First year for '05 DA discussion

Will LA Galaxy OC ever wind up with girls academy?

When they first rebranded last year they made a pretty big deal about getting players “academy opportunities.” Unless they start producing some very dominant teams, I can’t see them adding another DA to the already crowded Great Park/South OC area. That club is in such a tough spot geographically with just too many other options in the area to be able to consolidate talent.
 
When they first rebranded last year they made a pretty big deal about getting players “academy opportunities.” Unless they start producing some very dominant teams, I can’t see them adding another DA to the already crowded Great Park/South OC area. That club is in such a tough spot geographically with just too many other options in the area to be able to consolidate talent.

It’s all political amigos. I suppose Galaxy could flex its muscle and weasel them a spot. If you gave them DA, they’d dump every current player and get plenty of squads. Carlos Gonzales may be one of the few A license coaches. Not sure. They’ve had a lot of movement in coaching. It’s never been the same since AW left. They also try to play in every newfangled league or division. Chasing it a bit there.
 
Yes and you see what free gets you. Ouch. But people will continue to flock there. Turnover awaits.
The quality or lack there of has nothing to do with the program being "free". Let's be honest, Pats doesn't have the track record on the girls side so they were going to be slow out of the gate. Being funded has helped them get looks but they're still up against reputable and proven clubs on the girls side so they have a long road ahead of them. Neil Powell is legit and they have a few pieces in place but it's going to take some time to really call it a failure or success.

1 win in 6 games and playing some weaker sides?
Speaking of time, if you expand that "selective" view of 6 games and look at a more fair and balanced look at the 2nd half of season, starting January, you'll see that the results are trickling in along with the style of play:

Pats 4-0 West Coast
Pats 6-0 Galaxy SB
Pats 4-2 Blues
Pats 3-3 Thorns
Legends 3-0 Pats
Beach 2-0 Pats
Galaxy SD 4-0 Pats
Pats 0-0 Real So Cal
Pats 4-2 LA Premier

No real shame in losing to Legends, Beach, and Galaxy SD who are 3 of the stronger and consistent teams in the age group.

Pats no doubt struggled out of the gate but have seen a translation of training to their games and are a respectable middle of the road squad that seems to be balancing development and closing the competitive gaps at the same time.
 
The quality or lack there of has nothing to do with the program being "free". Let's be honest, Pats doesn't have the track record on the girls side so they were going to be slow out of the gate. Being funded has helped them get looks but they're still up against reputable and proven clubs on the girls side so they have a long road ahead of them. Neil Powell is legit and they have a few pieces in place but it's going to take some time to really call it a failure or success.


Speaking of time, if you expand that "selective" view of 6 games and look at a more fair and balanced look at the 2nd half of season, starting January, you'll see that the results are trickling in along with the style of play:

Pats 4-0 West Coast
Pats 6-0 Galaxy SB
Pats 4-2 Blues
Pats 3-3 Thorns
Legends 3-0 Pats
Beach 2-0 Pats
Galaxy SD 4-0 Pats
Pats 0-0 Real So Cal
Pats 4-2 LA Premier

No real shame in losing to Legends, Beach, and Galaxy SD who are 3 of the stronger and consistent teams in the age group.

Pats no doubt struggled out of the gate but have seen a translation of training to their games and are a respectable middle of the road squad that seems to be balancing development and closing the competitive gaps at the same time.



They are one game over .500 since the break. 4-3-2. If that’s a turnaround it really must have been bad in the first half.

Also, not having a girls program didn’t doom them. They actually have high caliber coaches in NP, MM, DR and JH plus DB.

BTW: NP has been there for years now and not even the arrival of MI and TI could help them.

The problem was they went out and signed all kinds of kids early who weren’t up to par. Many strong players denied them. Those who were, who went for the free ride got hurt the most. Ask someone that came from a strong ecnl team or a better club and they’ll tell you it’s been bad.

I’ve heard a lot of grumbles from friends at pats at multiple age levels. They expect to lose week in an out. Morale is not great. Now maybe that’s a few bad Apples telling me that. The experience is very personal no matter where you play. So perhaps 90% of the families love their experience. I just go by what I hear from a very small sample. Well that and the records.
 
They are one game over .500 since the break. 4-3-2. If that’s a turnaround it really must have been bad in the first half.

Also, not having a girls program didn’t doom them. They actually have high caliber coaches in NP, MM, DR and JH plus DB.

BTW: NP has been there for years now and not even the arrival of MI and TI could help them.

The problem was they went out and signed all kinds of kids early who weren’t up to par. Many strong players denied them. Those who were, who went for the free ride got hurt the most. Ask someone that came from a strong ecnl team or a better club and they’ll tell you it’s been bad.

I’ve heard a lot of grumbles from friends at pats at multiple age levels. They expect to lose week in an out. Morale is not great. Now maybe that’s a few bad Apples telling me that. The experience is very personal no matter where you play. So perhaps 90% of the families love their experience. I just go by what I hear from a very small sample. Well that and the records.

Let me correct you :) - Many strong players parents denied them. Their coaching staff for GDA is probably the strongest in SoCal. I know three of the better ECNL players they were able to land and they said the training is the best they have ever experienced but most of their teammates just can't pass a ball or go in the right direction no matter how much they are taught...
 
