Does NEFC regret their Revs Alliance?

[Unregistered]

It's not hard to see that US Soccer will incrementally add DA age groups to NEFC over the coming years. The 2004 group will continue to participate within DA each year going forward until NEFC is granted full DA status.

Do the regret their Revs alliance now that they're competing against them? Will they cancel it? Revs are getting all the intel they need to pick them clean of talent.

[Unregistered]

It's not hard to see that US Soccer will incrementally add DA age groups to NEFC over the coming years. The 2004 group will continue to participate within DA each year going forward until NEFC is granted full DA status.

Do the regret their Revs alliance now that they're competing against them? Will they cancel it? Revs are getting all the intel they need to pick them clean of talent.

Not sure the alliance will make that much of a difference. If NEFC kids want to try for a spot at the Revs, they would do so with or without the alliance. Revs would have been easily able to scout NEFC for players without an alliance, while playing them at the U13/U14 ages, and could have always sent scouts to the U12 games (might be a little extra work, since with the alliance, the U12 players come to them for ID days...).

[Unregistered]

Top players will almost always be picked off by full DA clubs/Revs. So is it better to offer families a better/more clear path and use that as a marketing tool? Or go it alone in this increasingly competitive marketplace and STILL lose your top players? I think you'd agree the former is probably a better play.

[Unregistered]

Top players will almost always be picked off by full DA clubs/Revs. So is it better to offer families a better/more clear path and use that as a marketing tool? Or go it alone in this increasingly competitive marketplace and STILL lose your top players? I think you'd agree the former is probably a better play.

So admitting the better path for your child is to leave our club and go to Revs even though we offer the same thing is good marketing?

[Unregistered]

So admitting the better path for your child is to leave our club and go to Revs even though we offer the same thing is good marketing?

Yes. Here's why: the Revs would get their pick of the best players anyway as they are the only MLS/fully-funded academy in the area. With the Alliance, NEFC gets to say they are partnered with the Revs and have a "developmental pathway" to a professional team, just like the Breakers. They will get to continue to develop kids who don't quite make the cut with the Revs and bring in fees for it while reinforcing the "Alliance" by sending a couple of kids to the Revs. Great marketing at the cost of a couple of kids' yearly dues.

Not for nothing, but the Revs staff have been trying to push younger players from other clubs who are on the Revs radar to NEFC, so the partnership is not one-sided and not just for marketing...

[Unregistered]

So admitting the better path for your child is to leave our club and go to Revs even though we offer the same thing is good marketing?

Are you pissed that your son won't best playing with the better players and your son will always play second fiddle. You should be happy regardless who kids have options available to them.

[Unregistered]

Not for nothing, but the Revs staff have been trying to push younger players from other clubs who are on the Revs radar to NEFC, so the partnership is not one-sided and not just for marketing...

They actually push them to Valeo. That will become even more likely now that NEFC competes with the Revs. The Revs are all about the Revs.

[Unregistered]

Are you pissed that your son won't best playing with the better players and your son will always play second fiddle. You should be happy regardless who kids have options available to them.

What the heck does this mean? I'm talking about marketing. I find it odd that NEFC is selling themselves as a fall back.

[Unregistered]

Yes. Here's why: the Revs would get their pick of the best players anyway as they are the only MLS/fully-funded academy in the area. With the Alliance, NEFC gets to say they are partnered with the Revs and have a "developmental pathway" to a professional team, just like the Breakers. They will get to continue to develop kids who don't quite make the cut with the Revs and bring in fees for it while reinforcing the "Alliance" by sending a couple of kids to the Revs.

If I'm not mistaken the GDAP NEFC teams will actually be called Breakers and they'll wear Breakers jerseys.

Do the NEFC boys DA teams wear Revs uniforms? Do they really have a "developmental pathway" to any professional team?

You're making a marketing mental leap.

Why reinforce the "Alliance" when you're 5 years away from fully competing against the Revs at every age group?

The Revs have demonstrated a clear bias towards funneling players into the Valeo system. I know several families that were "encouraged" wink, wink, to sign with Valeo. I fully expect the children of those families will be playing with the Revs next season.

