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**Unregistered** · 10-24-2017, 08:52 AM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

Lets talk WNY soccer.

Within Buffalo soccer, there are multiple high level soccer clubs: GPS, Empire Buffalo, WNY Flash, Buffalo Soccer Academy (BSA). There are also a number of travel level clubs which could be strong (Amherst, Delaware, Niagara Pioneer, Lancaster).

Within Rochester and Syracuse, its the same story. Multiple elite clubs and multiple "strong travel clubs". Rochester Futbol Club, Empire Rochester, DMS, Chili, SDA, United Soccer Alliance, etc.

Why is it that Empire United is the only USSDA team within the whole area?

Doesn't it seem like Buffalo (and Rochester, and Syracuse) are capable of putting together a "best of city" team to play in the USSDA league?

I'm not sure that the current Empire team which takes players from all areas is actually stronger than a "best of buffalo team" or "best of Rochester team", given that the travel involved must keep some kids out. I also think that the various elite clubs within each city get slightly diluted of talent when some of the best go to play for empire. So, we are left with a good but not perfect product in Empire, and we are left with a bunch of elite clubs which are not great.

Thoughts?

I do know those Empire teams are at the bottom of the barrel. WNY Flash is definitely a better program.

**Unregistered** · 10-24-2017, 09:42 AM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

I do know those Empire teams are at the bottom of the barrel. WNY Flash is definitely a better program.

I guess you're referring to the girls, in which case you're right of course.

The boys are a different story.

**Unregistered** · 10-25-2017, 05:07 AM

I don't know anything about Rochester and Buffalo, but it would be interesting to learn about the soccer scene across the state. What about Albany and Schenectady? Black Watch is an Albany club that seems decent.

**Unregistered** · 10-25-2017, 07:25 AM

Albany teams play in New York East, so they don't compete in state cup against the various upstate teams.

**Unregistered** · 10-25-2017, 07:29 AM

State Cup results by City:
2017:
champs top 4 teams
Buffalo 2 5
Rochester 2 10
Syracuse 2 10
Binghamton 1 1
other 0 0

2016:
champs top 4 teams
Buffalo 1 7
Rochester 4 13
Syracuse 1 6
Binghamton 1 2
other 0 0

2015:
champs top 4 teams
Buffalo 2 6
Rochester 2 10
Syracuse 3 9
Binghamton 0 1
other 0 2

**Unregistered** · 10-26-2017, 05:15 AM

It is interesting that all three big cities (buffalo, rochester, syracuse) have 2 very strong teams and then a big drop off.

In Buffalo you have Empire Buffalo and you have GPS Buffalo.
In Rochester you have Empire Rochester and you have Rochester Futbol Club.
In Syracuse you have BYSA and you have SDA.

It must be hard for parents to decide which team their kid should aim for. And of course, once you pick a team, inertia and relationships tend to keep you there.

**Unregistered** · 11-02-2017, 09:48 AM

Western NY - Buffalo vs Rochester vs Syracuse

Why is it that Empire United is the only USSDA team within the whole area?

Doesn't it seem like Buffalo (and Rochester, and Syracuse) are capable of putting together a "best of city" team to play in the USSDA league?

I'm not sure that the current Empire team which takes players from all areas is actually stronger than a "best of buffalo team" or "best of Rochester team", given that the travel involved must keep some kids out. I also think that the various elite clubs within each city get slightly diluted of talent when some of the best go to play for empire. So, we are left with a good but not perfect product in Empire, and we are left with a bunch of elite clubs which are not great.

Why has USSDA selected Empire United and no other club? They reviewed and evaluated the club over a year and based on club's infrastructure, coaching licenses (most have a C or higher), player development, amount of teams in both boys and girls, and lastly location. USSDA wanted to ensure they followed their own guide lines and that we could compete at the regionanl and national level vs larger cities as NY city, Philadephia etc... Empire United did a great job bringing together 3 clubs under one umbrella. Empire Buffalo, Empire Rochester and Empire Syracuse now SDA. This allows the club to monitor and evaluate players around the region to participate on their DA teams. And yes they do take players from outside the club. I am from upstate and no each city cannot provide a great team good yes great no. You will find at this level than only 3 to 5 players per team are really talented players. So if you follow the theory you will get 15 to 20 top players per ussda team in upstate. This is not to say this is the correct process, but it does work on the boys side(Works for ODP too). The girls DA will continue to grow and improve. Now for upstate ny we need to stop reinventing the wheel. In rochester alone we have to many premier clubs and it produces on the average mediocre teams. Example most teams locally VERY strong against poor competition, but place them in the region 1 league or national league and they struggke with lack of talent depth on a team. If we look at the strongest teams in region 1 they will have 18 to 20 A players from those teams they add A+ players to their academies. We shoukd be demanding to have a relegation system in any of our leagues. That would create more players to move up the ladder vs down. My two cents.

