Both PacNW and Seattle United are joining ECNL next year.
http://www.eliteclubsnationalleague.com/
http://www.eliteclubsnationalleague.com/
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Meanwhile, Clackamas United just turned down an offer to join GDA.Originally posted by Unregistered View Post -
The RCL is back in full force....just under a different name now (ECNL).
If everyone would just leave the kids alone and let them play!!Comment
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We have always enjoyed playing/watching PacNW, they have been consistently competitive and play a high quality possession style of soccer. They will be a welcome addition. SU I’m not so convinced, they’ve put out competitive teams at the youngest ages but they seem to fall off at older age levels. Hard to tell how much of that is attrition to other top clubs vs. lack of development and coaching?Comment
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So will the mighty Crossfire stick with the DA or come back to ECNL. Can’t do both anymore, they must choose.Comment
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US Soccer has it's policies, no participation in club soccer,, HS or ODP only play in the DA. It's been this way for over a decade with the boys. US Club thought they would get clubs to share players between the DA and their club league, didn't happen. Top shelf players went to the top platform DA when a club was dual registered (DA and US Club), watering down the US Club product to the point where Oregon teams that couldn't get a result vs anyone in the last 3 years, are now magically league leaders.Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
It's not a good sign for US Club in terms of being 'the' platform, they are adjusting to more of a regional flavor since that cannot justify the spend to travel all over the country to play other mediocre club teams, something clubs can do for less than a quarter tank of gas cost.Comment
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You’re right. This is the beginning of the end for the failed experiment called GDA. Couldn’t attract or retain top talent. Sparsely attended showcases. Clubs bailing or opting for ECNL. Stick a fork in them, they’re done.Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
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That didn't answer the question. Commenter above seems to have implied that clubs are no longer permitted to both participate in GDA and ECNL (fielding teams in both leagues), whereas last year this was permitted.Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
Is that now the case? Who made that rule (ECNL or GDA)? Does it apply only within an age group (a club can have a U17 ECNL team and a U15 GDA team, but not U17 teams in both leagues), or to the entire club (one or the other)?Comment
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ECNL rule, although they exempted Crossfire and a couple of other clubs who performed super well.Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
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US Soccer has the rule that doesn't allow DA players to participate in any club, HS or ODP. Their internal youth player mandates prohibit DA players playing club soccer (US Club league ecnl or oysa, usys etc..)Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
US Club ecnl made a smart decision this spring and have asked the DA clubs for next year not to enter their 'b' or 'c' (non DA club teams) into their league. Basically choose and stay with the DA or bring your 'A' team to us and don't send us the B teams anymore, since it's killed the quality of our league.
Since the DA clubs said go fly a kite on this front you are getting press releases about the 'new clubs' joining the US Club league. Hopefully that makes sense. It's an adjustment.Comment
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Note that the two rules aren't comparable.Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
DA's position for PLAYERS is that they have a full-time program, therefore a given player should not play both for GDA and for someone else (including HS) in the same season. Fair enough. DA doesn't, however, insist that a club may not enter teams into both leagues.
ECNL, though, is apparently trying to force clubs to choose--at least not to put the A team in GDA and the B team in ECNL. Which is their right, I guess, but it's a policy change that reeks of desperation.
Honestly, though, I don't see why the two leagues can't co-exist. GDA for the truly elite players with USWNT potential and who don't need recruiting help should they choose to play college soccer, and who are willing to forgo HS soccer; ECNL for the next tier of player who won't likely be playing professionally, and need a platform to expose themselves to college scouts. (And possibly for elite players in geographies without an GDA option).
If ECNL re-orients itself as a college prep league (which is what it really is anyway), it should have continued success, though I'd recommend they dial back on the travel. Kids who are dreaming of a 0.2FTE ride at a D3 school shouldn't have to shell out thousands and thousands of dollars on air travel.
Unfortunately, the US Country Club League doesn't want any competition from US Soccer for the very best, and so rather than making peace with GDA and accepting their rightful place as the next tier down in the pyramid, have spent the past year trying to sabotage the Federation. Which likely means ECNL will eventually go down in flames, replaced with some other program for the college-bound players, that hopefully won't have such high financial barriers to entry.Comment
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Not surprised. Top clubs all choose ECNL. Losers choose GDA.Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
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