End of Club soccer as we know it in New England

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Wasn't the whole premise that the best play on the best? That was how it worked in the past, you never saw a Mewis or Brock on a second place team.

Finally. That's where this is coming from. You are pissed that the mass soccer world didn't flock to your D's team despite all her accolades.

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Wasn't the whole premise that the best play on the best? That was how it worked in the past, you never saw a Mewis or Brock on a second place team.

What about all the other age groups - when the best players weren't as accomplished as those two? Maybe today's superstars just aren't as super.

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Finally. That's where this is coming from. You are pissed that the mass soccer world didn't flock to your D's team despite all her accolades.

That's what it has always been about

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What about all the other age groups - when the best players weren't as accomplished as those two? Maybe today's superstars just aren't as super.

Last I looked her team was ranked #1 in the state and in the top 10 in the country. Doubt that is the issue.

[Unregistered]

Finally. That's where this is coming from. You are pissed that the mass soccer world didn't flock to your D's team despite all her accolades.

Wow Perspective, you are just full of venom today.

[Unregistered]

Last I looked her team was ranked #1 in the state and in the top 10 in the country. Doubt that is the issue.

Which if true really makes one wonder what the obsession is about bright and early every day on this site. For heaven's sakes, what could possibly be the problem?

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Wow Perspective, you are just full of venom today.

Nope not P.

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Last I looked her team was ranked #1 in the state and in the top 10 in the country. Doubt that is the issue.

Then I suppose the next logical question is, where is the evidence of dilution?

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Of course you are.

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Wow Perspective, you are just full of venom today.

Seriously! Is there any question he has a bee in his bonnet about that player? That was pretty nasty. It also seemed like the whole reason for putting up the Aztec WPSL roster was to draw attention that she was on it so she could be bashed. That other thread "A new Player from Mass at U17 National Camp" also seemed like a set up to bash that specific player. When you read the U14 threads there certainly seems to be a concerted effort to trash the other NEFC NT hopefuls as well. Is it all just a coincidence or is all of this part of a smear strategy to discredit any notable player that doesn't play for the Stars. After all those specific players do support the idea of that different paths do work and also fly in the face of the Stars centric themes.

[Unregistered]

One can understand why people wouldn't like promo-relegation because it IS a rather unpleasant process but the counter reasoning that teams are not diluted now that it no longer impacts the club soccer scene flies in the face logic. Go look up the definition of dilution in any context (finance, chemistry, law, etc) and you will find that they all basically state that whenever you add more of something you are by definition diluting it. It is a law of nature.

We have most certainly added way more teams than we would have had years ago. By my rough count on Gotsoccer we have 83 U14 club teams, 52 U15 club teams, 52 U16 club teams, and 46 U17 club teams active in this state. It is a fact that is more than double the number of teams we would have had years ago. We have in fact diluted club soccer in this state.

The notion that the are still only 4-5 top teams in the state is accurate. That hasn't changed. What isn't accurate is the assumption that those rosters are as strong as they were in the past. The current top teams are not weak at the top of the roster, they are weak at the middle and bottom of their rosters. There are now players on the rosters of those top teams that would not have even been close to making such a team years ago. To put it bluntly, the depth of the current top teams, sucks. The problem is more pronounced at what would have been the bottom of the old MAPLE D1 and in MAPLE D2. Those teams are incredibly diluted now because the players that would peculated up to strengthen them are now spread out over dozens of essentially redundant teams.

The argument that the best players still migrate to the best teams is nothing but pure parental ego speaking. One person choosing what they feel is a "best" team does not constitutes a trend? How was it even determined that their "best" team is in fact the best? That process no longer exists. In its place is nothing more than marketing spin. In the absence of things like promo-relegation and state cups everyone now gets to call their team great, but are they really?

The fact is there nothing forcing players in any particular direction other than marketing hype so there is absolutely no way you have the concentration of talent you once had when there were such forces. Even in this thread, posters are interjecting things like their convenience into the mix of decision making factors when choosing a club. That line of thought absolutely has impacted the quality of teams around now. It stands to reason that when there are dozens of teams to pick from and none really have demonstrated any significant dominance over the others it is normal for personal preferences to become the deciding factor. Everyone basing their club choice on personal preference is not necessarily a bad thing, it just doesn't lead to a heavy concentration talent at any particular club simply because there is no universal consensus of what constitutes the "best" team.