**Unregistered** · 11-02-2017, 12:29 PM

I think promotion and relegation (both youth teams and mls) would go a long way towards improving soccer in the US.

**Unregistered** · 11-03-2017, 06:32 AM

For the Empire DA teams, how do the kids from Buffalo and Syracuse deal with commuting to Rochester for all the practices?

**Unregistered** · 11-03-2017, 08:54 AM

Western NY - Buffalo vs Rochester vs Syracuse

Its a challenge and a major commitment for the commuters of either city. But you can also add kids from Cortland, Ithaca, Utica and the greater Adirondack region. But to be fair the same challenges occurs at any other DA team within the system as they pull talent from their surrounding region. The ideal solution would be to have a resedential system at the DA level. Some MLS clubs already do this Philadephia Union and Salt Lake City. If they could implement this at some point in the future it would ease with transportation challenges and talent identification, but how will non MLS teams support such and endevour without proper funding and/or a dedicated school for the kids to attend? There is a movement from the MLS clubs to have residency programs in the near future as we try to establish a system similar to Europe. Keep in mind that most European Clubs spend about 600 to 780 hrs of training per year. We are about half the way there, which explains at times why we are not as successful at the world cup stage. The positive we continue to move in the right direction.

**Unregistered** · 11-03-2017, 11:30 AM

Western NY - Buffalo vs Rochester vs Syracuse

My daughters DA team has played EU twice now, and they have improved from the first encounter, which is great for them. However, can someone at EU please send the videos of the games from Saturday??????

**Unregistered** · 11-07-2017, 07:23 AM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

Its a challenge and a major commitment for the commuters of either city. ........The ideal solution would be to have a resedential system at the DA level. .....

Wouldn't the ideal solution be that each major city has one single DA team, so that the "excessive travel" is not such a problem?

**Unregistered** · 11-11-2017, 11:22 AM

Western NY - Buffalo vs Rochester vs Syracuse

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

Wouldn't the ideal solution be that each major city has one single DA team, so that the "excessive travel" is not such a problem?

No. I think you have to be a realist about the players technical and tactical ability within each city and age group. Its impossible for each city in Upstate to generate the same player pool as NY city or Philadelphia etc... Example Orlando City gets about 1200 kids for any given tryouts at the 02 age group. We may get maybe 40 to 50 per city. So Orlando will have a much higher probability to select 20 A+ players for their DA team in the 01/02 group. We may get 5 per city per team. How will we compete with teams that just have frankly more talent and a larger pool. That is the reality at this level of soccer and to add everyone to the league will not help develop solid good players vs cities that frankly dwarf us in numbers. It is the same in Europe as players are from all over the map. Again the fault with us soccer "no residency program allowing players to reside and train cost free." Clubs and coaches would freely select the best player if it did not affect the bottom line. MLS clubs are starting to do this.

How will having 3 DA teams help Upstate NY in terms of soccer? Other than line the wallets of a club with additional monies and give them the me too argument. We have plenty of those right now in the Thruway league, Regional league from us youth soccer and us club soccer. Plenty of clubs competing, but look at their results year over year and we dont always land in the finals. You can see the same performance result after each state cup final. Win here loose at Regionals or Nationals. I may not agree with everything, but the Empire United Academy may be the best way for WNY kids to play at a level beyond their individual comfort zone. The crappy part yes you will have to travel.
Hey its better than traveling 4 to 5hrs to another DA.
Again my 2 cents.

**Unregistered** · 11-11-2017, 11:27 AM

Western NY - Buffalo vs Rochester vs Syracuse

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

My daughters DA team has played EU twice now, and they have improved from the first encounter, which is great for them. However, can someone at EU please send the videos of the games from Saturday??????

If you tell me the age and team and date. I can send a text to one of the coaches I know.