There are going to be alot of p!ssed off parents here soon!

[Unregistered]

Limiting choice, establishing sense of elitism will simply accelerate the decline of club soccer in Oregon. Go back and look, much fewer boys participating today than say 10 years ago. Trying to replicate European club structure in US wont work. Game is not popular enough.

Only 1 DA team in Oregon is plausible. To suggest otherwise is naive.

Westside needs source of $ to fund its ambition, built on scholarship players. All these rumors help them.

FC not merging, only club with resources that can go on its own, and it will.

By the way, Timbers/MLS are not rich.

Rumors are just that... for further reference, check out the thread that said THPRD is kicking THUSC out...

[Unregistered]

These are all rumors.

Seattle is about 2 years ahead of us. We will likely follow Seattle's lead and from what I can tell their soccer clubs are doing fine! Take a look at Crossfire or Eastside in Seattle.

I am sure there will be some changes. I believe they will mostly come from the boy's side because there is the "hope" to play MLS soccer.

There are no incentives from either party (Timbers or Players) on the girl's side. The Timbers have very little to gain and the players do not have the prospect of playing for the Timbers.

The difference, if the information we're hearing is correct, is that the Sounders and WYS focused on the PLAYERS. They realized very early on that clubs exist to service geographies and that there is too much passion and investment in "clubs". Besides, the Sounders don't want the baggage that comes along with clubs.
From what I'm reading here the Timbers are alligning themselves with "clubs". This seems to be very dangerous in the sense that the Timbers are a for-profit business and rely on good public relations. It doesn't seem prudent to piss off thousands of soccer families when these very same families are the ones giving you the season ticket waiting list. Or are they betting that soccer consumers will put aside their club loyalties for the priveledge to spend hundreds of $$ to attend a Timbers game?

[Unregistered]

bad information ...
The three anointed clubs are WSM / ESUFC / VUSA-WSA
All three are adidas clubs (WSA is adidas and VUSA has agreed to leave Nike)

Opinion: unless OSSA / THUSC / FX PDX can pull off the ECNL they are at risk of being high level feeder clubs ... and this is just to save their girls proys.ograms. PDX Timbers own the boys. No one else in OR will have Academy teams.

this seems the most reasonable....if this were true it would strengthen PDX Metro.

Eastside
Westside
VUSA (Northside)

Is it something that will be announced? I want my child to be a part of this

[Unregistered]

supper clubs?

Rumor,

FC Portland and WSM merge, while ESU and OSSA merge to form supper clubs. Both teams have applied to US Soccer DA to compete with Timbers DA (likely just on DA team from the super clubs). Timbers want to force OYSA on all clubs this is the OPL's response.

Smaller OPC / OPL clubs not happy being left out and will join AYSA to form a true second tier option for those not in the super clubs or Timbers DA.

Say it ain't so - our meals will be affected too?

[Unregistered]

The difference, if the information we're hearing is correct, is that the Sounders and WYS focused on the PLAYERS. They realized very early on that clubs exist to service geographies and that there is too much passion and investment in "clubs". Besides, the Sounders don't want the baggage that comes along with clubs.
From what I'm reading here the Timbers are alligning themselves with "clubs". This seems to be very dangerous in the sense that the Timbers are a for-profit business and rely on good public relations. It doesn't seem prudent to piss off thousands of soccer families when these very same families are the ones giving you the season ticket waiting list. Or are they betting that soccer consumers will put aside their club loyalties for the priveledge to spend hundreds of $$ to attend a Timbers game?

Other than the Boys Academy teams the Sounders / WYS / EPD-ODP (whatever?) send their players back to their respective clubs. They have a working relationship with all the DOCs and invite their input and player recommendations. They recognize that the clubs are the foundation and they need all clubs to participate.
(Sounders and Crossfire have their little spat over the Acedemy Teams ... good thing Crossfire found a sponsor or the Sounders would have all the elite players / maybe they do?)
Don't be fooled ... the Sounders and Timbers are all about the boys. Girls soccer is a necessary evil in the overall equation. The Sounders, through their relationship with WYS (Timbers and OYSA?) support the ODP program with the girls and the boys for the younger ages especially.

[Unregistered]

Other than the Boys Academy teams the Sounders / WYS / EPD-ODP (whatever?) send their players back to their respective clubs. They have a working relationship with all the DOCs and invite their input and player recommendations. They recognize that the clubs are the foundation and they need all clubs to participate.
(Sounders and Crossfire have their little spat over the Acedemy Teams ... good thing Crossfire found a sponsor or the Sounders would have all the elite players / maybe they do?)
Don't be fooled ... the Sounders and Timbers are all about the boys. Girls soccer is a necessary evil in the overall equation. The Sounders, through their relationship with WYS (Timbers and OYSA?) support the ODP program with the girls and the boys for the younger ages especially.

