GDA v ECNL - 2018

[Unregistered]

Yes, the dominance they have created on the mens side is astounding. Anyone know who selects the U20 players???

I think they do it by tossing a coin. oh that may be how they pick their staff and tech directors as well.

[Unregistered]

Mexico just beat our under 20’s to win the Concacaf championship. First time ever the us hasn’t won the competition. Thanks ECNL. You’re producing quality players. Overtime vs Haiti, yes Haiti, now a pk loss to Mexico. Da should have been implemented years ago.

Get used to it. First time US didn't win or even get into top bracket in Olympics which went to PK's as well. Did you see the Nike Friendlies in FL in December? U20's finished 3rd. Not 1st, not even 2nd. 3rd out of 4. Many of those same kids on this U20 roster. Many of the failed WC U17 kids on this roster.

Oh and Canada actually lost to Haiti.

[Unregistered]

Get used to it. First time US didn't win or even get into top bracket in Olympics which went to PK's as well. Did you see the Nike Friendlies in FL in December? U20's finished 3rd. Not 1st, not even 2nd. 3rd out of 4. Many of those same kids on this U20 roster. Many of the failed WC U17 kids on this roster.

Oh and Canada actually lost to Haiti.

Oh the humanity that our U20 girls team didn't win (we have crazy expectations for the women) ...... We can't find 11 guys across this entire country to play on our silver team to rout Bosnia. Yes we should wage a battle on another front with ODP ..... Great idea. What was that saying about throwing stones if you live in a glass house?

[Unregistered]

Really? So if US soccer had better coaches they would be able to take undertrained players who take a few months off from focused training to play high school soccer and just whip them into shape in time to compete internationally? Okay.

DA isn't going to fix that issue either. Practice 4 times a week (sometimes 3) for 1.5 hours per session under the watch of also poorly trained coaches. HS aged layers elsewhere practice far more. Then in the US they move onto college teams where the motivation is to win games, not develop NT or pro players. Meanwhile players 16-22+ internationally are training and playing on professional teams full time. This isn't just about ECNL or playing HS soccer. The entire system needs a complete rethinking. But rather than try something different on the women's side they chose to copy the failing BDA system.

[Unregistered]

So you think the only way you are successful on the international stage in coaching is to have an accent? There are some very good college coaches, but the old boys' network which has robot females desperately seeking affirmation by them, won't let them pierce into their money making enterprise. face it, USSF is no better than FIFA.

And these players are ECNL picks that were the same ECNL failed picks in the U17 WC epic fail as well.

So after five months the players that moved into DA are magically that much better? Same clubs and coaches, not even all the same talent as what was in ECNL but DA is going to fix it? Ok sure. It's worked wonders for the men's game.

[Unregistered]

My daughter is a better player now, she had a great and according to her, memorable fall season, much better than if she had played HS soccer. Yes, she plays in a soft division, yes it gives you a false sense of competitiveness, but she will be challenged at the Spring Showcase, and the DA playoffs, so that is why she will train hard, for those events. We left ECNL because I thought the training was not great, it was glorified HS, without the glory.

[Unregistered]

My daughter is a better player now, she had a great and according to her, memorable fall season, much better than if she had played HS soccer. Yes, she plays in a soft division, yes it gives you a false sense of competitiveness, but she will be challenged at the Spring Showcase, and the DA playoffs, so that is why she will train hard, for those events. We left ECNL because I thought the training was not great, it was glorified HS, without the glory.

It all depends on what DA club you go to and what level athletes you are training with. Speed of play isn't going to improve if you are training 4 times a week against JV players that avoided high school soccer because they couldn't make the varsity roster. Until 50-100 talented players show up for GDA tryouts and the talent level improves it isn't going to get any better. Parents are fooling themselves if they believe putting a US Soccer training regimen in place is going to make their daughters great players. Training with the best players and competing for playing time is what improves them

[Unregistered]

It all depends on what DA club you go to and what level athletes you are training with. Speed of play isn't going to improve if you are training 4 times a week against JV players that avoided high school soccer because they couldn't make the varsity roster. Until 50-100 talented players show up for GDA tryouts and the talent level improves it isn't going to get any better. Parents are fooling themselves if they believe putting a US Soccer training regimen in place is going to make their daughters great players. Training with the best players and competing for playing time is what improves them

you have to start somewhere. For me its not the number of structured practices, its the lack of time to do your own unstructured stuff. If you look at Haiti, Jamaica or even Mexico they all have players who are good on the ball, can beat a player with more than just pace and do something creative. These skills first practiced under no stress. Playing with a ball. They are then honed in competition creating confidence. On the girls side, we reeally dont have much of this. Its all structure.

