Whats the word on Solar/FCD/Texans DA vs ECNL

SoccerJunkie wrote:Do any rules prevent a club from dual-rostering most or all of an ECNL/TCL team's players and an LH team?  If not, then what would prevent the club from playing players in both games on any given Saturday?  If those players are rostered on an LH team (in addition to an ECNL/TCL team), they would not even be bound by LH's Club Pass Player rules (e.g., only one CPP can be on Game Day Roster).

There are no rules to prevent it, but for ECNL and LHGCL, logistics generally prevent it from happening. TCL is a different story, as TCL is like Premier League, where LHGCL teams are invited to play in TCL in addition to LHGCL, based on prior year finish in LHGCL. So you absolutely will see entire teams play in both TCL and LHGCL, and the leagues will schedule around each other, but never on the same day.

ECNL and LHGCL do not, and will not, coordinate their schedules around each other, so none of the clubs will take the chance of running afoul of either league by putting themselves in a roster position where they may end up having to forfeit a game due to a scheduling conflict. LHGCL still has strict max roster size rules of 18 at U13/U14 and 22 for U15 and above, so while you can and will see several players dual rostered, it will not be entire teams.

Also, at least some of the ECNL clubs have unwritten policies that ECNL players will not play in more than 1 game on a given day, which the coaches stick to strongly.

So, will you see ECNL players playing in LH games? Absolutely. Always have and always will. Will you see an ECNL "team" essentially playing both ECNL and LH? No.




p.s. By the way, I used to complain when teams brought in guest players from stronger teams to play against my DD. One time when I was complaining about it on the car ride home, my DD said, "Dad... shut up already! How am I supposed to get any better if I don't play against better players?". I've never complained since... She was 12 when she told me that...

http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2017/09/05/19/03/20170905-news-u15gnt-u14gnt-will-hold-concurrent-camp-at-us-soccer-ntc

20 of the 24 players called up for the U14 Girls National Team Camp are on DA teams.

If there was ever really a battle for supremacy, it appears to already be over.

Don't think DA had anything to do with it. They would have been called up this time no matter where they played. Once different players start getting the call because they improved and it was directly correlated to DA then you might have something.

Of course DA had zero to do with it. Just pointing out where the talent has congregated as some seem to still doubt it.

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

http://ecnl-1222159896.us-east-1.elb.amazonaws.com/public/ClubSchedule.aspx?cid=1690&oid=9&sid=9&w=0&l=0&d=0

Is ECNL a joke already? Sting Austin already with a -80 goal differential through one weekend of games.

Gotta feel for those girls.

timmyh wrote:http://ecnl-1222159896.us-east-1.elb.amazonaws.com/public/ClubSchedule.aspx?cid=1690&oid=9&sid=9&w=0&l=0&d=0

Is ECNL a joke already? Sting Austin already with a -80 goal differential through one weekend of games.

Gotta feel for those girls.

It's only -28. Don't make it worse. Besides they are developing.

timmyh wrote:http://ecnl-1222159896.us-east-1.elb.amazonaws.com/public/ClubSchedule.aspx?cid=1690&oid=9&sid=9&w=0&l=0&d=0

Is ECNL a joke already? Sting Austin already with a -80 goal differential through one weekend of games.

Gotta feel for those girls.

No more so than Burlingame SC or Empire United in DA. Both leagues clearly have some clubs that don't appear to be up to speed yet...

Given neither of those clubs have a DA program, I don't understand the connection you made that ECNL is a joke. Looks to me like 1 club just wasn't ready to play against the other club.. It could also be that the teams from STX didn't get to prepare due to weather from Harvey and the NTX did. Could also be that one club had better uniforms than the other or maybe some of the parents were providing incentives for goals so the girls could buy the newest school fashion.. Come on man! You are better than this!

Yet?

TxFutbal wrote:Given neither of those clubs have a DA program, I don't understand the connection you made that ECNL is a joke.  Looks to me like 1 club just wasn't ready to play against the other club.. It could also be that the teams from STX didn't get to prepare due to weather from Harvey and the NTX did.  Could also be that one club had better uniforms than the other or maybe some of the parents were providing incentives for goals so the girls could buy the newest school fashion.. Come on man!  You are better than this!