Let me correct you :) - Many strong players parents denied them. Their coaching staff for GDA is probably the strongest in SoCal. I know three of the better ECNL players they were able to land and they said the training is the best they have ever experienced but most of their teammates just can't pass a ball or go in the right direction no matter how much they are taught...

So you’re saying exactly what I said?
 
The quality or lack there of has nothing to do with the program being "free". Let's be honest, Pats doesn't have the track record on the girls side so they were going to be slow out of the gate. Being funded has helped them get looks but they're still up against reputable and proven clubs on the girls side so they have a long road ahead of them. Neil Powell is legit and they have a few pieces in place but it's going to take some time to really call it a failure or success.


Speaking of time, if you expand that "selective" view of 6 games and look at a more fair and balanced look at the 2nd half of season, starting January, you'll see that the results are trickling in along with the style of play:

Pats 4-0 West Coast
Pats 6-0 Galaxy SB
Pats 4-2 Blues
Pats 3-3 Thorns
Legends 3-0 Pats
Beach 2-0 Pats
Galaxy SD 4-0 Pats
Pats 0-0 Real So Cal
Pats 4-2 LA Premier

No real shame in losing to Legends, Beach, and Galaxy SD who are 3 of the stronger and consistent teams in the age group.

Pats no doubt struggled out of the gate but have seen a translation of training to their games and are a respectable middle of the road squad that seems to be balancing development and closing the competitive gaps at the same time.

Brand new teams hardly ever do well. Pats has a solid boys side and that is probably what got them funded. (idk) the other big 3 clubs were set from previous years they just had to reload and be called DA. Time will tell. At the end of the day you have to have talent. The big clubs are almost the only game in town. Who competes against LAG, Beach, and legends in the local areas? In SOC Blues, Slammers, WC are practicing on the same fields. If the talent signs with Pats the coaching staff has a great reputation so if it clicks then they might be competitive in a year or two.
 
The quality or lack there of has nothing to do with the program being "free". Let's be honest, Pats doesn't have the track record on the girls side so they were going to be slow out of the gate. Being funded has helped them get looks but they're still up against reputable and proven clubs on the girls side so they have a long road ahead of them. Neil Powell is legit and they have a few pieces in place but it's going to take some time to really call it a failure or success.


Speaking of time, if you expand that "selective" view of 6 games and look at a more fair and balanced look at the 2nd half of season, starting January, you'll see that the results are trickling in along with the style of play:

Pats 4-0 West Coast
Pats 6-0 Galaxy SB
Pats 4-2 Blues
Pats 3-3 Thorns
Legends 3-0 Pats
Beach 2-0 Pats
Galaxy SD 4-0 Pats
Pats 0-0 Real So Cal
Pats 4-2 LA Premier

No real shame in losing to Legends, Beach, and Galaxy SD who are 3 of the stronger and consistent teams in the age group.

Pats no doubt struggled out of the gate but have seen a translation of training to their games and are a respectable middle of the road squad that seems to be balancing development and closing the competitive gaps at the same time.

What age group for each of the DA games?
 
Pats also practices at same field as SCB, WC and Slammers.

If you want to see what it looks like, spend an evening walking around the complex. You can get an eye for the coaching and level of play. It’s unique to see that and some clubs are SXS. Strikers heralded ECNL team used to be there as well until they moved to blues
 
The problem was they went out and signed all kinds of kids early who weren’t up to par. Many strong players denied them. Those who were, who went for the free ride got hurt the most. Ask someone that came from a strong ecnl team or a better club and they’ll tell you it’s been bad.
Very true statement, signing players early on was a big factor that hurt them. Definitely some anchors holding down the teams and other players progress.
 
Very true statement, signing players early on was a big factor that hurt them. Definitely some anchors holding down the teams and other players progress.

Interesting. I'm unfamiliar with their recruiting history. Are you referring to the current 04 Pats DA team? If so, do you think they may not have learned from that mistake for the 05s (Or could it be they don't think they made a mistake in signing players so early)? I know they held ID sessions in early January. From what I understand, they made offers to some outside players not too long after those ID sessions. I'm guessing they wanted to shore up commitments early, before the other DAs, and look to make offers to the strongest players from the current Pats 05 pre-academy after national cup.

I commented in the 04 DA thread that I got a chance to watch a Pats 04 DA practice not too long after those 05 ID sessions. This was a week or 2 before DA matches were scheduled to resume. I have to say that I was very impressed. It didn't look like a team that had lost almost all of their games in the 1st half. Although I only had that one practice to base my prediction, I had a feeling that they would start the second half of the season strong, and they did. I wouldn't call 4-0 and 6-0 clean sheets luck. Something changed. It'll be interesting to see how that 04 DA team evolves over the rest of this season and into the next.
 
Pats also practices at same field as SCB, WC and Slammers.

If you want to see what it looks like, spend an evening walking around the complex. You can get an eye for the coaching and level of play. It’s unique to see that and some clubs are SXS. Strikers heralded ECNL team used to be there as well until they moved to blues
maybe its the new thing just like an auto mall but now its a soccer club mall
 
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