that arent covered geographically so they dont miss out on potential high level players that slip through the cracks. Adding LISC gets the club 50 miles further out Long Island. DUSC gets the league into Manhattan, where they were only in Queens and Brooklyn. Keystone gets furter into Central PA. For long term growth and development of the American Youth system, they feel it is more benefical to have a wider coverage of locations.

I am 100% on board with the crazy cost of all of this. I personally would like the league to do something more like neutral locations and multiple game weekends. I would much rather drive for my kid to play a Friday, Saturday and Sunday at one spot 2-3 times during the year instead of having to make 10 separate long commutes.

i disagree with you.

other countries have existing youth leagues that are established already. New pop up clubs every 3 years don’t get ushered into those existing leagues.

the adds aren’t about bringing in existing “good” teams, which you don’t understand / like. They are about covering untapped areas. As in the locations that don’t have teams or kids that can’t afford the league and offer scholarships. You are thinking short term, while they are thinking long term.

for example: West Virginia came into the league this year. There was no existing team. That’s a location the leagues wants covered so they don’t miss out on potential players from that area who wouldn’t get seen before. Keystone was added because that moves the league further into central PA where there was no existing teams. PA classics is almost 1 hour directly east of them. WV is 100 minutes south of them and The closest team west of them is in Pittsburg 3.5 hours away. LISC was added to
cover kids out in Long island that didn’t have an option before.

Northern NJ is already filled with plenty of options. The best players can and should gravitate to those existing teams in the league already instead of thinking a new team in the exact same area will be added.

Connecticut United FC is going to be completely free that is appealing to get some of the families with lower incomes an equal chance. They don’t have an existing team. Southern States was added to be the 1st team in Mississippi. Carolina Core was added and will be fully free well.

So is the elite level of our country’s soccer programming (that I spend 10s of thousands a year on travel because of their geography and events) designed to allow only underserved communities the chance to play now over quality of play. Not saying they shouldn’t be doing this, but why doesn’t the league fund this. Why is everything they do as a league so expensive! Entry, expectation on game day, fines and events. So in order to allow everyone to play I have to spend 6 hours of my day and spend my hard earned money to get a lack of competition! Perhaps you are right, maybe I am thinking short term, because my kid won’t be playing mls next in 10 years time. So I need it to be competitive now and I need to see the competitive growth now!

these teams add no value to bringing up the quality of competition in the league, I am sorry they don’t. Doesn’t make them bad clubs or bad people, but 90% of the teams they will add are B level teams, with the odd good one here or there. There is better clubs, teams and programs out there! I could find 5 clubs better than these 3 adds in 1 minute.

they league is devaluing itself. It’s breaking it’s own rules to allow clubs in, sure you all have wind of the pro club conflict now.

The league started off well, but politics and hand shakes will now pull it apart and we will continue to produce mediocre soccer players. we have 100s of millions of people and Denmark can produce 1 world class player a decade and we can’t. Yeah it’s cool, nothing wrong with the system here!

We spend the most money, we have 150 different leagues and platforms that are all the best and we still have no idea how to produce a soccer player…why because we are petrified of competition, when something gets hard we create something easier and avoid proper competition.

Now that u13 is all but done.. has anyone heard of movement on the top teams?

did the MLS Academy teams add / cut many players?

what about the MLS Next Academies? Was there much turnover at these clubs?

Did the ECNL teams have much turnover?

I know DELCO MLS added some new boys. So, I’m guessing they moved or let some kids go. Ukies lots some players to MLS bc parents are tired of their chains getting yanked thinking they were going to get into ECNL this fall. The best Hex player already moved to LVU. Kids are definitely moving. My son’s team moved some kids down to RL. The rest of the team is staying together.

This is all nonsense and why we can’t produce one world class player. We should be adding the best competition at all times to drive the quality and level of the player. This is how the other countries do it. We just think we are America, we can do it better. We get washed up pros and charge $500 to go watch them, our woman’s league is falling down the order and despite all the investment and quality we have on display we can’t produce ONE world class player anything. Yet counties with 4 million people do it multiple times every decade.

DUSC add no soccer quality to the league, they have lower closer to B level teams. They won’t get much better because where are the kids coming from? LISC don’t add anything to the league in terms of quality. Keystone area has MLS clubs there was a campaign to block it. None of these clubs have great or own their own facilities, so how is that adding value to the league?

our kids are being put 2nd in a political old boys act again. It’s why the DA crashed and we are seeing this repeat again.

people will start to get sick of the league adding low level clubs and teams and not adding the stronger teams to the league. I don’t want to do a 6 hour drive to LI to just walk the game.

you can position it what ever way you like, but these adds into the league were poor adds that add nothing to the level or the competition. They come in as bottom 3 clubs and will end the season bottom 3.

i disagree with you.

other countries have existing youth leagues that are established already. New pop up clubs every 3 years don’t get ushered into those existing leagues.

the adds aren’t about bringing in existing “good” teams, which you don’t understand / like. They are about covering untapped areas. As in the locations that don’t have teams or kids that can’t afford the league and offer scholarships. You are thinking short term, while they are thinking long term.

for example: West Virginia came into the league this year. There was no existing team. That’s a location the leagues wants covered so they don’t miss out on potential players from that area who wouldn’t get seen before. Keystone was added because that moves the league further into central PA where there was no existing teams. PA classics is almost 1 hour directly east of them. WV is 100 minutes south of them and The closest team west of them is in Pittsburg 3.5 hours away. LISC was added to
cover kids out in Long island that didn’t have an option before.

