Former USMNT player Eddie Johnson thoughts on ECNL College Showcase

[Unregistered]

Only a matter of time before most GDA fans will chime in and crow about their league. I'd like to see what he has to say about that league as well.

It's been 3 hours so far.

But, why insist on deflecting away from the point. Someone with more experience than anyone on here things the play of the ECNL U17 girls is trash.

That's it.

You don't even try to deny it...just deflect it away. That's more telling than any GDA blowhard coming on to make any statements.

"Yeah, we suck...but you suck too!" Nice....

[Unregistered]

While it was quite a pivot, I think the overall message from Eddie's tweets is that nothing that is in play now - ECNL, GDA, NPL, EDP, a million other acronyms, or College Soccer is producing the quality of players needed to continue to compete at the national level.

The priorities in US youth competitive soccer are:

1) Profits ($)
2) Salaries ($)
3) Scholarships ($)
4) Egos
5) Bragging Rights
...
130) Player Development
131) Affordability
132) Accessibility

Not sure why you put College soccer in there. There are absolutely programs that do and are developing great, international level players. The problem is its starts too late in many cases.

The other issue is that some programs that win a lot most certainly are NOT doing it and yet no one has the guts to really call them out on it. In fact the opposite happens. They are revered for winning.

lastly, lets not ignore that fact that the US WNT has won consistently WITHOUT playing progressive soccer and the RoW shows no real sign of changing that narrative any time soon.

[Unregistered]

Not sure why you put College soccer in there. There are absolutely programs that do and are developing great, international level players. The problem is its starts too late in many cases.

The other issue is that some programs that win a lot most certainly are NOT doing it and yet no one has the guts to really call them out on it. In fact the opposite happens. They are revered for winning.

lastly, lets not ignore that fact that the US WNT has won consistently WITHOUT playing progressive soccer and the RoW shows no real sign of changing that narrative any time soon.

See: Girls 2007 Thread, The

[Unregistered]

ECNL is nothing more than a marketing brand. My daughter plays ECNL, and sometimes I'm dismayed at what I see at games. It leaves me scratching my head.

Especially FSA.

[Unregistered]

It's been 3 hours so far.

But, why insist on deflecting away from the point. Someone with more experience than anyone on here things the play of the ECNL U17 girls is trash.

That's it.

You don't even try to deny it...just deflect it away. That's more telling than any GDA blowhard coming on to make any statements.

"Yeah, we suck...but you suck too!" Nice....

EJ does not have more experience of what drives womens soccer than many on here. The mens game and what works is fundamentally different because it has pro stakeholders who do benefit from developing GLOBAL talent. That is not the womens game.

I respect his knowledge of the game but think he is being a little naive in his criticism. The system on the girls side reflects where the incentives are, just like the mens game does

[Unregistered]

EJ does not have more experience of what drives womens soccer than many on here. The mens game and what works is fundamentally different because it has pro stakeholders who do benefit from developing GLOBAL talent. That is not the womens game.

I respect his knowledge of the game but think he is being a little naive in his criticism. The system on the girls side reflects where the incentives are, just like the mens game does

And, the end result is a trash product. Just admit it. It's ok, doesn't make you some ogre or love your kid less. Just admit it's trash. Nobody will hate you over it.

Players can identify play. Talkers can identify talk.

[Unregistered]

See: Girls 2007 Thread, The

saw nothing there of relevance. you need to be more specific

[Unregistered]

And, the end result is a trash product. Just admit it. It's ok, doesn't make you some ogre or love your kid less. Just admit it's trash. Nobody will hate you over it.

Players can identify play. Talkers can identify talk.

sorry, but i dont follow. Ive said many times, its ALL trash. The system is flawed. It only assigns value to the WNT and the success they have could be replicated if you picked a different cast of players. The WNT CREATES stars because they dont really play that many competitive games. Style of play etc only evolves over time from either a need to evolve to win OR a soccer culture that demands it.

Currently the USA has neither.

It means that no one has any incentive to develop better players because no one gets paid to do it. Until the NWSL or whatever pro womens league become viable for ALL players AND you create a pipeline that rewards people fro developing players capable of playing at that level AND earning a good living, it wont change.

Im not one of the GDA ECNL or any other league apologists because my kid plays or played in either.

youve got the wrong person. I would put my knowledge of the womens game and its drivers up against EJ anytime.

[Unregistered]

youve got the wrong person. I would put my knowledge of the womens game and its drivers up against EJ anytime.

Okie-dokie

[Unregistered]

And, the end result is a trash product. Just admit it. It's ok, doesn't make you some ogre or love your kid less. Just admit it's trash. Nobody will hate you over it.

Players can identify play. Talkers can identify talk.

forgot to add that it may be aesthetically trash to you , it sure is to me, but UNTIL it loses NT games, no one is going to care. We just brought in a coach who i supposed to be great. His first squad is all the same players with the addition of another technically limited, straight line, high volume shooter.

Progressive? I dont think so. Until the RoW starts beating the USA, and I dont mean at youth level, because that has happened......

[Unregistered]

There is no incentive to pick the best players and play attractive soccer.

[Unregistered]

EJ does not have more experience of what drives womens soccer than many on here. The mens game and what works is fundamentally different because it has pro stakeholders who do benefit from developing GLOBAL talent. That is not the womens game.

I respect his knowledge of the game but think he is being a little naive in his criticism. The system on the girls side reflects where the incentives are, just like the mens game does

How naive must he be to ask that the players simply keep the ball on the deck? Is that really to much to ask at a U17 level ECNL or DA?

No matter the social economic constructs that support each league the fact remains, the kids should be capable of keeping the ball on the deck.

[Unregistered]

How naive must he be to ask that the players simply keep the ball on the deck? Is that really to much to ask at a U17 level ECNL or DA?

No matter the social economic constructs that support each league the fact remains, the kids should be capable of keeping the ball on the deck.

I think that's the point being missed in the effort to make this about GDA or his lack of "qualifications" to comment. Anybody who has played the game should be able to look at what is being produced and be disappointed in it.

I don't think the bill payers (parents) care because:

* Most have no clue
* Kids are running around and the ball goes really high so it must be good
* They honestly do not care because they are in it for an ROI, not to learn the game

[Unregistered]

68 million dollars more in scholarship money is available in women’s college soccer. That’s per year. Roughly a quarter billion more $ available for women to compete for than men in the college game.

This is the product you get when the endgame is mediocre college soccer over the endgame of pro contracts on the men’s side.

[Unregistered]

* They honestly do not care because they are in it for an ROI, not to learn the game

And why wouldn't they be?

My D does into her senior year of college this year. Having seem every one of her games over the the past 3 years, including many top 25 programs, it is very, very obvious & clear that college ball is more of an extension of the HS game, eg physical, direct and kickball rather than euro-trash club style of possession and buildup.

And you know what? I don't care. At all.

I am simply grateful for the scholarship dough. And that's alright.