NEW ECNL Teams for 95 Age Bracket

Uncle Numanga wrote:

Gunners wrote:

socrocks wrote:Tho I could be wrong, I think it's already decided...no State Cup, Regionals, Nationals or Premier League (after this coming year).

There would still be value in competing in LH (which is supposedly going to be allowed...at least near term) because of the quality of competition without having to travel.

Now, how dilluted will State Cup , Regionals and Premier league be if none of these clubs can compete?

I also heard a rumor that LH...who is married to NTX...who is not at all a fan of ECNL may consider not inviting teams from clubs who don't send their top teams to LH. I was not aware of it until told today that LH is purely invitational. This could get really ugly.

I would think this is a very big bargaining chip for LH. The older teams (U15+) wouldn't be all that affected, but what happens to the numerous younger Sting/FC Dallas/Solar teams if they can't play LH?

Only the the team that is competing in ECNL would not play LHGCL. The rest will.

They just need to make it an academy league and leave it at that

In theory that's fine. But the possible scenario that I heard is that if Texans do not send their top teams to LH, then LH will not invite the rest of the Texans teams to participate in LH....and because they are an 'invitational" league, that is their prerogrative. To me it sounds like suicide for LH. But it was put to me that NTX would conceivably not sanction the formation of or the transition to any other league either.

IMO, should it come to the point that ECNL teams could not manage the LH schedule (or would not be allowed by ECNL) and had to give up LH, LH would be best suited to just let them go. They would only lose 5 teams per age group (which are easily replaceable) and their coffers would remain full. If it turns into a power struggle and all of the ECNL clubs are forbidden from bringing all of their non-ECNL teams to LH....where does that leave LH's cashflow? I'd imagine the "uninvited" teams would just move to Plano and Arlington.

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ChelseaFan wrote:I know this forum is focused on Texas Teams...especially NTX teams...but would anyone care to make predictions for the finish of TX based teams in the ECNL? I will start with U15's.

Challenge A Top Four:
Mustang
Sting
CASL
OH Premier or Eclipse Select

D'Feeters and Challange make good efforts but fall just short of top four.

Challenge B Top Four:
Albertson Fury
SC Del Sol
FC Milwaukee
Birminham United (BUSA)

Solar and Lonestars Red get close (next four).

Thoughts on this or other age groups?

It looks like my prognostications for the 95 age group in ECNL last year had some hits and some misses. The good news is that the a couple of the misses were a direct result of TX teams doing better than I had anticipated.

I got three of the four in Challenge A with Sting, CASL, & Eclipse making the final four but Mustang was replaced by by Arsenal with Ohio Premier and Mustang filling the next two spots.

In Challenge B, both Lonestars and Solar did advance into the Challenge A...which was better than anticipated...but which also meant that my prognostications were way off. None of my top four picks made it into the finals for advancement with the other two replacement teams being San Juan FC and FSA Soccer Plus. All but the latter advanced.

Would any one care to hazard a guess as to the final standings in 2010-2011? Don't be shy.

Well...since nobody is eager to take the first bite...I will...

If you go simply rankings of the three major sites (GS, NSR, & SIC) and combine for an average...then the top eight (remember 8 will vye for the ECNL National Championship next year) look like this:

1	Dallas Sting
2	CASL Spartan Elite
3	Scorpions
4	Ohio Premier Green
5	FC Virginia
6	Real Colorado
7	Bethesda Freedom
8	Mustang Blast

...the next eight look like this...

Sereno White

Arsenal

Lonestars Red

Eclipse Select

Solar

PDA

Charlotte SA

Challenge

...and then you start getting some of the Challenge B teams (in purple) into the thick of it...

Crossfire Premier

BUSA

Concorde Fire

Carmel United

San Juan FC

FC Delco

D'Feeters

Albertson Fury

Taking the rankings is too easy and superficial. Here are my projections for top eight...
I will substitute Arsenal and PDA in for Real Colorado and Bethesda Freedom.

ChelseaFan wrote:Well...since nobody is eager to take the first bite...I will...

