Ecnl

[Unregistered]

My DD plays in Vancouver. We have U15 tryouts in May for the 2014/2015 year. We will form teams and play all summer, just to have a few of the top (or well off) players leave for the greener pastures of the ECNL, leaving our teams in Vancouver watered down.

Just like last summer when the G96 Reds imploded mid-summer. Players scattered all over the map once the top players left.

[Marbull]

Im going to assume that at least a couple of families will move across the river into P-Town so their DD wont have to be a discovery player.

[Unregistered]

The Thorns academy was announced last year. About as long as weve been arguing about one of the local clubs getting into the ECNL.

Who's to say that the MLS isn't behind this and forcing each of their franchises to form Academy's (like the mens program) ? Maybe it's not by a choice of their own (maybe it is).

Just because the two clubs were chosen into the ECNL and the league is the top form (today) for girls to play in, doesn't mean the MLS isn't looking to join or capitalize on the ECNL movement.

I would assume the Thorns are also after the "home grown" player for their "A" team and if they can lock them up at an early age, that's a plus. If they are first to form such a team, other franchises might be looking to them as a training/scouting arena to buy from.

I dont know and of course I am speculating some/all.

Without a doubt, MLS is not forcing each club to form a girls academy. They have bigger issues to deal with, and being a Thorns "home grown" player means nothing.

[Unregistered]

Im going to assume that at least a couple of families will move across the river into P-Town so their DD wont have to be a discovery player.

Being a discovery player isn't such a bad deal. ECNL is all about exposure. The current Portland-area discovery players on WA ECNL teams are guaranteed a level of exposure on strong, well-established teams. For them, joining with one of the new Portland teams would be a crapshoot. They may find themselves on an inferior team that won't get the same level of exposure.

Besides, there is a certain cachet associated with being a discovery player. Teams only get 2, so they reserve those spots for true difference-makers. College recruiters certainly know this.

[Unregistered]

That's becasue your numbers are too high

I find it hard to fathom the idea that there are 48 (2 teams of 24) ECNL level players at every age group.

Thus one of the two ECNL teams from each age group is going to be heads/tails above the other both initially and most likely forever (we just don't have the population to support it). Once a team gains success, others try and flock there if the price is the same.

Unless both these organizations can keep their costs at a minimum, staff it with the right coaches (not the ones with the longest tenure or highest ranking within the club) that can/will draw players into the programs and keep them there, one or both clubs ECNL program are doing to die a slow painful death at the expense of our pocket books. They will not loose money, but rest assure you and I will pay the same even if the results are not what we expect them to be. As much as we (and I) want this, Im just not sure we can support it.

Then [IF] the Thorns do get their program up and running and at a (rumored) cost the same as the boys DA ($500/yr), what effect will that have on these clubs ? Assuming they form a league or find one that will accept their teams in it. The cost savings alone is going to draw players to it, thus weakening these ECNL clubs even more.

Is there an option that either of these clubs can drop from ECNL allowing the other to stay ? How about one team at a certain age group ? What if after a couple of years, one club fails to even draw enough players to form a team, then what ? Id hope that the club doesn't try and raise fees to all club members to offset the loss of income to support those teams. This is exactly what they fought so hard against OYSA about (player fees used to supplement the ODP program)

Ive got an older, so much of the "what if's" and "down the road" will have little to no effect on her and our family, but I do want this to benefit all that are coming up.

The reason you can't fathom is because you don't know how ECNL teams are structured. They do not fill their benches with "bodies" because parents footing that bill EXPECT field time and they want quality players to practice against. Typically you will see 16 field players and 2 goalies. So that drops the number of required field players down to 32. Now add in the four out of area Discovery Players and you are looking for 28 field players from the immediate area. If you are saying that from Vantucky to Salem there are not 28 players you simply have not been paying attention.

THE question is can BOTH clubs find enough players with the $'s. I question FC's ability to populate their teams given their geography and historical opposition to working with other clubs.

[Unregistered]

Exposure would be almost the same.

Being a discovery player isn't such a bad deal. ECNL is all about exposure. The current Portland-area discovery players on WA ECNL teams are guaranteed a level of exposure on strong, well-established teams. For them, joining with one of the new Portland teams would be a crapshoot. They may find themselves on an inferior team that won't get the same level of exposure.

Besides, there is a certain cachet associated with being a discovery player. Teams only get 2, so they reserve those spots for true difference-makers. College recruiters certainly know this.

The strength of the team is not a measure of the exposure your DD will experience in the ECNL. ALL ECNL teams go to the three national show cases where there are seen by any where from 125 to 250 Colleges coaches watching about HALF the number of teams that they have to wade through at Surf's or Vegas.

