ECNL-DA club jumping season is upon us

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Penn Fusion was a venture started by Spirit Soccer Club of Downingtown (United Sports Center) with help from a lessor club West Chester SC. Spirit United SC, as a club, pulled out of Penn Fusion after a few years and did a complete take-over of FC Delco. FC Delco had pretty much folded and needed Spirit United to take them over so they didn't get the boot from the DA. Girls were never a factor. Spirit (Penn Fusion) thought they were going to end up with DA, GDA and ECNL, and that Penn Fusion, FC Delco and Spirit would all join together. That never happened, as ECNL didn't allow for both DA and ECNL, so Spirit United and FC Delco took the BDA and became Continental FC, and now back to being called FC Delco, and Spirit United lost it all! FC Delco is a youth farm system for the Philadelphia Union DA. It's a place for the Union to store DA players. The FC Delco has direct oversight from Philadelphia Union DA, which don't care about the girls side of the club and it shows in a huge way. West Chester Soccer Club just fell into Penn Fusion. Spirit United built it well, and West Chester has maintained it and is growing it. So there can never be a merger as the Union wouldn't want it.

Thanks. That’s something really informative on here for a change. So who do you think are the three most likely candidates for an ecnl spot in the PA-MD era.

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When the majority of the top kids play at one site, you go, one stop shopping. As a coach of some very good ECNL teams, I’ve had kids end up playing all over the country. Most of my players don’t stay local.

First, you’re no ECNL coach. Second, for every 1 kid that commits outside of the Northeast, there are 10 others that stay in the Northeast. And for the 1 kid that did go elsewhere, they are probably good enough that the college coaches knew who they are and could have recruited them without flying the entire team out West.

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The ECNL will not be adding a team from New England to the Northeast division. They will go to Maryland or Penn. NEFC and Penn Fusion have zero chance of ever getting into ECNL. I would go with Pipeline or Beadling

Wasn't Penn Fusion in ECNL before GDA was created?

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Yes and the left for GDA. Been trying to get back in ever since.

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Yes and the left for GDA. Been trying to get back in ever since.

I have no idea if true, nor do I care, but isn't that a bit vindictive and hypocritical? If they are a quality club (I have my doubts) and if they could play in ECNL (I think they can) and if the market could bear their inclusion (I think it can), why wouldn't they?

Didn't Stars try to put their best players in DA, leaving one back in ECNL, and they basically run the league here in NE?

Aren't there lots of comments whining about how USSF is vindictive about offering only spots for their NT teams (save for a few) from DA?

(Just thought I'd add one more comment in parenthesis)

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Yes and the left for GDA. Been trying to get back in ever since.

Seems like ECNL has welcomed back many clubs who originally left for GDA. Why would they not take Penn Fusion back?

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Seems like ECNL has welcomed back many clubs who originally left for GDA. Why would they not take Penn Fusion back?

1. They don’t want to return to ECNL.
2. PDA South replaced them, and PDA doesn’t want theM back.

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First, you’re no ECNL coach. Second, for every 1 kid that commits outside of the Northeast, there are 10 others that stay in the Northeast. And for the 1 kid that did go elsewhere, they are probably good enough that the college coaches knew who they are and could have recruited them without flying the entire team out West.

I was an ECNL coach for many years. Feel free to give me a quiz. I was also a USYS coach prior to the ECNL, and the travel schedule was very similar. I’ve placed hundreds of players at universities, and sure, many stuck within 4 hours of home, but we gave an opportunity to players to go beyond that, and many did. Whether there was USYS or ECNL/DA mandated travel, high-level teams were already doing it, and it wasn’t because of college recruitment, it was to play against top teams from across the country and sometimes internationally. We were already sending our teams to Dallas Cup, Tampa Sunbowl, Phoenix Presidents Cup, The Robbie Cup, CASL and Bethesda, in the 1980’s, before any of these national leagues. The top teams and clubs were already doing it and playing against clubs doing the same. The majority of those clubs are today’s DA/GDA and ECNL clubs.

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I was an ECNL coach for many years. Feel free to give me a quiz. I was also a USYS coach prior to the ECNL, and the travel schedule was very similar. I’ve placed hundreds of players at universities, and sure, many stuck within 4 hours of home, but we gave an opportunity to players to go beyond that, and many did. Whether there was USYS or ECNL/DA mandated travel, high-level teams were already doing it, and it wasn’t because of college recruitment, it was to play against top teams from across the country and sometimes internationally. We were already sending our teams to Dallas Cup, Tampa Sunbowl, Phoenix Presidents Cup, The Robbie Cup, CASL and Bethesda, in the 1980’s, before any of these national leagues. The top teams and clubs were already doing it and playing against clubs doing the same. The majority of those clubs are today’s DA/GDA and ECNL clubs.

I would add Surf Cup and Richmond Youth Soccer Metropolitan Tournament (now called Jefferson Cup) as destinations, and there were few college coaches attending those events then as ODP was the main form recruitment until DA and ECNL started. Teams played for the competition, to get better.

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I would add Surf Cup and Richmond Youth Soccer Metropolitan Tournament (now called Jefferson Cup) as destinations, and there were few college coaches attending those events then as ODP was the main form recruitment until DA and ECNL started. Teams played for the competition, to get better.

That’s your take, but doubt most families understand that and the leagues’ and clubs’ marketing doesn’t help. I was responding originally to the poster who suggested that more realignment or stratification of leagues was necessary to accommodate college coaches and recruiting. It’s not necessary to spoon feed coaches. They generally know what they are looking for.

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Did you see

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https://www.eliteclubsnationalleague...020-21-season/

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DA death spiral continues.

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https://www.eliteclubsnationalleague...020-21-season/

Try this link https://www.eliteclubsnationalleague...020-21-season/

NC Courage and United Futbol (GA) are out. Another division just became a lot less appealing from a competitive quality and traveling standpoint.

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Boy you freaks really need to get a grip. A lot more things to worry about right now that the dlck-measuring for youth soccer.