If you go simply rankings of the three major sites (GS, NSR, & SIC) and combine for an average...then the top eight (remember 8 will vye for the ECNL National Championship next year) look like this:

1	Dallas Sting
2	CASL Spartan Elite
3	Scorpions
4	Ohio Premier Green
5	FC Virginia
6	Real Colorado
7	Bethesda Freedom
8	Mustang Blast

...the next eight look like this...

Sereno White

Arsenal

Lonestars Red

Eclipse Select

Solar

PDA

Charlotte SA

Challenge

...and then you start getting some of the Challenge B teams (in purple) into the thick of it...

Crossfire Premier

BUSA

Concorde Fire

Carmel United

San Juan FC

FC Delco

D'Feeters

Albertson Fury

Taking the rankings is too easy and superficial. Here are my projections for top eight...
I will substitute Arsenal and PDA in for Real Colorado and Bethesda Freedom.

Good job Chelsea, I would add that Arsenal definately belongs in the top group to knock out either 4,5,or 7 take your pick. Also San Juan FC is pretty stout and probably deserves to be in group 1 also. I think Lonestars or Challenge would be in group 1 too. I guess it depends on who comes out swinging the most when games resume.

Mr Haney wrote:

ChelseaFan wrote:Well...since nobody is eager to take the first bite...I will...

If you go simply rankings of the three major sites (GS, NSR, & SIC) and combine for an average...then the top eight (remember 8 will vye for the ECNL National Championship next year) look like this:

1	Dallas Sting
2	CASL Spartan Elite
3	Scorpions
4	Ohio Premier Green
5	FC Virginia
6	Real Colorado
7	Bethesda Freedom
8	Mustang Blast

...the next eight look like this...

Sereno White

Arsenal

Lonestars Red

Eclipse Select

Solar

PDA

Charlotte SA

Challenge

...and then you start getting some of the Challenge B teams (in purple) into the thick of it...

Crossfire Premier

BUSA

Concorde Fire

Carmel United

San Juan FC

FC Delco

D'Feeters

Albertson Fury

Taking the rankings is too easy and superficial. Here are my projections for top eight...
I will substitute Arsenal and PDA in for Real Colorado and Bethesda Freedom.

Good job Chelsea, I would add that Arsenal definately belongs in the top group to knock out either 4,5,or 7 take your pick. Also San Juan FC is pretty stout and probably deserves to be in group 1 also. I think Lonestars or Challenge would be in group 1 too. I guess it depends on who comes out swinging the most when games resume.

I agree with the Arsenal selection, and I think that Eclipse Select will be consistant and do well. Lonestars and San Juan has good team speed, both need to learn to play a little better team ball but I like the chances of those two teams. Not sure Real Colorado can hang on I think the numbers just worked for them this year.

Returning A group teams - promoted A teams-Guess at
Additions U16 yr.
1 Dallas Sting
2 Arsenal FC
3 CASL
4 Eclipse Select
5 Ohio Premier Eagles
6 Mustang SC
7 PDA
8 Colorado Rush
9 FC Virginia
10 Challenge SC
11 Bethesda SC
12 Charlotte Soccer Academy
13 Real Colorado
14 Concorde Fire
15 Crossfire Premier
16 Sereno SC
17 D'Feeters

18 San Juan SC
19 Lonestar SC
20 Solar
Additions
Scorpions SC
San Diego Surf
Michigan Hawks
Slammers
Carmel United
Real SoCal
20 teams I know are going to be in Group A and 6 more that I have ventured a
guess as to which teams they will be and all I can imagine is that it is going
to be one helluva year in the ECNL

ChelseaFan wrote:For those who don't already know...we will also have an expanded ECNL regular season this year, too. There will be 4 regional games added to the three tournament commitment for a total of 9 regular season games. The good news is that we know that Lonestars will play all four NTX based ECNL teams as part of our regular season! The other piece of news is that the ECNL National Championship next year will be determined by a playoff of the top eight teams instead of the top four teams that decided it this year. Exciting changes if you ask me.

Challenge 95 and Lonestars Red 95G will play FC Dallas and Sting in Dallas on November 26 & 27. D'Feeters and Solar will come to Austin to play the two STX ECNL teams on February 12 & 13.

