Expansion
- Thread starter VegasParent
- Start date
RandomSoccerFan
GOLD
Remember, Texas already has two levels of ECRL, both USC and Texas, so there are multiple spots to place teams appropriately. And if the higher ECRL team is dominant for a season, odds are an ECNL invite is forthcoming.
I highly doubt Lonestar will get promoted out of ECRL. Lonestar only has two good age groups 2010 and 2007.
I have a feeling moving over to ECRL was more about keeping the doors open and making it harder for Sting to recruit their players away.
A few thoughts...
1. Not sure I would call GA becoming a direct member being "Promoted by US Soccer." They filled out some paperwork and, according to the rules, they were eligible for admission. US Soccer gets another dues paying member. It offers exactly zero advantage for member clubs or their players over the setup that ECNL has with USCS. I think it could be a marginal improvement to their bottom line since they're cutting out the middleman and/or they see value with a direct seat on the Youth Committee (or it's all just marketing), but from a player's perspective, it really is meaningless.
2. I find myself wondering if the additions by the leagues are in preparation for subtractions. Certainly the GA PNW division has two clubs that are well underperforming and could likely be moved out. I can think of one socal club that will be pulling out of DPL for non performance reasons, there very well may be others.
3. I think it was you that suggested that Lonestar was losing teams to Sting? This may be related to why they got an RL spot instead of NL. They likely get spots in both RL TX and RL NTX/USC (third tier), but who knows, maybe they can justify two RL programs.
4. You forgot about GA adding Oregon Premier.
5. "Scoreboard" implies winners and losers. Are you really suggesting that or is this really more of "Tracker"?
Tracker...
1. GA was Promoted by US Soccer
2. GA added Liverpool FC International Academy (CA)
3. GA added SYC
4. GA added Revolution
5. GA added Seattle Celtic
6. GA added Westside Metros FC
7. GA added Oregon Premier
8. GA added South Valley Surf
9. GA added KC Scott Gallagher
1. DPL added Idaho Inferno
2. DPL added Agusta Arsenal
1. ECNL added Colorado Rush
2. ECNL added Nationals
3. ECNL added Ukies
1. ECRL added Lonestar
1. GA was Promoted by US Soccer
2. GA added Liverpool FC International Academy (CA)
3. GA added SYC
4. GA added Revolution
5. GA added Seattle Celtic
6. GA added Westside Metros FC
7. GA added Oregon Premier
8. GA added South Valley Surf
9. GA added KC Scott Gallagher
1. DPL added Idaho Inferno
2. DPL added Agusta Arsenal
1. ECNL added Colorado Rush
2. ECNL added Nationals
3. ECNL added Ukies
1. ECRL added Lonestar
RandomSoccerFan
GOLD
You may certainly be correct; much depends on how they perform at the current (new level). FWIW, their 2014G shows 11th in country, 2012G is 10th, and their 2010G is 21st. As individual teams, they seem incredibly competitive right now. But years other then these are significant step down.
Bring on the subtractions although that would likely be the kiss of death for clubs.
The former GA commissioner Lesle Gallimore is now the GM for OL Reign. She was probably getting annoyed by the GA Pacific Northwest Conference and lobbied internally for changes. This is why we're seeing all the action up there even with not so good (compared to other location) clubs.
If GA teams were beating the NL teams when they played heads up then I would agree with your statement but that's not the case.
If what you're describing happened or if it didn't happen is calculated into the results and reflected in the rankings. As was defined by RandomSoccerFan if you're seeing a team mostly beating opponents by more than expected they're ranking would likely go up. Converse for the opposite.
What you're experiencing is your own bias. This is why your intuition isn't aligning with the results.
I understand the Rankings app is spot on. My apologies for questioning it.
RandomSoccerFan
GOLD
That's quite the straw man argument. Nobody said the rankings app is spot on, and here's instead what you said:
Which appears to show that you are misrepresenting what the ratings mean and how they are derived. Somewhere under 20% of the time, a lower-ranked team is going to come out ahead of a higher-ranked team, showing that the game predictivity is very good - but nowhere near spot-on. As those games are played, the team rating is always going to move up and down based on performance, and it's always going to be a lagging indicator rather than a leading indicator. But in any case, the limited interplay just isn't going to cause the league skew that you are accusing the ratings of having.
TeamDadJokes
SILVER ELITE
In the 2010 age group, only top 20 GA tesm is top hat. Nationals (19), Ukrainian nationals (22) and lonestar (21) are now ECNL. The cross play and performance of those teams as they enter ecnl should be telling as to the caliber of GA in comparison to ecnl over the next year.
SurfSupDude
SILVER
Are you taking about SD Force or another club?
Tracker...
1. GA was Promoted by US Soccer
2. GA added Liverpool FC International Academy (CA)
3. GA added SYC
4. GA added Revolution
5. GA added Seattle Celtic
6. GA added Westside Metros FC
7. GA added Oregon Premier
8. GA added South Valley Surf
9. GA added KC Scott Gallagher
10. GA added Coppermine SC
1. DPL added Idaho Inferno
2. DPL added Augusta Arsenal
1. ECNL added Colorado Rush
2. ECNL added Nationals
3. ECNL added Ukies
1. ECRL added Lonestar
1. GA was Promoted by US Soccer
2. GA added Liverpool FC International Academy (CA)
3. GA added SYC
4. GA added Revolution
5. GA added Seattle Celtic
6. GA added Westside Metros FC
7. GA added Oregon Premier
8. GA added South Valley Surf
9. GA added KC Scott Gallagher
10. GA added Coppermine SC
1. DPL added Idaho Inferno
2. DPL added Augusta Arsenal
1. ECNL added Colorado Rush
2. ECNL added Nationals
3. ECNL added Ukies
1. ECRL added Lonestar
TeamDadJokes
SILVER ELITE
A few of these clubs GA is bringing in are top performers of E64. I wonder if that league is going to be around in 2 years…
- Coppermine SC (2010 playoff regional winner)
- Oregon Premier
- South Valley Surf (2010 semi finalist)
Kiss of death might be a bit dramatic... certainly a speed bump to any longer term "elite" aspirations.
I think there are clubs that are content (and better off) being "community based" and playing local. The super clubs that try to be everything to everybody have a hard time providing a quality experience to those beyond the top one or two teams per age group and that leaves a window for the smaller clubs, even if they can't sell the dream.
SurfSupDude
SILVER
You don’t know if you are talking about SD Force or another club?Kiss of death might be a bit dramatic... certainly a speed bump to any longer term "elite" aspirations.
I think there are clubs that are content (and better off) being "community based" and playing local. The super clubs that try to be everything to everybody have a hard time providing a quality experience to those beyond the top one or two teams per age group and that leaves a window for the smaller clubs, even if they can't sell the dream.
Which of these DPL clubs are doing well in league and don't have GA? There's your answers.
Noticer
BRONZE
Not to be harsh, but be honest....does it not feel like a calculated decision after seeing the clubs that fled GA recently?
I realize that you're a huge ECNL homer. Have fun with that.