PDA is a wrecking crew

[Unregistered]

sure, if you goal is to win Club titles. not sure how that helps the players tho

For most girls playing at this level, the goal is playing in college... I think PDA is doing a pretty good job. I'm sure if Oakwood or CFC had won 3 national titles this year, you'd also be questioning whether it was "helpful" to the players, right?

[Unregistered]

Board of directors (with hawks, eclipse and stars).
They block additions of any clubs in NJ to ECNL so that every other club is just a feeder stream to PDA.
Granted themselves 2 teams in ECNL.
Look at their income statement - even for 2016 its $4m with $700k in profit

Exactly, which is why those clubs were never going to go all-in with GDA, Makes no financial sense to do that for them.

What's funny is they send their minions out to rail against GDA, when their practices had a direct result in the creation of it.

[Unregistered]

Exactly, which is why those clubs were never going to go all-in with GDA, Makes no financial sense to do that for them.

What's funny is they send their minions out to rail against GDA, when their practices had a direct result in the creation of it.

ECNL exists because US Soccer didn't care enough about the girls side to create the GDA 12 years ago when they did it for the boys. GDA is pay to play, just like ECNL. There are no free academies like there are on the boys side. Although, the timing worked well for US Soccer--create the GDA shortly after the members of the USWNT really started fighting (after the 2015 World Cup) for equal treatment (now it's a full-on lawsuit)....

[Unregistered]

ECNL exists because US Soccer didn't care enough about the girls side to create the GDA 12 years ago when they did it for the boys. GDA is pay to play, just like ECNL. There are no free academies like there are on the boys side. Although, the timing worked well for US Soccer--create the GDA shortly after the members of the USWNT really started fighting (after the 2015 World Cup) for equal treatment (now it's a full-on lawsuit)....

GDA started the ball rolling over 3 years ago, with the first season two years ago. It was, somewhat, to appease the women's crowd looking for equal opportunity (of course, then they complained because girls aren't like boys so they shouldn't have made it EXACTLY the same....).

But, ECNL saw an opportunity a decade ago, created a league, called it "Elite", and set themselves up opportunistically to ensure they would get all the talent for themselv...er...for their clubs. It's a brilliant marketing idea. Just be honest about it.

cha-ching.

[Unregistered]

GDA started the ball rolling over 3 years ago, with the first season two years ago. It was, somewhat, to appease the women's crowd looking for equal opportunity (of course, then they complained because girls aren't like boys so they shouldn't have made it EXACTLY the same....).

But, ECNL saw an opportunity a decade ago, created a league, called it "Elite", and set themselves up opportunistically to ensure they would get all the talent for themselv...er...for their clubs. It's a brilliant marketing idea. Just be honest about it.

cha-ching.

So Oakwood, NEFC and the other NE teams are not making money off of GDA? OK....

[Unregistered]

So Oakwood, NEFC and the other NE teams are not making money off of GDA? OK....

Of course they are. All clubs making money. The difference is they aren't getting a financial gain from the Seacosts and SSS and all the other clubs in GDA. They have no ownership stake in USSoccer.

The ECNL Mafia reaps the rewards from the clubs who pay the fees. That's the perks of putting the wolves in charge of the chicken coop. You get to pick the chickens you want and discard those you want.

Again, it's brilliant.

[Unregistered]

GDA started the ball rolling over 3 years ago, with the first season two years ago. It was, somewhat, to appease the women's crowd looking for equal opportunity (of course, then they complained because girls aren't like boys so they shouldn't have made it EXACTLY the same....).

But, ECNL saw an opportunity a decade ago, created a league, called it "Elite", and set themselves up opportunistically to ensure they would get all the talent for themselv...er...for their clubs. It's a brilliant marketing idea. Just be honest about it.

cha-ching.

I’m not even sure what your point is? All clubs make money. As for why the ECNL began, that’s on the shoulders of US Soccer. As someone said, they started the DA for the boys but didn’t want to spend the money for the girls, so a group of clubs got together and did it for the good of the game, and sure to put a few dollars in their pockets. Imagine if they hadn’t done it. The women might be as lousy as the men.

[Unregistered]

I’m not even sure what your point is? All clubs make money. As for why the ECNL began, that’s on the shoulders of US Soccer. As someone said, they started the DA for the boys but didn’t want to spend the money for the girls, so a group of clubs got together and did it for the good of the game, and sure to put a few dollars in their pockets. Imagine if they hadn’t done it. The women might be as lousy as the men.

Again, I'm not blaming them. They saw an opportunity to make some money and ran with it.

Just be upfront with the real reason why these clubs weren't going to be in DA along with ECNL. It's purely a financial decision, had nothing to do with all the other bullshlt we read about.

