Surf Zombie
GOLD
Supposedly this is being floated, but not officially announced. Anyone else hear about this? Interesting market share expansion by leveraging “ECNL” brand if true.
ECNL RL 2 to replace NPL
- Thread starter Surf Zombie
- Start date
Sounds like a branding thing and to get them into the pipeline early. As there are no ECNL-RL2 teams in AZ or NV it will be a local league. Might be there simply to make it easier to move players into the ECNL governed teams. Unless they charge more for the brand I don't see the harm. NPL, ECNL-RL 2 if it costs the same and is equally competitive what does it matter.
It may not be equally competitive. ECNL teams have to play the other ECNL teams, whether they are any good or not. This may just be a third tier of closed leagues.
This would strictly be a “roster” sharing move. If SoCal league turns their flight 1/npl division into “ecnl rl2l” it will be some ecnl clubs can put their ringers into teams to win. And/or to be able to have a smaller roster of “npl” players but to be able to move players around to fill in as needed.
overall- I think it’s terrible. ECNL has been great for the truly “top” / “elite” players. It has been awful for everything else.
overall- I think it’s terrible. ECNL has been great for the truly “top” / “elite” players. It has been awful for everything else.
I don't think they do. In PHX all the DPL teams play in the local leagues and DPL. Would think its the same for ECNL. Same as tournaments. They have to play in ECNL league, but they can play in others as well.
What is to stop them from doing that now? ECNL governs itself and has separate rosters. There is nothing to keep an ECNL, ECNL-RL or ECNL-RL2 player from playing on a NPL team. They could be rostered on both as they are governed from different authorities. This really isn't much of a change other than branding. Kinda how I think of E64. Separate league with different teams.
I have mixed opinions on whether ECNL really benefits the top few.
Some top 2010 team goal differentials, so far:
VA Union, +51/18
Charlotte SA +53/18
Solar +57/16
MVLA +68/12
Surf +51/14
FL Premier +48/10
Eclipse +42/10
Dallas Texans +53/17
All those teams are averaging 3-5 point wins. Those kids aren’t getting a ton of challenge in their league games.
Other age groups are different, but it‘s a problem.
RandomSoccerFan
GOLD
I'm not sure what this data shows. You're correct, in that most (but not all) of the leaders in the various ECNL G2010 conferences have a GD that is far above even the 2nd place teams, let alone the rest of the teams in their own same conferences. But what is the alternative? If you go down a league or 2 - and do the same thing looking at SoCal DPL standings for the fall, it shows the exact same thing. The top team in 2010, G or B, in every Flight 1 division, has the top team with a GD that is far above the 2nd place teams (and all the rest). Same in Flight 2, in most divisions. In Flight 3 - it looks like it's the top 2 teams instead of the top 1 in most divisions. If you look at 2022/2023 GA standings, every U13 division looks the same as well. Top team is dominant, sometimes there is a second team, but not in most. Heck - the top team in GA Southeast has a GD of 103.
The common thread is that in every division at every level of competition - the top team in the conference has a GD that implies they are winning most games by several goals. But what's the control - where is the theoretical conference in youth soccer that could be created where all of the top talent is so spread out that there isn't a dominant team? The only time that top talent can be expected to meet top talent (by definition) is at the very tip of the pyramid, at national events that pull all of the best together for direct competition. Expecting that to ever happen in any local league - even the "top" one, is not a high percentage bet. In fact - I'd bet that the only times that there wouldn't be a dominant team are in pure rec play, where there is often a stated goal of parity, and at least an attempt to spread out the more skilled players across each of a town's teams.
Every one of those 2010 teams has several comparable teams within 10 miles. They are 2009s. But ECNL 10s don’t play ECNL 09s, so those games don’t happen.
This is why it’s a little different in a pro-rel league. If someone starts to pull away from the pack, they get moved up. If they look unbeatable at age, they play up and the older kids take them down a notch.
DPL makes a good control. Take a look at U11 and U12 for boys flight 1 DPL: 8 divisions, no perfect records. A few 30 point goal differentials, but no 68 or 103.
RandomSoccerFan
GOLD
I don't see this as very likely for a whole host of reasons that I'm sure you could articulate as well. One-off tournaments playing up to challenge a team is common. Playing up an age group at the top level for the full season is quite rare, and there are significant disincentives for a dominant team to agree to it as a matter of course. Norcal used to allow it more often (especially in transition periods from 9v9 to 11v11), but it's become quite rare.
Which youth leagues operate this way for the teen years?
I'm not seeing what you are referencing. Can you share a link or screenshot for the above? When I go to this primary gotsport page for SoCal Fall League 2022-2023, I cannot see a bracket with any GD or related info for any age younger than U13. When I click on the U11's or U12's, it just shows individual game results with no bracket/table at the top, and when I click on the U7's to U10's, it even hides the individual game results. What I can see at the U13 level, B or G, is that there is a dominant team in pretty much every bracket. Looking at the U14's and U15's, it's there in most instances as well. The GD might be a little less inflated for the top team in some cases, but it's still far off from "even competition" from the top team to most other teams in league.
rainbow_unicorn
PREMIER
If they are creating ECRL 2 to replace NPL then I think that's a good thing as it simplifies the soccer league landscape slightly. We need to see less letter leagues...not more.
Pirate_Smiles
BRONZE
Yes this is what NorCal premier is doing for Spring NPL league. (I'm only familiar with the girls side, not boys) Top 2 finishers in each of the 5 NPL regions qualify for the spring champions league as ECNL-RL. Top 2 winners of Spring ECRL go to ECRL nationals, and 3rd place goes to NPL nationals. Not sure if they will keep the ECRL label come fall for the NPL 1 bracket or not? (last year they did not keep the ECRL for fall)
And yes a few teams/clubs play both NPL and DPL. My daughter plays on a team that plays in both leagues.
NorCal premier is trying to slow the exodus of clubs playing ECNL, GA, and DPL, by giving a fancy label of ECRL to the NPL champions league top bracket
El Padre Antonio
BRONZE
Interesting and informative thread, has anyone confirmed any more information about the possibility of this actually happening any time soon, 23/24 season? Or is this just speculation.
Primetime
SILVER ELITE
About 5 Boys ECNL clubs in SoCal Conference are getting a second RL team. Not RL-2 but a second RL team that’s the same play level. Nothing on the girls side yet. Sounds like boys side is pushing it to compete and battle the other leagues like MLS Next and what not. Girls side likely gonna hold off since they’re at the top of the mountain still just wait and see how it goes with the boys.
If true an interesting move by ECNL.
I dont forsee many clubs being excited by 2x ECRL teams. If certain clubs were given 2x ECNL teams that would a different case.
rainbow_unicorn
PREMIER
Sounds like a dumb idea
SoccerFan4Life
PREMIER
I’m not hearing this RL2. We’ve been going to RL tryouts but no advertising regarding RL2 so far. I will need to make sure there is no bait and switch if we get offered RL.