2013-2014 Boys U11 Top Teams (MA)

[Unregistered]

Umm.. more than a "grain of salt." Unlike last year, MAPLE doesnt have enough good teams to create one good division, let alone two. It already looks like, at best, there might be a total of six decent teams between these two divisions. If they haven't already done so, these teams should be pushing MAPLE to limit the Blue section in Spring to six teams. Better to play some teams twice--home and away--than to have the top division filled out with games that are walkovers. I doubt MAPLE will do it, but that is what should happen.

And because this is what MAPLE should do, we know it won't happen.

[Unregistered]

So who should be in Div 1/Blue in the Spring?

[Unregistered]

So who should be in Div 1/Blue in the Spring?

Based on current results, looks like Valeo, Strikers, NU, Ocean State, PTUSA and then one other team. Right now that might be Liverpool or FC Mass, based on their performances. I suppose you could make a case for Spartans too and make it an 8 team division, but then you are starting to stretch.

[perspective]

The second and third teams of clubs are usually players whose parents have seen them play on third or fourth level town teams and feel that their kid is not being challenged enough and much better than the rest (so, it's relative). So, they tryout for a club team and are placed on a lower team. These parents probably see the rest of the lower team as subpar compared to their own kid and definitely welcome a guest player or two for games. After all, this guest player emulates what this parent thinks his or her own kid should be executing.
And why, with the same coaches and programs within a club, they are not executing is the question these parents should be facing. It's the lower level teams that improve without the guest players that are actually developing and this reflects good coaching. This is what parents should be looking at. Winning or losing streaks are not reflective of this because you can't control the order of the teams you play. Hence, the scam with club soccer.

Would you mind explaining how your last sentence follows from the rest of post? I was following you, and then, bam, seems like gratuitously tossed in something unrelated just to get a rise.

Some of these posts over the last couple of pages seem way off to me. Parents want their kids to play, period. Doesn't matter if it's at a regional event, DAP or ECNL, Region 1, a club's C or D team, or in town soccer. 99% of parents are not going to want guest players if that means their kid is going to play significantly less. We're talking U11, right??!!! Most parents would trade a win for an extra 20 minutes of play time for their kids any day. From a business point of view, clubs (and I think this is most of them) screw up by having too many kids on rosters for a few extra dollars while alienating major portions of their customer base. That's part of the reason this entire idea about the club's being huge businesses seems so silly to me. In other words, to use the words apparently love here, club soccer would be more of a "scam" if more of the customers were happy.

[Unregistered]

Would you mind explaining how your last sentence follows from the rest of post? I was following you, and then, bam, seems like gratuitously tossed in something unrelated just to get a rise.

Some of these posts over the last couple of pages seem way off to me. Parents want their kids to play, period. Doesn't matter if it's at a regional event, DAP or ECNL, Region 1, a club's C or D team, or in town soccer. 99% of parents are not going to want guest players if that means their kid is going to play significantly less. We're talking U11, right??!!! Most parents would trade a win for an extra 20 minutes of play time for their kids any day. From a business point of view, clubs (and I think this is most of them) screw up by having too many kids on rosters for a few extra dollars while alienating major portions of their customer base. That's part of the reason this entire idea about the club's being huge businesses seems so silly to me. In other words, to use the words apparently love here, club soccer would be more of a "scam" if more of the customers were happy.

Occasional club pass players won't anger parents. Mass influx will cause upheaval. I don't expect, or suspect, that many clubs would try something like that anyway.

[Unregistered]

Occasional club pass players won't anger parents. Mass influx will cause upheaval. I don't expect, or suspect, that many clubs would try something like that anyway.

Well, on the opposing teams that have to deal with teams that have penciled-in-rosters, I say rack up the score! That'll learn you! :)

[Unregistered]

Occasional club pass players won't anger parents. Mass influx will cause upheaval. I don't expect, or suspect, that many clubs would try something like that anyway.

As a club parent of a level 2 player, I would not mind one or two guys coming down to help with the ball movement. But those players should not play the majority of the minutes.

Flip the discussion 180, I would definitely not want a player that is below the level of our team to use the club pass unless it prevented a forfeit.

[Unregistered]

As a club parent of a level 2 player, I would not mind one or two guys coming down to help with the ball movement. But those players should not play the majority of the minutes.

Flip the discussion 180, I would definitely not want a player that is below the level of our team to use the club pass unless it prevented a forfeit.

Right but even then you have to have less than 6?? or 5?? to forfeit. Our team had to play with 7 players one game and since we only have one U11 team, they played as is.

[Unregistered]

Based on current results, looks like Valeo, Strikers, NU, Ocean State, PTUSA and then one other team. Right now that might be Liverpool or FC Mass, based on their performances. I suppose you could make a case for Spartans too and make it an 8 team division, but then you are starting to stretch.

Strikers beat a team that should be moved to the Purple division. THEN, they beat a team that ACTUALLY got moved, by MAPLE, to the Purple division. They squeaked by Hammer by a goal. Then they tied Spartans.

That hardly puts you in MAPLE Division 1.

The rest of the way they play 4 of the bottom 5 teams and Valeo. They'll end up 7-1-1 by default, but they won't have played anyone.

[Unregistered]

Strikers beat a team that should be moved to the Purple division. THEN, they beat a team that ACTUALLY got moved, by MAPLE, to the Purple division. They squeaked by Hammer by a goal. Then they tied Spartans.

That hardly puts you in MAPLE Division 1.

The rest of the way they play 4 of the bottom 5 teams and Valeo. They'll end up 7-1-1 by default, but they won't have played anyone.

Strikers are a very good team. Hammer is tough, played WU evenly, doesnt matter what their record is. Would be a real mistake to take either lightly, Valeo certainly won't.

[Unregistered]

Strikers are a very good team. Hammer is tough, played WU evenly, doesnt matter what their record is. Would be a real mistake to take either lightly, Valeo certainly won't.

Hammer barely beat a Weymouth town team last week.

[Unregistered]

Hammer barely beat a Weymouth town team last week.

And they lost to WU by one goal, one of the two best teams in the state.
What's your point?

[Unregistered]

And they lost to WU by one goal, one of the two best teams in the state.
What's your point?

The same point could be made for WUP, which has really only played weak teams as well. I would hardly call them one of the two best teams in the state.

[Unregistered]

The same point could be made for WUP, which has really only played weak teams as well. I would hardly call them one of the two best teams in the state.

Who are the best teams in the state?

[Unregistered]

The same point could be made for WUP, which has really only played weak teams as well. I would hardly call them one of the two best teams in the state.

WUP was not at the Stars Preseason either. Now that all the teams have settled in with their new players, the top 5 could beat each other on any given day, and that includes NEFC Central. Let's see WUP up against Valeo or NU before anyone assigns them as one of the top 2 in the state. I assume these teams will all converge at one of the March tournaments (NEFC, Scorpion, or Manhattan). That will be fun to watch.