Now, if they didn't have exclusionary practices, GDA never would've been formed as ECNL could've easily filled the void. Instead, they instituted a model that means if you travel alot, it must be better.

[Unregistered]

“Now, if they didn't have exclusionary practices, GDA never would've been formed as ECNL could've easily filled the void.”

You couldn’t be more wrong. It wasn’t a bunch of clubs who were excluded from ECNL who formed GDA, it was a power grab by US soccer. The stated purpose of GDA is to find NT players. Why do they need a whole league to do that? They don’t. It’s all about controlling the market and making $.

[Unregistered]

“Now, if they didn't have exclusionary practices, GDA never would've been formed as ECNL could've easily filled the void.”

You couldn’t be more wrong. It wasn’t a bunch of clubs who were excluded from ECNL who formed GDA, it was a power grab by US soccer. The stated purpose of GDA is to find NT players. Why do they need a whole league to do that? They don’t. It’s all about controlling the market and making $.

You are about 10 years late to the game with that one. ECNL has been practicing this tactic well before GDA was started.

If the ECNL mafia had allowed for more regional play vs. the 4-hour trip we all love so much, none of the N'East clubs would've joined GDA. That is a known fact. Some, after years of trying, eventually took the GDA bait as the only real option.

They eliminated competition and drove players to their own clubs (thereby lining their pockets more)

Cha-ching

As I've mentioned several times...it's a fantastic business model and I commend them for it. Why not just admit it? There's no shame in making a buck.

[Unregistered]

Whether GDA would have formed (nation wide) or whether north east clubs would have joined if they had an ECNL option are two entirely different points.

I’m pretty sure US soccer’s decision to form a nation wide GDA League was not based on throwing a lifeline to Oakwood & Co who were “unjustly” excluded from ECNL.

[Unregistered]

Whether GDA would have formed (nation wide) or whether north east clubs would have joined if they had an ECNL option are two entirely different points.

I’m pretty sure US soccer’s decision to form a nation wide GDA League was not based on throwing a lifeline to Oakwood & Co who were “unjustly” excluded from ECNL.

No, of course not a lifeline. That was never the assertion. But, if most of the clubs that are in GDA now were happy in ECNL, it's doubtful they would move.

Without some quality clubs in the area, GDA would be looking even to lower tiers to fill them out. So, they do tie together as GDA saw an opportunity, which the Mafia made for them.

[Unregistered]

You are about 10 years late to the game with that one. ECNL has been practicing this tactic well before GDA was started.

If the ECNL mafia had allowed for more regional play vs. the 4-hour trip we all love so much, none of the N'East clubs would've joined GDA. That is a known fact. Some, after years of trying, eventually took the GDA bait as the only real option.

They eliminated competition and drove players to their own clubs (thereby lining their pockets more)

Cha-ching

As I've mentioned several times...it's a fantastic business model and I commend them for it. Why not just admit it? There's no shame in making a buck.

The ECNL clubs are tryout only to get the best players together within those regional areas to allow for the strongest competition. If kids want in, they are forced to put in the effort to be at that level. That’s why the model works. If you focus on more local regional play, it would water down the product. I’m not trying to be a d!ck, that’s how I see the concept and agree with it. Sure, you’re not going to get everybody but you’re going to get the majority. And to get that product, you’re going to have to travel. My two cents. You could agree or not.

[Unregistered]

For most girls playing at this level, the goal is playing in college... I think PDA is doing a pretty good job. I'm sure if Oakwood or CFC had won 3 national titles this year, you'd also be questioning whether it was "helpful" to the players, right?

i would need actual evidence of what schools the PDA kids are going to and how recent ones have done BEFORE i commented on what type of job they were doing. I cannot comment based on National titles.

PDA won an ECNL title with the 2000 group. i dont think that team had a disproportionate amount of top players than the teams they faced or many that did not even make the final. I dont think thye had more high level commits either.

In fact if you go look at how those kids did as freshmen in college or their YNT resumes post PDA, its not remarkable.

im not questioning whether its helpful to players. Im stating categorically that winning club games and becoming an impact college player are not really linked. One does not necessarily equal the other.

Thats all.

[Unregistered]

The ECNL clubs are tryout only to get the best players together within those regional areas to allow for the strongest competition. If kids want in, they are forced to put in the effort to be at that level. That’s why the model works. If you focus on more local regional play, it would water down the product. I’m not trying to be a d!ck, that’s how I see the concept and agree with it. Sure, you’re not going to get everybody but you’re going to get the majority. And to get that product, you’re going to have to travel. My two cents. You could agree or not.

In theory, that's fine. In practice, though, it misses the mark. If there teams that weren't their equal being excluded, your point would fit. That's not the case, though.