Quite sure Harvey played a late roll in getting practice in but that is it. If they were not ready to compete like the scores show, then Harvey had nothing to do with that. That is new team to ECNL problems.

With Austin Sting I don't think you can say Club, I think its just the U13 and U14 that weren't competitive. Looks like their older teams held their own. To call the whole league a joke due to a couple of teams with one club is a bit much. No matter the league or sport you will always have a top level, middle of the pack, and teams that just look like they don't belong.

KeeperCommander wrote:

timmyh wrote:http://ecnl-1222159896.us-east-1.elb.amazonaws.com/public/ClubSchedule.aspx?cid=1690&oid=9&sid=9&w=0&l=0&d=0

Is ECNL a joke already? Sting Austin already with a -80 goal differential through one weekend of games.

Gotta feel for those girls.

It's only -28. Don't make it worse. Besides they are developing.

Maybe they posted the scores wrong.
I wonder if the Dallas Sting might start supporting Austin with some players off the Dallas 2nd teams. Any reason not to do that?

timmyh wrote:

KeeperCommander wrote:

timmyh wrote:http://ecnl-1222159896.us-east-1.elb.amazonaws.com/public/ClubSchedule.aspx?cid=1690&oid=9&sid=9&w=0&l=0&d=0

Is ECNL a joke already? Sting Austin already with a -80 goal differential through one weekend of games.

Gotta feel for those girls.

It's only -28. Don't make it worse. Besides they are developing.

Maybe they posted the scores wrong.
I wonder if the Dallas Sting might start supporting Austin with some players off the Dallas 2nd teams. Any reason not to do that?

****
There were many factors including those already mentioned. My perspective in watching 3 games is that there is clear separation from ECNL and LHGCL-caliber teams. Sting Austin and Classic Elite being new additions to ECNL.

Better yet, there are a few top ECNL teams who have DA players opting to stay in ECNL in U18-U17 to continue playing HS soccer. But, I would expect DA teams to elevate above ECNL in due time but it's a narrow gap right now.

Sting Austin will need time for development and only improve. I do not expect Sting Dallas to fill spots on Austin roster.

The DA teams I watched a couple of weeks ago both lost to a newly formed  ECNL team. It's worth mentioning the older DA team occupied the ECNL spot for the newly formed ECNL team.
There has been a lot of hype around DA but we didn't see the mass exodus from ECNL like the LH to ECNL rush we saw a few years ago. The LH to ECNL move watered down the lower divisions in LH but DI stayed the competitive with ECNL, NPL and TCL players guesting and using CPP.
Let's face it cost is a factor in soccer, while little Susie my be a killer play maker, if she can't afford the travel DA offers Susie won't be competing, but if bencher Sally can afford to play DA travel ball guess who might be on the new starting DA roster.
From my perspective a lot of pre-DA ECNL players stayed in ENCL. I think DA will get better but what is very clear to me is there is enough talent in North Texas to sustain two Elite leagues.

I don't think anyone has the complete picture yet.  Based on what I've seen personally, at the older age groups (U17, U19), and what I've heard anecdotally at the other age groups, it appears to me that coach loyalty was the overriding factor in decisions this year.  If Coach moved to DA... players followed.  If Coach stayed ECNL...  players stayed.

There were a few very good players in the older age groups at ECNL-only/non-ECNL clubs that went to DA, but there were also a few very good players at DA clubs that went to ECNL-only clubs.

Based on initial weekend of ECNL results, it does look like Sting/Feet held on to a bulk of their top talent across all age groups, while the bulk of the top talent at Solar/FCD/Texans (with the possible exception of U13-U15 DTS squads) went to DA.  

I think the bigger question is whether or not this trend will remain, or if there will be a more significant migration of talent in one direction or the other in the future.

Please check with ern before you feel the need to Mention DA again. Also show some excitement next time you speak of it.