All ECNL teams go to the first round of the National playoffs where 300 coaches will be wandering the sidelines again watching about half the number of teams at the other national show cases.

No doubt if they play on a top team their other team mates would attract more coaches eyeballs but the lesser teams play against these teams too so your DD has an opportunity to be seen regardless of the success of her team.

[Unregistered]

It's exciting for ECNL to have come to the PDX area but.....

what does that do when these top teams don't compete in OPL now?

OPL just got weaker....the ecnl reserve teams will not be anywhere near as good as the top teams they have now.

specifically looking at the '01 and '00 age group.....THUSC at '00 was decent but Lake O at '00 was terrible....at '01 THUSC and Lake O were two teams that struggled all year long. I feel as though the OPL just took a heavy hit to talent to an already weak league.

[Unregistered]

The strength of the team is not a measure of the exposure your DD will experience in the ECNL. ALL ECNL teams go to the three national show cases where there are seen by any where from 125 to 250 Colleges coaches watching about HALF the number of teams that they have to wade through at Surf's or Vegas.

All ECNL teams go to the first round of the National playoffs where 300 coaches will be wandering the sidelines again watching about half the number of teams at the other national show cases.

No doubt if they play on a top team their other team mates would attract more coaches eyeballs but the lesser teams play against these teams too so your DD has an opportunity to be seen regardless of the success of her team.

Certainly even playing on a weak ECNL team will get you SOME exposure. But if you are a Division 1 college scout attending an ECNL event, you are not going to watch every game. Are you more likely to watch good team A play crappy team B, or good team C play good team D? Which game is going to have more players who are potential recruits? Further, good team A is going to advance in the playoffs further than crappy team B, and thus have more opportunities to appear.

[Unregistered]

It's exciting for ECNL to have come to the PDX area but.....

what does that do when these top teams don't compete in OPL now?

OPL just got weaker....the ecnl reserve teams will not be anywhere near as good as the top teams they have now.

specifically looking at the '01 and '00 age group.....THUSC at '00 was decent but Lake O at '00 was terrible....at '01 THUSC and Lake O were two teams that struggled all year long. I feel as though the OPL just took a heavy hit to talent to an already weak league.

and FCPDX had their *****es handed to them last year at the '00 age group and they are the second best team in OPL.
'01's are good and that is it.

[Unregistered]

Certainly even playing on a weak ECNL team will get you SOME exposure. But if you are a Division 1 college scout attending an ECNL event, you are not going to watch every game. Are you more likely to watch good team A play crappy team B, or good team C play good team D? Which game is going to have more players who are potential recruits? Further, good team A is going to advance in the playoffs further than crappy team B, and thus have more opportunities to appear.

True. And besides that, it is difficult for a good player on a poor team to stand out. Unless your daughter is a center back or a goalkeeper. A good center back or goalkeeper can stand out on poor teams, because they will get lots of opportunities to do so. A good attacking player will have a very hard time standing out on a poor team. It's hard to stand out as an attacking player when you are spending most of the game chasing the ball.

[Unregistered]

Talking exposes the limits of your knowledge

Certainly even playing on a weak ECNL team will get you SOME exposure. But if you are a Division 1 college scout attending an ECNL event, you are not going to watch every game. Are you more likely to watch good team A play crappy team B, or good team C play good team D? Which game is going to have more players who are potential recruits? Further, good team A is going to advance in the playoffs further than crappy team B, and thus have more opportunities to appear.

Coaches go to watch PLAYERS not teams. It is true that better teams have more good players but if you have been at an ECNL event (or Surf/Vegas) you would see that coaches wander between games looking at specific PLAYERS who fit the NEEDS that they have for the coming year. They look for players by POSITION. If your player happens to be playing against the selected player they have a chance to stand out. If she is the best player on a weak team they will stand out even against the better teams. Coaches do not look to see which teams wins but how the players PLAY!

Either way the process of getting eyeballs on your DD's feet is an individual contact sport!

[Unregistered]

Coaches go to watch PLAYERS not teams. It is true that better teams have more good players but if you have been at an ECNL event (or Surf/Vegas) you would see that coaches wander between games looking at specific PLAYERS who fit the NEEDS that they have for the coming year. They look for players by POSITION. If your player happens to be playing against the selected player they have a chance to stand out. If she is the best player on a weak team they will stand out even against the better teams. Coaches do not look to see which teams wins but how the players PLAY!

Either way the process of getting eyeballs on your DD's feet is an individual contact sport!

