Saying The Quiet Part Out Loud

[Guest]

“Ultimately,” Robertson concludes, “and I'll get a lot of people that hate me for saying this, but 95% of clubs rely on, ‘Hey, we have this patch, so we have an exclusive pathway.’ So they don't have to really focus on actually developing players.”

Exposure, branding now what drives clubs

https://sports.yahoo.com/us-soccer-g...000044659.html

[Guest]

If a club is in ECNL, the players will come even though the coaching sucks, they don’t learn anything, and they aren’t developing at all. Of course, the club convinces them they are developing because they are on an ECNL team. What a joke. It’s 100% marketing and I think this guy statistic is wrong. 100% of ECNL clubs rely on ECNL to attract players. It’s such a good marketing plan that they created ECRL to attract the rest of the players, by dangling out some kind of ECNL-lite and a pathway to ECNL. It’s their one and only marketing plan. There is a sucker born every day.

[Guest]

There have even been comments on here that if a parent expects the club to provide development, they're being stupid. This is how the clubs get away with this BS while charging $$$$

[Guest]

True statement. That is why we develop and continue to develop with outside trainer that have nothing do to with the club.

The badge and your own skill is the competition that you need.

also, once your kid plays for a real college coach, they realize that club coaching is crap.

[Guest]

True statement. That is why we develop and continue to develop with outside trainer that have nothing do to with the club.

The badge and your own skill is the competition that you need.

also, once your kid plays for a real college coach, they realize that club coaching is crap.

And once they (if they) play at the international level they will realize that college coaching and play is crap. The good players overseas are training in real academies that have consistent philosophies and methodologies there's a reason US men can't compete and why don't produce excellent midfield and creative attacking players.

[Guest]

And once they (if they) play at the international level they will realize that college coaching and play is crap. The good players overseas are training in real academies that have consistent philosophies and methodologies there's a reason US men can't compete and why don't produce excellent midfield and creative attacking players.

Are you stupid? On the men's side we are ranked 11th by Fifa in the world in a pool of over 200 countries. We are ranked 11th in a country where soccer is the 4th most popular sport.

Enough of the crapping on American soccer. Go somewhere else with that BS.

We are the favorites to win on the womens side.

[Guest]

Are you stupid? On the men's side we are ranked 11th by Fifa in the world in a pool of over 200 countries. We are ranked 11th in a country where soccer is the 4th most popular sport.

Enough of the crapping on American soccer. Go somewhere else with that BS.

We are the favorites to win on the womens side.

The USMNT's ranking got a boost by winning CONCACAF Nation’s League. But the US men aren’t the 11th best team in the world.

[Guest]

If a club is in ECNL, the players will come even though the coaching sucks, they don’t learn anything, and they aren’t developing at all. Of course, the club convinces them they are developing because they are on an ECNL team. What a joke. It’s 100% marketing and I think this guy statistic is wrong. 100% of ECNL clubs rely on ECNL to attract players. It’s such a good marketing plan that they created ECRL to attract the rest of the players, by dangling out some kind of ECNL-lite and a pathway to ECNL. It’s their one and only marketing plan. There is a sucker born every day.

I agree with parts, but don't think it's right to say ECNL doesn't help with development. While the coaches may be doing nothing to develop a player, the game teaches itself. If you are a truly elite kid, the best place to be is playing with other top kids. Ideally this would be done with kids in the neighbourhood, but as we don't see a lot of that, training with the best kids multiple times a week is pretty good.

Yeah, it would be great if the teams had a coherent strategy and really focused on player development, not winning, but that isn't what we are working with. Also, I feel like a lot of people think their bottom 3rd kid is in that position because the coaches don't help with development. In reality, it's never on the coaches to get that kid into the top third. The only way is to put in effort on your own. I don't even mean with a trainer. The kid has to have it within them.

[Guest]

The USMNT's ranking got a boost by winning CONCACAF Nation’s League. But the US men aren’t the 11th best team in the world.

Whether 11th or 20th, there are still 200 teams ranked lower than the US where soccer is the 4th most popular sport.

its idiotic Americans like you who believe we need to be #1 in everything right now- you are a narcissist with unrealistic expectations.

The sport is growing in the US - all signs point towards this fact, and the US FIFA rankings will also grow. Give it time.

[Guest]

The USMNT's ranking got a boost by winning CONCACAF Nation’s League. But the US men aren’t the 11th best team in the world.

8 countries have won the World Cup:

Brazil (5)
Germany (4)
Italy (4)
Argentina (3)
France (2)
Uruguay (2) Inaugural winner
England (1)
Spain (1)

Being a top soccer nation is hard, your expectations on US soccer are laughable. 11 is impressive- anything in top 20 is impressive. US is heading in the right direction.

[Guest]

I agree with parts, but don't think it's right to say ECNL doesn't help with development. While the coaches may be doing nothing to develop a player, the game teaches itself. If you are a truly elite kid, the best place to be is playing with other top kids. Ideally this would be done with kids in the neighbourhood, but as we don't see a lot of that, training with the best kids multiple times a week is pretty good.

Yeah, it would be great if the teams had a coherent strategy and really focused on player development, not winning, but that isn't what we are working with. Also, I feel like a lot of people think their bottom 3rd kid is in that position because the coaches don't help with development. In reality, it's never on the coaches to get that kid into the top third. The only way is to put in effort on your own. I don't even mean with a trainer. The kid has to have it within them.

If the game teaches itself, or if you meant to say, the game is the ultimate teacher, and if ECNL is all about games with no development, then virtually every ECNL player is world-class talent, in high demand by all the major clubs in Europe, and some are even vying for the Balón d’Or. Of course that’s not true so then it’s also true that simply playing the game is not enough to become a top talent.

we should all listen to this coach Robertson who is himself in the ECNL racket told us what is really going on. You can be sure his 95% figure was simply to give him some cover with friends at other local clubs so he can say “oh, I wasn’t referring to you, you are clearly in the 5% that really care about development over selling ECNL”. The real figure is 100%. If you read this article and still think ECNL is amazing for your kid, good luck. Our country is so far behind because our best players are not learning, they are being told they are special because they are in a “special” league like ECNL. All you have to do to be special is pay thousands and thousands of dollars. Feel like a sucker yet? Find a club that can’t sell you ECNL and you might find something worthwhile.

[Guest]

its idiotic Americans like you who believe we need to be #1 in everything right now- you are a narcissist with unrealistic expectations.

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I love anonymous forums. They are places where we can call people names and make assumptions about them without actually discussing things in a civil tone. If you knew me you would know that I'm not an idiot and I'm not a narcissist. But as to the matter at hand, I have no particular expectations for the USMNT, and I didn't say they needed to be No. 1 in the world. What I said is that the USMNT is quite likely not as good as their No. 11 ranking, and I think a lot of people would agree with that.

[Guest]

I love anonymous forums. They are places where we can call people names and make assumptions about them without actually discussing things in a civil tone. If you knew me you would know that I'm not an idiot and I'm not a narcissist. But as to the matter at hand, I have no particular expectations for the USMNT, and I didn't say they needed to be No. 1 in the world. What I said is that the USMNT is quite likely not as good as their No. 11 ranking, and I think a lot of people would agree with that.

Brilliant. You love anonymity as much as the next clown

[Guest]

if your current ECNL club did not have ECNL, would you still be at that club and why? Serious question.

[Guest]

if your current ECNL club did not have ECNL, would you still be at that club and why? Serious question.

No. We would find a program with college showcases elsewhere.