ECNL SW Division 2021-22

Alika M

SILVER
2021-22 ECNL SW conference members has been finalized...17 teams. Should be a full slate of games and a few showcases mixed in. Can't wait for this season...hopefully COVID doesn't get in the way again (my subtle way of nudging folks to "lets get vaccinated") :) Good luck to all!

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Also, any guesses on who will finish top 5? Surely the SD Surf monster will be up there with tough competition from Beach, Legends and FCGS East. Maybe some surprises as there has been a lot of player movement in the last couple months. Should make for a fun one.
 
Where did you get the map from? I went to the ecnlboys page and they still have the 2020/2021 stuff.
 
Will there be a split on the boys side like the girls are doing? Anyone know?

That is a good question. There was no split the last 2 years even though the SW Division had 20 teams. I am in favor of no split and just need to play each other team twice. Would lead to a 32 game season + 2-3 showcases. But if they think that is too many games (some would say yes, I am of the other opinion), a split would lessen the number of league games to probably closer to 24 or so (play each team in 8 team split division twice and other division once). although depending on the split, one side could be top heavy (like the girls split)
 
That is a good question. There was no split the last 2 years even though the SW Division had 20 teams. I am in favor of no split and just need to play each other team twice. Would lead to a 32 game season + 2-3 showcases. But if they think that is too many games (some would say yes, I am of the other opinion), a split would lessen the number of league games to probably closer to 24 or so (play each team in 8 team split division twice and other division once). although depending on the split, one side could be top heavy (like the girls split)

Yeah with my daughter that how it's been done in the past, with my boy last year was a hot mess with Covid season so I'm curious how this season will play out. Either way we're game... although I would rather play each team 2x instead of the way the split is having it played on girls side. just curious if a split on boys side was happening as well. Good Luck to your son this season!!
 
EAL southwest league looks better then ECNL. Is EAL the new second best division in US soccer?

Better how?

ECNL is not a 2nd division, ECRL is.

Is EA more competitive vs ECRL ? Perhaps but you have added travel so hopefully those out of area teams are better than the local ones.

Some will say players on 2nd teams that didn't make the 1st team from clubs in MLS-NEXT or ECNL are just like any other regular league teams and it's not worth paying or travel extra for them.
 
Better how?

ECNL is not a 2nd division, ECRL is.

Is EA more competitive vs ECRL ? Perhaps but you have added travel so hopefully those out of area teams are better than the local ones.

Some will say players on 2nd teams that didn't make the 1st team from clubs in MLS-NEXT or ECNL are just like any other regular league teams and it's not worth paying or travel extra for them.


As lafa mentions... ECNL is top flight and ECRL is second flight. Similarly on the MLS Next side, that is top flight and EAL is second flight.

Having said that, looked as some recent tournament results (not the best barometer but all we have now), most EAL teams were competitive, winning some games, getting to knockout rounds. Most of their positive results were against non-ECNL teams. When EAL teams played ECNL teams, they fared much worse. A few wins, but lots of negative results. Again, its preseason tournaments, but there is a small sample to show there is a difference
 
That looks like a good league to me if my boy played soccer. I was the first one on here three years ago causing a big fuss because my baby girl got locked out of the GDA and the #1 league for the girls. Looking back and learning all that really happened, it was not a good move on my part. I should have never come on here asking questions. I could have done a better job of getting to my answers another way. Today, I can say it doesnt matter what league, what matters is if your kid is having fun. Let's make soccer fun :)
 
As lafa mentions... ECNL is top flight and ECRL is second flight. Similarly on the MLS Next side, that is top flight and EAL is second flight.

What makes EAL a little different than Boys ECRL is that some of the EAL clubs are the top team at their club because they have no MLS Next team at their club. I didn't follow the league too closely in the Spring, but my recollection is that the non-affiliated EAL teams were some of the strongest teams in the league. In U15 (2006) last year, for example, I think Liverpool and Laguna United, neither of which has Boys ECNL or MLS Next, finished first and second (and Santa Monica Surf finished third and that's also the top team in the age group at the club, although I guess they theoretically have an affiliation with both ECNL and MLS Next clubs through Surf). EAL picked up Riverside City FC (now Albion Riverside) as a new club for this year, whose 2006 team was a strong Premier team last year in CSL (finished 3rd out of 11), and I expect Riverside's main recruiting area is too far to be considered a feeder for Albion's MLS Next team even if the affiliation is more than in name only. As far as I know, in the SW there are no stand-alone Boys ECRL teams without ECNL teams at the same club (no Beach or Legends situation like in Girls ECNL last year).
 
What makes EAL a little different than Boys ECRL is that some of the EAL clubs are the top team at their club because they have no MLS Next team at their club. I didn't follow the league too closely in the Spring, but my recollection is that the non-affiliated EAL teams were some of the strongest teams in the league. In U15 (2006) last year, for example, I think Liverpool and Laguna United, neither of which has Boys ECNL or MLS Next, finished first and second (and Santa Monica Surf finished third and that's also the top team in the age group at the club, although I guess they theoretically have an affiliation with both ECNL and MLS Next clubs through Surf). EAL picked up Riverside City FC (now Albion Riverside) as a new club for this year, whose 2006 team was a strong Premier team last year in CSL (finished 3rd out of 11), and I expect Riverside's main recruiting area is too far to be considered a feeder for Albion's MLS Next team even if the affiliation is more than in name only. As far as I know, in the SW there are no stand-alone Boys ECRL teams without ECNL teams at the same club (no Beach or Legends situation like in Girls ECNL last year).

I should have added that at the younger, pre-MLS Next, age groups, EAL also has the LA Galaxy and LAFC teams, which is obviously a different kind of draw than ECNL/ECRL/Socal/CSL can provide
 
I should have added that at the younger, pre-MLS Next, age groups, EAL also has the LA Galaxy and LAFC teams, which is obviously a different kind of draw than ECNL/ECRL/Socal/CSL can provide

For the couple clubs this may apply to they also have teams in other leagues like the NPL's, socal disco, etc so which is there first teams? In EA or those other leagues.

LAFC doesn't have 2nd teams yet, so it's either for ages that don't play in MLS-NEXT or just the affiliated Socal Youth players.

Galaxy don't know yet but they normally don't have 2nd teams either so what will they actually enter in a EA league? U11, 12 or something?
 
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