Wrong. It is because the Timbers want to control all soccer so they can maximize their profit off Oregon youth soccer. Call it a Timbers soccer tax.

That may be true at the Timbers level . . .however the amount of negative posts on here by some alliance coaches is remarkable.

Maybe they have decided that they will lose their top girls no matter what and would prefer they go to a place they might have some influence (Thorns) v. a place they do not (either of the ECNL clubs). With Thorns Academy, at least they can be some sort of king makers; no such influence in the ECNL world.

Not sure those alliance clubs really care what someone says in anonymous chat rooms, but the anti-ECNL posts on here over the last 2 years . . . have been off putting to a (former) neutral.

I'm not sure I like ECNL monopolizing and dominating the college recruitment pipeline for girls--and if you listed to all the ENCL boosters in this forum, that's exactly what they've done, and they're all proud of it too. (They eagerly, and at every opportunity, announce that any girl who is any good HAS to join ENCL if she wants a career, and that therefore the other teams all stink). That, in and of itself, is a reason for US Soccer to form the GDA, to make the recruiting market more competitive again. D1 coaches and scouts won't like it--they probably like not having to scout high school games and state tournaments--but until the NCAA adapts the Laws of the Game and gets rid of their ridiculous shamateurism rules, tough tatas for them.

If nothing else, "showcase" events should be open; and not restricted to players from a small set of clubs based on affiliation. (And if an event is truly a "showcase"--meant to highlight talented athletes with D1 potential for scouts, as opposed to a competitive team tournament, I'm not sure teams or clubs--all of whom likely contain players who aren't NCAA material and are of no interest to scouts--are the right unit of attendance. Let the players attend solo, clubs be formed at camp, and athletes be knocked out of their comfort zone a bit--if you're that good, you should be able to show it on any competent team).

Other than that, I don't care about ECNL vs GDA vs the local clubs or whatnot. Let a thousand flowers bloom and all of that.

Man I agree with a lot of this, although if GDA were to become dominate on girls' side we would be facing the same issues you highlight today in the ECNL.

I've become a bit radicalized on league structure - closed leagues at the pro and youth level inevitably lead to league wars . . . not sure if there has been anything more damaging to US Soccer over the years than those wars.

Here is to a better tomorrow!

I can only speak for myself and my experience (parent of an ECNL player). I have nothing against thorns academy and welcome the competition. If ECNL has another "elite" league out there as an option it will push them to do a better job. The timing isn't good for us to consider a change (next two years are her main recruiting years) and we have been happy with our ECNL experience overall. But competition is good.

I think 99.9% of the negativity posted against both sides is by parents who are afraid of their kid getting left behind or making the wrong decision. Trying to tear down the other side to prop themselves up. It's actually very sad. Make your decision and be happy with it and don't second guess or look back. We did that and it's been a great ride so far.

A little secret I can share in a chat room (coming from a non-alliance club): I am happy for Westside that Thorns got the GDA. They have an outlet for their players. . . . just wish the ECNL bashing never started and wish it would stop.

I think everyone would be surprised at how much money the Timbers are making off youth sports.

My guess it's two or three parents on each that just keep repeating themselves over and over and over....

Agree. Pick a team, any team, and be happy. If your child is a superstar, they will be a superstar regardless. If your child is average, they will stay average regardless of which team they are on - even if the team is supposedly "elite". All this bickering is ridiculous.

No more closed leagues. US Soccer should impose a rule: No league shall prohibit any club/team therein from entering any competition of its choosing.

90% of the parents, (the sane ones), don't give a crap about the infighting between these stupid leagues and clubs. We just want a sensible structure.

Look the whole experience is WAY to expensive and nonsensical, regardless of club and league affiliation, but a more united format, whether that was everything flowing towards ECNL (if it was one team), or if everything flows through the GDA, is just obviously better, full stop.

Not sure I quite understand this? "Westside now has an outlet for their players"?
Youth clubs don't own the players. Players and parents are free to choose where they want to play.
Westside payers are free to tryout for the ECNL just as any other player from any club.
And in 2017 choose between the GDA and ECNL.
What do you mean they have an outlet for their players?

It means that the coaches who work at building something can hand off their players to someone who won't bad-mouth and might actually support their efforts.

Say what you want about FC and Crossfire (Oregon), but at this point they have a model to support elite girl players from u11 to u18. Once ECNL came to town, made it very difficult for Westside to hold onto HS-aged players inside their system.

That trend has been pushing itself younger and younger - girls' players have been foregoing alliance clubs altogether in Portland or jumping to FC/Crossfire earlier - look for example at state cup results . . . use to be Westside and Eastside would be very strong in the young girl age groups, that simply didn't happen this year. Thorns Academy gives Westside an "elite" path without leaving their club.

At the end of the day though, you are right, families can always switch clubs. Today FC and Crossfire families have elite options without leaving their club; Thorns might give Westside that too.

Closed leagues mean more money for those running the leagues and clubs, and for US Soccer. US Soccer doesn't want a truly open competition model. If they did, why would they just start a brand new closed league in the GDA? No way the So Cal Blues of the world want to put their teams up against any old hillbilly team from the backwoods that might, once in a blue moon, actually beat them...