Do the Sounders have Academy teams for the girls? What exactly do they add to the girls program? Does the cost go down or are most girls playing ECNL through Crossfire and WPFC?

[Unregistered]

Do the Sounders have Academy teams for the girls? What exactly do they add to the girls program? Does the cost go down or are most girls playing ECNL through Crossfire and WPFC?

No. There is no "Academy" league for girls.
The Sounders partner with WYS and their EPD program
The girls still play with there clubs/teams in whatever league their club subscribes to.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
FROM WYS:
In the past, ODP (Olympic Development Program) was the main piece of our elite player development system. With the new EPD program, ODP will be a part of the overarching, umbrella system of EPD. EPD players will participate in ODP events based on their age group, abilities, but will also have the opportunity to participate in additional programming such as International events, local and Regional Elite Tournaments and college showcases, and Residential Training Programs.

The programs that make up the EPD include:

US Soccer National Player Identification program
• ODP Selected Events
ODP Annual Programming
• Washington Youth Soccer / Sounders FC Player Development Training Program
• Annual State Pool Training Program
State pool training schedule for event preparation & development
• Local & Regional Elite Tournaments / College Showcases
Strategically selected events
Programming that exposes our elite players to the international training methodologies

[Unregistered]

No. There is no "Academy" league for girls.
The Sounders partner with WYS and their EPD program
The girls still play with there clubs/teams in whatever league their club subscribes to.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
FROM WYS:
In the past, ODP (Olympic Development Program) was the main piece of our elite player development system. With the new EPD program, ODP will be a part of the overarching, umbrella system of EPD. EPD players will participate in ODP events based on their age group, abilities, but will also have the opportunity to participate in additional programming such as International events, local and Regional Elite Tournaments and college showcases, and Residential Training Programs.

The programs that make up the EPD include:

US Soccer National Player Identification program
• ODP Selected Events
ODP Annual Programming
• Washington Youth Soccer / Sounders FC Player Development Training Program
• Annual State Pool Training Program
State pool training schedule for event preparation & development
• Local & Regional Elite Tournaments / College Showcases
Strategically selected events
Programming that exposes our elite players to the international training methodologies

So nothing would change for the girls then. ECNL looks like a better choice.

[Unregistered]

FC not merging, only club with resources that can go on its own, and it will.

Wait, have you looked at FC's financials lately? I heard from a couple FC parents the word is...sinking ship. And you they are the only club with resources?? Ha Ha Ha!

[Unregistered]

So nothing would change for the girls then. ECNL looks like a better choice.

In a very broad sense what you are saying about the girls may be correct. Whether ECNL is better or not is debatable and an individual deci$ion.

The Timbers will roll out their girls program and there most likely will be some surprises. They don't look to be following the Sounders/WYS model so there may be some benefit to being associated with one of the three affiliated clubs(?).
In the end I can't believe that a worthy player from a non-affiliated club would be denied access to Timbers programming etc. They may just have to travel to an affiliated club to get it. At some point the club BS has to give way to PLAYERS.

[Unregistered]

At some point the club BS has to give way to PLAYERS.

Well said! I don't see that happening as long as the clubs are in charge. Timbers should not have affiliated themselves like that. It should be about individual players not what club they play for.

So does anyone know who the girls would compete against if they are in the Timbers program? It sounds more like the Timbers are going to link themselves to the girls ODP and that wouldn't change much. If they are going to have actual teams like the boys then who do they play? Are there enough MLS clubs with girls teams for there to be a girls league? Will it all be free like the boys DA is suppose to be?

[Unregistered]

The landscape in the Portland Metro Area is about to change!

Mudslides? It has been raining quite a lot!!!

[Unregistered]

Well said! I don't see that happening as long as the clubs are in charge. Timbers should not have affiliated themselves like that. It should be about individual players not what club they play for.

So does anyone know who the girls would compete against if they are in the Timbers program? It sounds more like the Timbers are going to link themselves to the girls ODP and that wouldn't change much. If they are going to have actual teams like the boys then who do they play? Are there enough MLS clubs with girls teams for there to be a girls league? Will it all be free like the boys DA is suppose to be?

MLS and the Timbers are not going to invest a lot of money in girl's soccer. There is no ROI.
The Timbers will partner with OR ODP for the girls side. No Timbers girls teams like the boys Academy teams. Girl's soccer just a necessary evil to get involved with youth soccer. They must give the appearence they care. Really bad PR if they just focused on boy's soccer.
Bottomline: The Timbers just want that "home grown" player for the PTFC.

[Unregistered]

Just got off the phone with the FC PT front office. They will be announcing their boys academy next week and then roll out the girls side in mid Feb.

The director of coaching for the girls side will be Victor from Vancouver.

[Unregistered]

Just got off the phone with the FC PT front office. They will be announcing their boys academy next week and then roll out the girls side in mid Feb.

The director of coaching for the girls side will be Victor from Vancouver.

YES!!!!!

He can bring down another club!