Northern NJ is already filled with plenty of options. The best players can and should gravitate to those existing teams in the league already instead of thinking a new team in the exact same area will be added.

Connecticut United FC is going to be completely free that is appealing to get some of the families with lower incomes an equal chance. They don’t have an existing team. Southern States was added to be the 1st team in Mississippi. Carolina Core was added and will be fully free well.

This comment seems like a tone deaf complaint who clearly only sees their side of the argument.

No one is scared of competition. The league adds the best clubs for the league to ensure the league lasts, not the best current “teams”, just like our American soccer culture. Pele, Beckenbauer, Chinaglia all played on the powerhouse Cosmos where it was a 1 team show and the league fell apart and went bankrupt after them, that’s why our MLS league operates the way it does now.

The good “team” is gone in a few years and the league would be stuck with a poorly run club involved. The concern for the league is to cover certain geographical areas of the state / country, and to get all of the kids an equal opportunity to play in the top leagues, not just the rich who had access to private trainers at a young age and had a head start.

If a team wanted to get into the league, they need to get a proper facility, and then offer tons of scholarships to the less fortunate kids that are good enough to play, but can’t afford their hefty tuition. Even still, they might not get in because they are so late to the party to do what everyone else has already done.

from the MLS Next article on the expansion… “Off the field, clubs were required to demonstrate a mission-aligned culture with core values, overall community engagement, holistic development strategies, a strong commitment to access and representation, robust financial aid and scholarship programs, and a forward-thinking leadership team. These characteristics ensured that chosen clubs aligned with MLS NEXT's standards for accessibility, representation, and player development within North America’s most elite platform for youth soccer.”

https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/mls-n...2024-25-season

Ironbound was added last year because they have so many programs in place that allow the less fortunate to play at the highest level. West Virginia was added last year because that geographic region wasn’t covered yet. Keystone was added this year because that central PA geographic region wasn’t covered. Connecticut United was added this year as a fully funded academy. It’s free for those playing. Long Island Soccer Club was added because that area didn’t have a team.

I assume DUSC will be added to the Northeast division. Will LISC also be added to the Northeast? Keystone should be added to the Mid Atlantic.

This is all nonsense and why we can’t produce one world class player. We should be adding the best competition at all times to drive the quality and level of the player. This is how the other countries do it. We just think we are America, we can do it better. We get washed up pros and charge $500 to go watch them, our woman’s league is falling down the order and despite all the investment and quality we have on display we can’t produce ONE world class player anything. Yet counties with 4 million people do it multiple times every decade.

DUSC add no soccer quality to the league, they have lower closer to B level teams. They won’t get much better because where are the kids coming from? LISC don’t add anything to the league in terms of quality. Keystone area has MLS clubs there was a campaign to block it. None of these clubs have great or own their own facilities, so how is that adding value to the league?

our kids are being put 2nd in a political old boys act again. It’s why the DA crashed and we are seeing this repeat again.

people will start to get sick of the league adding low level clubs and teams and not adding the stronger teams to the league. I don’t want to do a 6 hour drive to LI to just walk the game.

you can position it what ever way you like, but these adds into the league were poor adds that add nothing to the level or the competition. They come in as bottom 3 clubs and will end the season bottom 3.

Sad person that is petrified of competition, like our American soccer culture. Avoid the best vs the best. You guys laugh at this while they add in dusc and LIS into our league. Can’t wait to make that Long Island drive to win 9-0. We should want the best clubs in not the crap bottom feeders that they are actually adding because the commissioners son plays there.

This comment seems like a tone deaf complaint who clearly only sees their side of the argument.

No one is scared of competition. The league adds the best clubs for the league to ensure the league lasts, not the best current “teams”, just like our American soccer culture. Pele, Beckenbauer, Chinaglia all played on the powerhouse Cosmos where it was a 1 team show and the league fell apart and went bankrupt after them, that’s why our MLS league operates the way it does now.

The good “team” is gone in a few years and the league would be stuck with a poorly run club involved. The concern for the league is to cover certain geographical areas of the state / country, and to get all of the kids an equal opportunity to play in the top leagues, not just the rich who had access to private trainers at a young age and had a head start.

If a team wanted to get into the league, they need to get a proper facility, and then offer tons of scholarships to the less fortunate kids that are good enough to play, but can’t afford their hefty tuition. Even still, they might not get in because they are so late to the party to do what everyone else has already done.

from the MLS Next article on the expansion… “Off the field, clubs were required to demonstrate a mission-aligned culture with core values, overall community engagement, holistic development strategies, a strong commitment to access and representation, robust financial aid and scholarship programs, and a forward-thinking leadership team. These characteristics ensured that chosen clubs aligned with MLS NEXT's standards for accessibility, representation, and player development within North America’s most elite platform for youth soccer.”

https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/mls-n...2024-25-season

Ironbound was added last year because they have so many programs in place that allow the less fortunate to play at the highest level. West Virginia was added last year because that geographic region wasn’t covered yet. Keystone was added this year because that central PA geographic region wasn’t covered. Connecticut United was added this year as a fully funded academy. It’s free for those playing. Long Island Soccer Club was added because that area didn’t have a team.

I assume DUSC will be added to the Northeast division. Will LISC also be added to the Northeast? Keystone should be added to the Mid Atlantic.

Lolololololol

Sad person that is petrified of competition, like our American soccer culture. Avoid the best vs the best. You guys laugh at this while they add in dusc and LIS into our league. Can’t wait to make that Long Island drive to win 9-0. We should want the best clubs in not the crap bottom feeders that they are actually adding because the commissioners son plays there.