Big league news

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Aztec is folding. Boys coaches going to NEFC. Girls to Stars.

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Stop it. Not if they are from separate regions and each region is good enough on its own. Both Bolts East and Seacoast Bedford would be 2nd teams from their clubs, but both are strong enough to stand on their own. Based on merit instead of laundry, the league should be happy to have them.

NAL isn't MLS or ECNL Girls. They're not trying to create super-regional teams that are so good they have to travel half way across the country to find comparable competition. For most of the kids in the NAL (boys side), it's a second tier league that offers a damn good balance of competition and travel. It will be even better with these new teams. There's enough nonsense in youth soccer that doesn't work. Just look at the Look at the 2nd tier mess on the girls side if you want to see something that is broken. Instead of one good 2nd tier league like the boys have, they're all split into ECRL1, ECRL2, DPL, and NAL. If you can't appreciate that the 2nd level on the boys side is pretty well consolidated and one of the bright spots in youth soccer, you're just a person who isn't happy unless he's miserable. I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts because club soccer tends to make a mess of good things after a while.

was supposed to be the pathway to MLS and now it’s just a bunch of regional messes with not true second teams in a club. Young club soccer is a mess.

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was supposed to be the pathway to MLS and now it’s just a bunch of regional messes with not true second teams in a club. Young club soccer is a mess.

the real pathway to parents wallets

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NAL boys announced that NEFC South, IFA West, and Bolts South Shore are joining.

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NAL boys announced that NEFC South, IFA West, and Bolts South Shore are joining.

NAL needs some help only 2-3 good teams per age group

[Guest]

NAL parent here - yeah it’s been fascinating to see the quality spread. No real pattern. Best teams include both 2nd teams to strong MLS franchises and non-MLS teams where the NAL is their top team. Top and bottom of the table vary a lot by age group except Valeo is almost always last.

[Guest]

With Bolts SS, IFA West, NEFC South, you’ve got pretty much all of the top teams in the state per the rankings app in either MLS Next or the NAL. Exceptions are Western United (a solid independent club), Liverpool in some age groups, Aztec in some age groups, and NES Navy in a few age groups. And then the one holdout of FC Stars who i would assume sort of has to stay in the ECNL b/c of their stature and commitment on the girls side.

[Guest]

With Bolts SS, IFA West, NEFC South, you’ve got pretty much all of the top teams in the state per the rankings app in either MLS Next or the NAL. Exceptions are Western United (a solid independent club), Liverpool in some age groups, Aztec in some age groups, and NES Navy in a few age groups. And then the one holdout of FC Stars who i would assume sort of has to stay in the ECNL b/c of their stature and commitment on the girls side.

Rankings are a joke. Some teams like nefc navy are ranked higher because they player lower skilled teams and win. But nefc navy and red essentially combined to become apex and will be the NAL team. So time will tell what that actually looks like. Liverpool is crumbling more every year and again don’t play very skilled teams in their league. They will fold into seacoast any day now like the girls side. That western United team is legit in some age groups, too bad they aren’t in NAL. It will mean more games in the division which is good, just seems to be watering down the system but time will tell on all of it.