Former US international Eddie Johnson on ECNL showcase

[Unregistered]

Yes, listen to the ECNL trolls whining about EJ speaking truth.

Listen to them saying "he played for the USMNT, thus knows nothing about soccer", even though he has nothing to do with the current dumpster fire.

Even more ridiculous, look at them praising the USWNT for their recent World Cup win, as though ECNL has had anything to do with it. In reality, the USWNT agrees seems to with EJ, as they tend to avoid ECNL players. ECNL hacks will of whine that this is deliberate sabotage of a "rival" youth league (as though youth leagues are peers of the Federation's training platform), instead of what it really is--disregard for a league that focuses on college recruitment and which doesn't provide adequate training for international-level soccer. The USWNT does pick ECNL players, of course, but a whole lot of them are learning the wrong things from coaches who care more about winning and recruiting then they do about player development.

Those pesky facts ruining your rant again:

"...they tend to avoid ECNL players." Yes, that's true until they are in college and no longer on an ECNL team, and then suddenly, magically, they become good enough to make a national team roster. See Katie Duong from Oregon.

"ECNL hacks will of (?) whine that this is deliberate sabotage of a "rival" youth league." It is. Unless you think Duong went from being not good enough to make a national team roster to suddenly improving from a year of playing for U Minnesota's 3-12 team.

"The USWNT does pick ECNL players, of course, but a whole lot of them are learning the wrong things from coaches who care more about winning and recruiting then they do about player development." Well sure. There are bad coaches in every league. But tell me - where do you think those GDA coaches came from? The magical talent pool of coaches who only GDA programs have access to?

To further that point, current Thorns coaches are:

Laura Schott - came from Eastside United/college ranks.
Chris Thurley - came from Westside and - fun fact - was a HUGE outspoken opponent of academy teams right up until the moment they hired him and started paying his salary.
Tracy Nelson - came from Lake Oswego SC and community college.
Linus Rhode - came from Oregon State and prior to that coached at a very small OYSA club in Eugene.
Kat Tarr - came from Washington Timbers/Concordia
Cole McCool - came from THUSC/Linfield
Steven Evans - came from Westside
Cony Konstin - need I say more?

Of all the flawed logic you tried to employ in your post, making the argument that the GDA coaches are somehow magically more talented/have better intentions than ECNL or state league coaches is laughable. Nice try though.

[Unregistered]

Those pesky facts ruining your rant again:

"...they tend to avoid ECNL players." Yes, that's true until they are in college and no longer on an ECNL team, and then suddenly, magically, they become good enough to make a national team roster. See Katie Duong from Oregon.

"ECNL hacks will of (?) whine that this is deliberate sabotage of a "rival" youth league." It is. Unless you think Duong went from being not good enough to make a national team roster to suddenly improving from a year of playing for U Minnesota's 3-12 team.

"The USWNT does pick ECNL players, of course, but a whole lot of them are learning the wrong things from coaches who care more about winning and recruiting then they do about player development." Well sure. There are bad coaches in every league. But tell me - where do you think those GDA coaches came from? The magical talent pool of coaches who only GDA programs have access to?

To further that point, current Thorns coaches are:







Laura Schott - came from Eastside United/college ranks: put her time in the club ranks. Was below average at best at PSU.




Chris Thurley - came from Westside and - fun fact - was a HUGE outspoken opponent of academy teams right up until the moment they hired him and started paying his salary.

The only legit club coach. Was really good in his day. Whether or not he cares now is up for debate.


Tracy Nelson - came from Lake Oswego SC and community college.

About as vanilla as you can get. Did well in the CC ranks but doesn’t speak well to youth development.


Linus Rhode - came from Oregon State and prior to that coached at a very small OYSA club in Eugene.

Coached at Mackenzie United? We all saw what Oregon state was....



Kat Tarr - came from Washington Timbers/Concordia

Ever coached youth at all? Not one successful youth team and I doubt she is even involved at Concordia.


Cole McCool - came from THUSC/Linfield


Another no namer with no success to speak of.



Steven Evans - came from Westside

Coached boys youth teams and not a lot to be said yet about him.

Cony Konstin - need I say more?

True.

Of all the flawed logic you tried to employ in your post, making the argument that the GDA coaches are somehow magically more talented/have better intentions than ECNL or state league coaches is laughable. Nice try though.

Whoever tried to say da coaches are good need to be re-evaluated for honesty.

[Unregistered]

Those pesky facts ruining your rant again:

"...they tend to avoid ECNL players." Yes, that's true until they are in college and no longer on an ECNL team, and then suddenly, magically, they become good enough to make a national team roster. See Katie Duong from Oregon.

"ECNL hacks will of (?) whine that this is deliberate sabotage of a "rival" youth league." It is. Unless you think Duong went from being not good enough to make a national team roster to suddenly improving from a year of playing for U Minnesota's 3-12 team.

"The USWNT does pick ECNL players, of course, but a whole lot of them are learning the wrong things from coaches who care more about winning and recruiting then they do about player development." Well sure. There are bad coaches in every league. But tell me - where do you think those GDA coaches came from? The magical talent pool of coaches who only GDA programs have access to?

To further that point, current Thorns coaches are:

Laura Schott - came from Eastside United/college ranks.
Chris Thurley - came from Westside and - fun fact - was a HUGE outspoken opponent of academy teams right up until the moment they hired him and started paying his salary.
Tracy Nelson - came from Lake Oswego SC and community college.
Linus Rhode - came from Oregon State and prior to that coached at a very small OYSA club in Eugene.
Kat Tarr - came from Washington Timbers/Concordia
Cole McCool - came from THUSC/Linfield
Steven Evans - came from Westside
Cony Konstin - need I say more?