Sorry, ECNL is not a U11 Rec League where a strong player can dominate all the weak players. A strong player is going to have far more opportunities to impress on a strong ECNL team than on a weak one. A weak one isn't going to be able to maintain possession. The lonely strong player on that weak team is barely going to touch the ball, and when she does, will have little opportunity to do anything with it.

In contrast, a strong player on a strong team is going to have far more touches on the ball, far more ability to demonstrate individual soccer skills, far more ability to demonstrate she understands the game by making the correct pass or run.

[Unregistered]

Been on the side line

Sorry, ECNL is not a U11 Rec League where a strong player can dominate all the weak players. A strong player is going to have far more opportunities to impress on a strong ECNL team than on a weak one. A weak one isn't going to be able to maintain possession. The lonely strong player on that weak team is barely going to touch the ball, and when she does, will have little opportunity to do anything with it.

In contrast, a strong player on a strong team is going to have far more touches on the ball, far more ability to demonstrate individual soccer skills, far more ability to demonstrate she understands the game by making the correct pass or run.

After having watched a years worth of league, showcases and the National Tournament I can tell you the gaps between the best and the worst is not as great as you might imagine. I don't disagree that teams with a better midfields make it easier for the forwards to show their stuff but I personally did not see any games where the forwards where prevented from demonstrating their skill sets.

[Unregistered]

After having watched a years worth of league, showcases and the National Tournament I can tell you the gaps between the best and the worst is not as great as you might imagine. I don't disagree that teams with a better midfields make it easier for the forwards to show their stuff but I personally did not see any games where the forwards where prevented from demonstrating their skill sets.

I have to disagree once more. All one has to do is look at the ECNL League standings to see there is a pretty substantial gap between the top and the bottom in most conferences/divisions.

For example, within the Pacific Division of the Northwest Conference (where the Portland teams will land):

U14 first place team: GF-28 GA-5
U14 last place team: GF-5 GA-34

U15 first place team: GF-34 GA-3
U15 last place team: GF-9 GA-18

U16 first place team: GF-21 GA-2
U16 last place team: GF-7 GA-21

U17 first place team: GF-24 GA-6
U17 last place team: GF-9 GA-21

U18 first place team: GF-20 GA-5
U18 last place team: GF-4 GA-34

Actual results demonstrate that there is a pretty wide chasm between the top and the bottom of the Pacific Division.

Further, with only one exception, Crossfire and WPFC occupy 1st and 2nd places in these 5 age groups, and in that one exception, WPFC is only a fraction behind the 2nd place team, and will likely take 2nd by the end of the season, having already beat the current 2nd place team 2-0. So the destination teams for Portland area discovery players are clearly the strength of the Pacific Division, and there is clearly a wide gap between the top and the bottom.

A current Portland area discovery player for one of the WA teams is going to have a tough choice to make between leaving a strong team at a top ECNL club for an unknown team with a brand new ECNL club.

[Unregistered]

Meaningless stats

I have to disagree once more. All one has to do is look at the ECNL League standings to see there is a pretty substantial gap between the top and the bottom in most conferences/divisions.

For example, within the Pacific Division of the Northwest Conference (where the Portland teams will land):

U14 first place team: GF-28 GA-5
U14 last place team: GF-5 GA-34

U15 first place team: GF-34 GA-3
U15 last place team: GF-9 GA-18

U16 first place team: GF-21 GA-2
U16 last place team: GF-7 GA-21

U17 first place team: GF-24 GA-6
U17 last place team: GF-9 GA-21

U18 first place team: GF-20 GA-5
U18 last place team: GF-4 GA-34

Actual results demonstrate that there is a pretty wide chasm between the top and the bottom of the Pacific Division.

Further, with only one exception, Crossfire and WPFC occupy 1st and 2nd places in these 5 age groups, and in that one exception, WPFC is only a fraction behind the 2nd place team, and will likely take 2nd by the end of the season, having already beat the current 2nd place team 2-0. So the destination teams for Portland area discovery players are clearly the strength of the Pacific Division, and there is clearly a wide gap between the top and the bottom.

A current Portland area discovery player for one of the WA teams is going to have a tough choice to make between leaving a strong team at a top ECNL club for an unknown team with a brand new ECNL club.

So you can go to the stats and assume you know how the games were played...priceless. What I can tell you after having WATCHED the older ages is that the weak teams lose 2-0 but they get shots on goal. Your stats would imply they lost them 4+ to zero and didn't get shots on goal which was simply NOT what I saw with my own eyes, Even at the first round of the national tournament the weak teams got shots on goal against the strong teams. Please stop trying to PRETNED you know anything about the ECNL unless you have watched more than a ECNL team play in the NWCL.