We worship the teams that win. Often it boils down to 2 factors - better athletes and/or well drilled in set pieces. rarely is it wow we were blown away by their creativity, better movement and incisive play.

As far as making great players, lets be honest, how many ave you seen in the ECNL or GDA? I mean kids who you say, with the right coaching and mindset, that kid has all the tools . I would not be shocked if she went a long way. Ive been around it for as long as my kids played - 8 years or so . and I think ive seen maybe 15 players in that time

its not an ECNL/GDA issue. Its a culture issue.

[Unregistered]

GDA or the Highway....

It all depends on what DA club you go to and what level athletes you are training with. Speed of play isn't going to improve if you are training 4 times a week against JV players that avoided high school soccer because they couldn't make the varsity roster. Until 50-100 talented players show up for GDA tryouts and the talent level improves it isn't going to get any better. Parents are fooling themselves if they believe putting a US Soccer training regimen in place is going to make their daughters great players. Training with the best players and competing for playing time is what improves them

She plays for one of the better NY DA clubs, no need to be exact. The girls on her team are mostly older than her, so she had to step-up, and she has, for there are no excuses with her coach, he is tough, tough, tough and expects 100% effort, the rest, of course, is on the players.

And No, my DA bumper-sticker has not created a helicopter-frankenstein, I was already that

[Unregistered]

My daughter is a better player now, she had a great and according to her, memorable fall season, much better than if she had played HS soccer. Yes, she plays in a soft division, yes it gives you a false sense of competitiveness, but she will be challenged at the Spring Showcase, and the DA playoffs, so that is why she will train hard, for those events. We left ECNL because I thought the training was not great, it was glorified HS, without the glory.

and we know exactly who you are bonehead

[Unregistered]

Oh the humanity that our U20 girls team didn't win (we have crazy expectations for the women) ...... We can't find 11 guys across this entire country to play on our silver team to rout Bosnia. Yes we should wage a battle on another front with ODP ..... Great idea. What was that saying about throwing stones if you live in a glass house?

What are you talking about? Read the Stars & Stripes article. Pretty telling.

[Unregistered]

So after five months the players that moved into DA are magically that much better? Same clubs and coaches, not even all the same talent as what was in ECNL but DA is going to fix it? Ok sure. It's worked wonders for the men's game.

There may be some spots, yes. Also, I agree with the other poster, it shows that ECNL wasn't/isn't the answer, either.

[Unregistered]

There may be some spots, yes. Also, I agree with the other poster, it shows that ECNL wasn't/isn't the answer, either.

No it wasn't but USSF opted to go it alone rather than try to work with ECNL and/or do something different than recreate a flatlined BDA

[Unregistered]

you have to start somewhere. For me its not the number of structured practices, its the lack of time to do your own unstructured stuff. If you look at Haiti, Jamaica or even Mexico they all have players who are good on the ball, can beat a player with more than just pace and do something creative. These skills first practiced under no stress. Playing with a ball. They are then honed in competition creating confidence. On the girls side, we reeally dont have much of this. Its all structure.

We worship the teams that win. Often it boils down to 2 factors - better athletes and/or well drilled in set pieces. rarely is it wow we were blown away by their creativity, better movement and incisive play.

As far as making great players, lets be honest, how many ave you seen in the ECNL or GDA? I mean kids who you say, with the right coaching and mindset, that kid has all the tools . I would not be shocked if she went a long way. Ive been around it for as long as my kids played - 8 years or so . and I think ive seen maybe 15 players in that

its not an ECNL/GDA issue. Its a culture issue.

Agreed. Some of it is over saturation of the perceived high level teams/clubs. How many teams have even 11 high level kids? My kid's team which is a very good team has about 7. The next 6 are good not very good and the others are better players for the opponent many times. Combine that with a coach that doesn't understand the mid to back part of the field and what do you get? 7 kids that want to win more than the others & the coach want to loose.

Doesn't that describe many teams? And that is the problem. Clubs need to put like minded players together. Many spread them out to have multiple competitive teams. That's how they justify the fees and have spots. It's all about the money train nothing else.

[Unregistered]

Oh the humanity that our U20 girls team didn't win (we have crazy expectations for the women) ...... We can't find 11 guys across this entire country to play on our silver team to rout Bosnia. Yes we should wage a battle on another front with ODP ..... Great idea. What was that saying about throwing stones if you live in a glass house?

Crazy expectations? They didn't play storied teams. They played teams that have no money. They don't practice on the best fields. But, what they do have are spots on US college teams.