BleedFutbol wrote:The DA teams I watched a couple of weeks ago both lost to a newly formed  ECNL team. It's worth mentioning the older DA team occupied the ECNL spot for the newly formed ECNL team.
There has been a lot of hype around DA but we didn't see the mass exodus from ECNL like the LH to ECNL rush we saw a few years ago. The LH to ECNL move watered down the lower divisions in LH but DI stayed the competitive with ECNL, NPL and TCL players guesting and using CPP.
Let's face it cost is a factor in soccer, while little Susie my be a killer play maker, if she can't afford the travel DA offers Susie won't be competing, but if bencher Sally can afford to play DA travel ball guess who might be on the new starting DA roster.
From my perspective a lot of pre-DA ECNL players stayed in ENCL. I think DA will get better but what is very clear to me is there is enough talent in North Texas to sustain two Elite leagues.

Thanks for the mention once again jack!

There has been a lot of hype around DA but we didn't see the mass exodus from ECNL like the LH to ECNL rush we saw a few years ago.

Absolutely accurate that not as many kids have gone from ECNL to DA as they did from LHGCL to ECNL years ago.  However, it isn't very relevant to the gist of much of this post.  Comparing those two league's inceptions is apples to oranges.  ECNL was first of it's kind, while USSDA is much the same as ECNL.  Because of this, the move isn't too appealing to many of those older group (U17+) kids that are already set up, and as BW mentioned, some that are infatuated with their coach that wasn't able to go DA, went the ECNL route with him.

The LH to ECNL move watered down the lower divisions in LH but DI stayed the competitive with ECNL

This really jumped off the page -- How was this the case?  Wouldn't the exodus of talent when ECNL came about have taken the D1 talent rather than the "lower levels", essentially rotating D3 to D2, and D2 to D1 ... Much like what has happened this year at FCD and Solar with ECNL to DA?  And regarding the notion of LH D1 still being competitive with the proclaimed 'higher' levels ... I recently watched an '04 DA team soundly (I use 'soundly' occasionally when the winning team doesn't allow a shot on goal) beat the 1st and 2nd place LH D1 '02 teams.  

Let's face it cost is a factor in soccer, while little Susie my be a killer play maker, if she can't afford the travel DA offers Susie won't be competing, but if bencher Sally can afford to play DA travel ball guess who might be on the new starting DA roster.  From my perspective a lot of pre-DA ECNL players stayed in ENCL.

Outside of one trip, the travel costs for USSDA and ECNL are very similar this year for our local clubs.  However, the DA parents pay far less to the club in dues, balancing the overall costs if not making DA less $ than ECNL.

DA cost have been far less than ECNL. ECNL was a huge pocket book drain.

This is like an infomercial for DA starring bige and ziz.

I would say cost savings on DA over ECNL depends in part on the club and on your prior ECNL experience.

DA travel
- 4 driving league games (maybe avoid hotel on these)
- 2 flying league games
- 3 travel tournament minimum?  maybe more?

Clubs dues are not discounted "far less" at every club to make up for travel costs.  Even BigE argues that travel costs are very similar, outside of "one trip".  If that one trip's costs exceed the club discount, then for some, DA could be more expensive than ECNL.  Again, not everyone's experience is the same as yours BigE.

Zizou wrote:DA cost have been far less than ECNL. ECNL was a huge pocket book drain.

Yeah I'm gonna have say that "far less" is a streeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetch.

I guess it depends on the club you signed with. My families experience ECNL at one club and DA at another. At this point, far less.

Ohhh, "at this point" I would agree with you. Looking forward to all the traveling we will be doing, no way

Yeah, single game fictures club is using bus travel the day of no hotel cost. Kansas City team has agreed to meet in Tulsa for both matches. Yeah less.

Yes, so far ECNL expenses maybe less but over the length of the year, DA will exceed ECNL expenses.  Heck, San Diego alone for most families alone will be more than 4 driving trips.

DA Showcases:
Fall Showcase - Florida,
Spring Showcase - TBD,
Summer Showcase - San Diego