ChelseaFan wrote:There are twelve new clubs in ECNL. I would assume that until the regional play truly takes shape in 2011-2012...they will just add six to Bracket A & six teams to Bracket B this year. Having done some initial review...my guess (and it is just that) is that the breakout will look like this for 2010-2011 season:
Returning Teams - Challenge A
Sting
Arsenal
CASL
Eclipse Select
Ohio Premier
Mustang
PDA
Colorado Rush
FC Virginia
Challenge
Bethesda
Charlotte SA
Real Colorado
Concorde Fire
Crossfire Premier
Sereno SC
D'Feeters
San Juan (Promoted)
Lonestar (Promoted)
Solar (Promoted)
New Teams - Challenge A
Carmel United ('08 R1` Champ; '09 State Champ)
Michigan Hawks ('08 State Champ; #5 by NSR)
Real SoCal ('10 CA-S State Finalist; #10 by GS)
San Diego Surf (#6 by GS; #17 by NSR)
Scorpions (USYSA Finalist; R1 Champ)
Slammers (#15 by GS)

New Teams - Challenge B
DeAnza Force (#337 by GS)
FC Bucks (#107 by GS)
KCFC (#83 by GS; May supplant Carmel United in A)Utah Avalanche (#209 by GS)
Vardar (#356 by GS)
Washington Premier (#154 by GS)
Returning Teams - Challenge B
FC Stars of Mass. (Relegated)
Irvine Strikers (Relegated)
S.L.S.G. (Relegated)
SoccerPlus CT
Freestate SA
FC Delco
Albertson Fury
Atlanta Fire
BUSA
CESA Premier
Connecticutt FC
SC Del Sol
West Coast FC
FC Milwaukee
Minnesota Thunder
FC Dallas
Virginia Rush
Pleasanton Rage
Ohio Elite SA
Neusport FC

New Brackets are out on the ECNL website...also the schedule for the first event. It looks like my assessment of which of the new teams would be in A vs B was almost dead on. Got ten of twelve right with KCFC bumping Carmel from A to B.

Well we get Texans and D'feeters first weekend of PLW (in dallas again!) followed by Hurricanes the next weekend, add in extra game vs Sting for regional ECNL play, then we get our ECNL schedule (start with Scorpions and add Hawks, Slammers, PDA etc !). Sometimes you need to be careful what you ask for.... What a great fall schedule.

I guess we will be seeing a lot of each other in the coming months - Good Luck to all.

Whitehart wrote:Well we get Texans and D'feeters first weekend of PLW (in dallas again!) followed by Hurricanes the next weekend, add in extra game vs Sting for regional ECNL play, then we get our ECNL schedule (start with Scorpions and add Hawks, Slammers, PDA etc !). Sometimes you need to be careful what you ask for.... What a great fall schedule.

I guess we will be seeing a lot of each other in the coming months - Good Luck to all.

Wow! what a ride, it looks to be a very exciting Fall Season for you guys. Your team has been playing well. I'm sure they will have a good showing. After looking at everyone's schedule, we are all going to need our best game, what a league!

Whitehart wrote:Well we get Texans and D'feeters first weekend of PLW (in dallas again!) followed by Hurricanes the next weekend, add in extra game vs Sting for regional ECNL play, then we get our ECNL schedule (start with Scorpions and add Hawks, Slammers, PDA etc !). Sometimes you need to be careful what you ask for.... What a great fall schedule.

I guess we will be seeing a lot of each other in the coming months - Good Luck to all.

WH,
My sentiment exactly. I sent a note to our team last night lamenting that "we are not in KS anymore, Toto!" Besides playing against Sting, Solar, D'feeters, and FC Dallas in regional play...we have CASL, Eclipse Select, San Diego Surf, MI Hawks, FC Virginia, Real CO, Charlotte SA, OH Premier, & Crossfire Premier. If you take collective ranking of those teams against our own...we are looking at 5 wins and 8 losses. Time for the girls to step it up. But...no matter what...it should be fun!