Ecnl

[Unregistered]

Thorn academy is weak! There is no comparison from thorn academy to ECNL. Not even on the same pitch. Thorn academy is for players with no where else to go and want to wear a thorn logo and Mls patch. The old saying you get what you pay for.

Amazing how you can be so sure of yourself when neither exists. If I can get the same product and pay$500, or pay $8,000 I will take the $500 every time.

[Unregistered]

Come on guys.

Both will be good. The people doing one or the other will tell you theirs is better trying to recruit.

[Unregistered]

Amazing how you can be so sure of yourself when neither exists. If I can get the same product and pay$500, or pay $8,000 I will take the $500 every time.

The reality is that you can't get the same thing. Thorns will play in what league? OYSA? They will not be playing in the ECNL. So what will you get for your $500? A few extra training sessions and a new kit?

[Unregistered]

You mad bro?

No bro. You mad?

[Unregistered]

Lol

The reality is that you can't get the same thing. Thorns will play in what league? OYSA? They will not be playing in the ECNL. So what will you get for your $500? A few extra training sessions and a new kit?

Exactly! Just another way to get a few extra bucks! They can't offer anything close to ECNL and they are not going to get it so let's try this. I can't believe anyone would even try to compare the two. It like comparing little league to college ball. But my DD will get a neat thorns gear and I can tell everyone she's part of the thorns squad. The only problem is there is no tallent really there and any girls with tallent will play with the coming ECNL club. If your any good you get invited every month to the us club soccer training camp and there is the extra session. The girls there month after month are usually pretty good. I can not believe we are even having this conversation.

[Unregistered]

Do we know for sure that one is coming to Oregon?

"If you can't run with the big dogs, stay on the porch."
---Sy Robertson

[Unregistered]

Exactly! Just another way to get a few extra bucks! They can't offer anything close to ECNL and they are not going to get it so let's try this. I can't believe anyone would even try to compare the two. It like comparing little league to college ball. But my DD will get a neat thorns gear and I can tell everyone she's part of the thorns squad. The only problem is there is no tallent really there and any girls with tallent will play with the coming ECNL club. If your any good you get invited every month to the us club soccer training camp and there is the extra session. The girls there month after month are usually pretty good. I can not believe we are even having this conversation.

Are you blind in one eye? Thorns Academy will be an evolution if it happens. ECNL has talked about affiliating to the women's professional teams. More than likely a Thorns academy will be ECNL, and just watch as the best coaches shift over to the new model.

The fundamental lie OPL wants you to believe is that while an OPL club with ECNL would be amazing and everything would become good, a thorns program with ECNL would stay the same as it is today.

Any of these great coaches can be hired away, their motivator is to be part of the best team.

Open your eyes and realize their is a vast world of possibility out there.

[Unregistered]

Exactly! Just another way to get a few extra bucks! They can't offer anything close to ECNL and they are not going to get it so let's try this. I can't believe anyone would even try to compare the two. It like comparing little league to college ball. But my DD will get a neat thorns gear and I can tell everyone she's part of the thorns squad. The only problem is there is no tallent really there and any girls with tallent will play with the coming ECNL club. If your any good you get invited every month to the us club soccer training camp and there is the extra session. The girls there month after month are usually pretty good. I can not believe we are even having this conversation.

There will be one, maybe two, ECNL teams. My experience is that there is plenty of talent around the state. However, the depth is not there in many cases. Slam those outlier teams all you want, but history shows that Eugene, Vancouver, Bend, Rogue Valley, etc., have regularly put players in all levels of collegiate soccer, including D1. (In fact, there will be at least 15 that I know of off the top of my head who will be heading off to play collegiately next year from just a few of those teams. I'm sure there are plenty more.) The Thorns Academy offers an opportunity for those who (a) are not geographically in proximity to play with an ECNL team, and (b) those quality players who choose not to play ECNL (and there will be plenty) notwithstanding their proximity to an ECNL club.

I am all for ECNL. DD has done ECNL and likely will continue to do so if a local club gets it. But it IS and WILL BE VERY EXPENSIVE and it sure as heck isn't for everyone. It's not just the basic fees and gear (which will be substantially more than TA). For one, the pure ECNL showcases they attend generally are all over the country - TX, SD, NJ, FL. These are on top of any other tournaments the team may elect to do. Additionally, ECNL teams need to travel to play the games in their divisions. The teams need to travel to play division games on a regular basis, which will add at least 4 more trips a year. They likely would need to travel to Utah, Colorado, ID, Seattle, and maybe CA depending on where the club is placed. It adds up quickly, and these typically are for only two games. It also is a huge time commitment. For multiple sport athletes, it is very, very difficult. The playing time also likely will be split. Depending on the size of the team, many high quality players will have to split time. As with ODP, there were plenty of good players, even prior to the OYSA/OPL split, who didn't do ODP because they weren't satisfied with the coaches, had personality issues, whatever.

The point is that ECNL will not be for everyone. For those quality players who, for many valid reasons, don't want to or can't do ECNL, the TA will offer a nice alternative - Not competition with ECNL but as an alternative that goes well beyond "neat Thorns gear."

[Unregistered]

The point is that ECNL will not be for everyone. For those quality players who, for many valid reasons, don't want to or can't do ECNL, the TA will offer a nice alternative - Not competition with ECNL but as an alternative that goes well beyond "neat Thorns gear."

There is "neat Thorns gear"? Did they get new, better looking kits??

[Unregistered]

Understand

My point is that ECNL and thorn acad. are not and never will be together. Also the tkent at an ECNL team will be head and shoulders above the academy team. Look at the thorns academy team now, second rate coaching with regular club coaches to begin and the talent on them is a average at best. The best players will not be there. It will accomidate players that don't want ECNL and ones that can't make it.

[Unregistered]

The top talent will all land at the professionally run academy vs the non-profits.

[Unregistered]

My point is that ECNL and thorn acad. are not and never will be together. Also the tkent at an ECNL team will be head and shoulders above the academy team. Look at the thorns academy team now, second rate coaching with regular club coaches to begin and the talent on them is a average at best. The best players will not be there. It will accomidate players that don't want ECNL and ones that can't make it.

How is it that the coaching will be better at the ECNL clubs? Are you suggesting that the coaches at those clubs that are likely going to get ECNL are going to change? Have you told the existing coaches yet that they are not going to be retained if the club gets ECNL?

You are correct in one regard. The TA will accomidate (sic) those that (sic) don't want ECNL. And there will be plenty of those when the details and costs of the program are identified. And I'm a believer in the ECNL program.

[Unregistered]

The top talent will all land at the professionally run academy vs the non-profits.

Professionally run by armatures using the same coaches the non profits use.

[Unregistered]

Thorn academy is weak! There is no comparison from thorn academy to ECNL. Not even on the same pitch. Thorn academy is for players with no where else to go and want to wear a thorn logo and Mls patch. The old saying you get what you pay for.

Will there be a Thorns Academy if/when the current women's professional soccer league flops?
Remember the two previous recent attempts at forming a US women's pro league failed miserably, both only lasting 3 seasons. I know, I know...this time it's different, sure.

[Unregistered]

Will there be a Thorns Academy if/when the current women's professional soccer league flops?
Remember the two previous recent attempts at forming a US women's pro league failed miserably, both only lasting 3 seasons. I know, I know...this time it's different, sure.

Do the United Soccer Association, the National Professional Soccer League, and the North American Soccer League sound familiar?
True, the women's league may fail. That is not a reason to keep the status quo. What are the options you are proposing for the betterment of women's youth soccer in this state?