If people want to argue that the status quo is fine for them, that is their prerogative. Different strokes for different folks and all. The idea however, that things have not changed is simply ridiculous. The fact that environment has changed radically over the last 5 years is indisputable. The fact that we have all these new leagues is the proof. The impact of that change has in fact significantly diluted the competitive levels and the idea that we should all accept that is hardly a universal thought. That is just one myopic view on an anonymous forum.

So in case readers got lost, the above was the very first post of the day.

Just more of the same, and the same facts as opinion.

Nothing more classic than "The fact that environment has changed radically over the last 5 years is indisputable." Indisputable? Really? Except that bright people often argue the exact opposite.

Or "The argument that the best players still migrate to the best teams is nothing but pure parental ego speaking." Nothing but parental ego? Better players don't drift to the best teams anymore? So Stars and NEFC Elite don't have a large portion of the best players? Wow.

Or without promo/relegation to determine the best teams we are left with "nothing more than marketing spin." Nothing more. Not even just some marketing spin. Or a dollop. Now there is not a shred of substance at all. The better teams are just mirages. They don't exist -- except and only as "marketing spin."

Or this beauty -- that there isn't a "heavy concentration of talent at any particular club" because there is "no universal consensus" of what constitutes the best team. Huh? So the fact that not everyone agrees (hardly bizarre given biases and allegiances) means by definition that there isn't a better or best team? Not possible that there is a best team and some simply refuse to accept it, as evidenced by the rampant and impenetrable denial seen on TS everyday?

And then we got 10 more pages of nonsense.

[Unregistered]

Thanks Perspective!

[Unregistered]

Then I suppose the next logical question is, where is the evidence of dilution?

Exactly. That's the point. If the team is that good and highly ranked what is the friggin problem? Why have an erection about dilution that doesn't even exist, or if it does exist impacts others and not the poster obsessed about it???

[Unregistered]

Now-the acute realization here is very, very few players make it to college on a soccer scholarship. The ones that do are almost exclusively ECNL players.

So as long as you have the right attitude and manage your expectations you should be fine...

What about the 7 or 8 NEFC U19's who just completed their first year playing D1 soccer? No ECNL, no NPL. Northeast Region 1 league only. All got partial to full scholarships to Pittsburgh, BU, West Point etc. And what about the Stars and Scorpion ECNLs who are currently playing at D2 and D3 schools?

Why this weird obsession with insisting that only ECNL players get recruited to D1 schools? Why the pathetic need to justify your choices and begrudge or belittle those players who took a different path? You're either a a shill for the Stars or you're pissed off that some players took a less costly route to D1.

The following quote shows the ignorance of this poster:

"All got partial to full scholarships to Pittsburgh, BU, West Point etc."

This exchange from the 2015 Girls Commitment thread says it all. As if there is no Stars agenda here. Perspective where is all of your indignation over this obvious agenda or are you finally willing to admit that you are the chief proponent of that agenda and that you are actually here almost 24/7 furthering it.

[Unregistered]

Seriously! Is there any question he has a bee in his bonnet about that player? That was pretty nasty. It also seemed like the whole reason for putting up the Aztec WPSL roster was to draw attention that she was on it so she could be bashed. That other thread "A new Player from Mass at U17 National Camp" also seemed like a set up to bash that specific player. When you read the U14 threads there certainly seems to be a concerted effort to trash the other NEFC NT hopefuls as well. Is it all just a coincidence or is all of this part of a smear strategy to discredit any notable player that doesn't play for the Stars. After all those specific players do support the idea of that different paths do work and also fly in the face of the Stars centric themes.

That's pretty egocentric. No one even mentioned that, and several teams were listed. But must have been frosted when the other underage player was highlighted so much.

Also incredibly deceitful when we know exactly who pulled up those old threads, and here's a hint. It definitely wasn't P.