Of all the flawed logic you tried to employ in your post, making the argument that the GDA coaches are somehow magically more talented/have better intentions than ECNL or state league coaches is laughable. Nice try though.

Damn. Throw some chum in the water, look what comes swimming around the boat.

Note that the comment was about ECNL in general, not about any of the local clubs in particular. Thorns Academy isn't great, particularly below U19, where it's basically another pay-to-play club trying to recruit an already-thin local talent pool.

Besides. It ain't as though Sir Alex Ferguson has come out of retirement to coach CU. If you think the soccer bums at that program are materially better, then you really are pulling our Legg....

[Unregistered]

When I watch the US Men's National Team

"I cannot believe someone chose these players to represent the US. Some of them are technically skilled, but they have no creativity. They all look miserable to be there. They are boring. They are not effective. They are not fun. They get beat by teams from countries that are the size of Tacoma. It feels like punishment to watch them. Please make it stop. USSF should be ashamed of this miserable team"

This is the BEST reply EVER.

[Unregistered]

Damn. Throw some chum in the water, look what comes swimming around the boat.

Note that the comment was about ECNL in general, not about any of the local clubs in particular. Thorns Academy isn't great, particularly below U19, where it's basically another pay-to-play club trying to recruit an already-thin local talent pool.

Besides. It ain't as though Sir Alex Ferguson has come out of retirement to coach CU. If you think the soccer bums at that program are materially better, then you really are pulling our Legg....

I guess since you didn’t even attempt to dispute a single fact in my post you are conceding I’m correct. Big of you. And in typical TS fashion your only response is “Oh yeah! You’re just as bad!”

Except my kid never did ecnl or academy. We didn’t fall for either crew’s snake oil. That being said Eddie is full of poo. GDA has produced a product so laughably weak in spite of stacking the deck in their favor in virtually every way possible. No one has any room to criticize. When you make your program virtually free in some cases, and you rig the system so the only path to youth national teams is through your program, and you STILL can’t corner the market? You have a poo product.

[Unregistered]

DA: Poo

Usys: poo

Ecnl: poo


It’s 100% likely that the top 33% of each association isn’t poo and the remaining 67% of each is poo.


And no Oregon club is ever.....ever in the top 33%. Ever.

No girls team in history has ever been in the real top 33% ever.

Let that sink in.

So now, you all are trying to say who’s poo smells worse.

If you take this example to heart you might want to ensure that your kid has a coach who knows what they are doing and gives somewhat of af and they enjoy their team.

Period

[Unregistered]

When I watch the US Men's National Team

"I cannot believe someone chose these players to represent the US. Some of them are technically skilled, but they have no creativity. They all look miserable to be there. They are boring. They are not effective. They are not fun. They get beat by teams from countries that are the size of Tacoma. It feels like punishment to watch them. Please make it stop. USSF should be ashamed of this miserable team"

Why are they so bad?

I’ve been watching the men’s team for 20+ years and I have no idea who Eddie is. Kind of like One of those B level guys that nobody cares about.

[Unregistered]

Why are they so bad?

I’ve been watching the men’s team for 20+ years and I have no idea who Eddie is. Kind of like One of those B level guys that nobody cares about.

That pretty much describes most of the USMNT.

[Unregistered]

I guess since you didn’t even attempt to dispute a single fact in my post you are conceding I’m correct. Big of you.

I'll concede your listing of the Thorns coaches is more or less correct, though much of that information is available on the website.

The rest of your post is speculation. But it was entertaining--your listing of the Thorns staff reminded me of a jilted boyfriend calling out his exes one by one, with spit flying out of his mouth in indignant rage as he pounds the wall.

And in typical TS fashion your only response is “Oh yeah! You’re just as bad!”

All of the local girls' soccer teams are "bad" compared to programs elsewhere. Mainly because the talent pool here is shallow. Perhaps better coaches than are up here gravitate to socal, where the opportunities are better. Oh well--if you want to be on Broadway, you have to first move to New York.

Except my kid never did ecnl or academy. We didn’t fall for either crew’s snake oil. That being said Eddie is full of poo.

He is? Some of you above are ignorant (or flat out lying) about his career--he has 63 caps and 19 goals for the senior team, and had a lengthy professional career, including some time at Fulham and Cardiff. He only appeared in one World Cup (2006), but "only with USMNT for one year" is simply not true.

He knows good soccer when he sees it.

GDA has produced a product so laughably weak in spite of stacking the deck in their favor in virtually every way possible. No one has any room to criticize. When you make your program virtually free in some cases, and you rig the system so the only path to youth national teams is through your program, and you STILL can’t corner the market? You have a poo product.

High school. Girls are actually smart--they know that their chances of making the NT are slim, and the chances at making big money playing professional soccer slimmer, so why not play in the league that allows them to do HS. Plus it's an upper class sport in this country--they can afford it, and the high sticker price keeps out the riff raff.

[Unregistered]

That pretty much describes most of the USMNT.

Because our best athletes play football. And we watched their showcase on Monday night, on ESPN.

[Unregistered]

DA: Poo

So now, you all are trying to say who’s poo smells worse.

Without poo comparisons TS wouldn't have any traffic.

[Unregistered]

When I watch the US Men's National Team

"I cannot believe someone chose these players to represent the US. Some of them are technically skilled, but they have no creativity. They all look miserable to be there. They are boring. They are not effective. They are not fun. They get beat by teams from countries that are the size of Tacoma. It feels like punishment to watch them. Please make it stop. USSF should be ashamed of this miserable team"

Who is Eddie Johnson?

So anyone who gets called up and spends any time on a national team, even if they are not very effective as a player, is now an important voice in girls youth soccer?

Maybe someone should politely point out to him that nobody cares what he thinks.