As it stands NEFC lets Revs coaches prance around their training sessions taking stock of players that they will in turn poach. NEFC loses. Frame it any way you like to but it all adds up to the very same thing. NEFC becomes a fall back, a B team. If you actually believe there's no such thing as bad press I guess you could spin this.

[Unregistered]

If I'm not mistaken the GDAP NEFC teams will actually be called Breakers and they'll wear Breakers jerseys.

Do the NEFC boys DA teams wear Revs uniforms? Do they really have a "developmental pathway" to any professional team?

You're making a marketing mental leap.

Why reinforce the "Alliance" when you're 5 years away from fully competing against the Revs at every age group?

The Revs have demonstrated a clear bias towards funneling players into the Valeo system. I know several families that were "encouraged" wink, wink, to sign with Valeo. I fully expect the children of those families will be playing with the Revs next season.

As it stands NEFC lets Revs coaches prance around their training sessions taking stock of players that they will in turn poach. NEFC loses. Frame it any way you like to but it all adds up to the very same thing. NEFC becomes a fall back, a B team. If you actually believe there's no such thing as bad press I guess you could spin this.

I know of examples of Revs coaches telling players to sign with NEFC DAP as well. It isn't just Valeo. As far as the marmeting messaage being a leap for the boys, it is what it is while NEFC is not a full Academy system. NEFC has to compete with Bolts and Seacoast Academies somehow and the easiest is a marketing partnership with the Revs... not ideal, but as I said in the previous post, the Revs would have gotten those NEFC players anyway. Now NEFC can spin it to their advantage, at least to those parents who aren't familiar with the DAP landscape in MA.

[Unregistered]

Yes. Here's why: the Revs would get their pick of the best players anyway as they are the only MLS/fully-funded academy in the area. With the Alliance, NEFC gets to say they are partnered with the Revs and have a "developmental pathway" to a professional team, just like the Breakers. They will get to continue to develop kids who don't quite make the cut with the Revs and bring in fees for it while reinforcing the "Alliance" by sending a couple of kids to the Revs. Great marketing at the cost of a couple of kids' yearly dues.

Not for nothing, but the Revs staff have been trying to push younger players from other clubs who are on the Revs radar to NEFC, so the partnership is not one-sided and not just for marketing...

Sounds like some Bolts players are turning down the Revs. Smart given the development track record in Foxboro. I guess people are less attached to NEFC.

[Unregistered]

Sounds like some Bolts players are turning down the Revs. Smart given the development track record in Foxboro. I guess people are less attached to NEFC.

Don't be fooled. I know for a fact that the Bolts heiarchy troll this site. Most players that have the option to go to Revs will take the offer.

[Unregistered]

Don't be fooled. I know for a fact that the Bolts heiarchy troll this site. Most players that have the option to go to Revs will take the offer.

Give it a rest. No Bolt parent would even think of torturing their son in Foxboro. Better training, sane parents, no drama.

[Unregistered]

Give it a rest. No Bolt parent would even think of torturing their son in Foxboro. Better training, sane parents, no drama.

Seems true, this past year anyway. Revs drama on here has been highly entertaining, lots of parents trashing their kid's teammates, coaches, lack of training, etc. Bolts people seem relatively stable in comparison and, from an outsider's perspective, a more positive environment to have your kid develop.

[Unregistered]

Seems true, this past year anyway. Revs drama on here has been highly entertaining, lots of parents trashing their kid's teammates, coaches, lack of training, etc. Bolts people seem relatively stable in comparison and, from an outsider's perspective, a more positive environment to have your kid develop.

Bolts have been a DA club for the past 8 years and still can't develop the quality of the 3 new U12 clubs. You can spin it all you want but Bolts are just average at developing players. They need the other clubs in the area more than any other DA club in New England. If everything was level playing field I would bet GPS and NEFC would led the pack through all age groups of the DA in New England.

Games Wins Tie Losses Pts Pts/Game Thru
NEFC 46 27 10 9 91 1.97826087 May 29
GPS 40 22 7 11 73 1.825 May 27
Valeo 44 22 9 13 75 1.704545455 May 28
Bolts 42 18 10 14 64 1.523809524 May 13
Oakwood 46 18 7 21 61 1.326086957 May 29
Seacoast 46 12 9 25 45 0.9782608696 May 28
Bayside 44 8 2 34 26 0.5909090909 May 27