Re: ECNL, ECRL, ECNL NTX —- whats the difference

by jogobonito06 11/07/20, 03:33 pm

TxFutbal wrote:ECRL-NTX is a joke. It will die a painful death next year.
ECRL is about to be a joke unless ECNL powers allow ECRL teams into the college showcases. If this doesn't happen, FDL will become the premier 2nd tier league. The new National Showcase platform that FDL and Frontier feed into is very promising. Question is whether USYS allows ECRL teams to compete in the National Showcases. If not, there will be a lot of buyers remorse in the ECRL platform. Sad because ECRL was a huge success last year.

Define huge success

by Checkpoint Charlie 11/07/20, 05:28 pm

jogobonito06 wrote:
TxFutbal wrote:ECRL-NTX is a joke. It will die a painful death next year.
ECRL is about to be a joke unless ECNL powers allow ECRL teams into the college showcases. If this doesn't happen, FDL will become the premier 2nd tier league. The new National Showcase platform that FDL and Frontier feed into is very promising. Question is whether USYS allows ECRL teams to compete in the National Showcases. If not, there will be a lot of buyers remorse in the ECRL platform. Sad because ECRL was a huge success last year.

Define huge success

#MAGA

by TxFutbal 11/07/20, 07:30 pm

ECRL based on what I saw last season and following the various leagues were for the most part competitive matches with some really good development. Not much difference between ECNL and ECRL in many instances (not all). In some instances I saw ECRL teams beat some ECNL teams where they faced off. In many instances ECNL players would play in ECRL league games to get minutes and/or help the ECRL team win matches against better opponents.

Biggest difference I saw between ECNL and ECRL was size and speed of the fowards mostly. Technical skills were similar as was quality of defense.

Again.. not saying this across the board, just in many instances where ECNL and RL were playing in same venue, practices, and friendlies that I saw. Just as not all ECNL teams are of the same quality, not all RL teams were of the same quality.

by MaximilianOneMX 11/07/20, 08:00 pm

TxFutbal wrote:ECRL based on what I saw last season and following the various leagues were for the most part competitive matches with some really good development. Not much difference between ECNL and ECRL in many instances (not all). In some instances I saw ECRL teams beat some ECNL teams where they faced off. In many instances ECNL players would play in ECRL league games to get minutes and/or help the ECRL team win matches against better opponents.

Biggest difference I saw between ECNL and ECRL was size and speed of the fowards mostly. Technical skills were similar as was quality of defense.

Again.. not saying this across the board, just in many instances where ECNL and RL were playing in same venue, practices, and friendlies that I saw. Just as not all ECNL teams are of the same quality, not all RL teams were of the same quality.

There were only two local ECRL teams per age group, right? Not really a great sample size to support your conclusions.

by TxFutbal 11/07/20, 08:38 pm

across all age groups not just one.. multiple regions as well not just texas. so yes a good sample size I saw.

by MaximilianOneMX 11/07/20, 09:35 pm

TxFutbal wrote:across all age groups not just one.. multiple regions as well not just texas. so yes a good sample size I saw.

Uh huh

by Checkpoint Charlie 12/07/20, 02:23 pm

MaximilianOneMX wrote:
TxFutbal wrote:across all age groups not just one.. multiple regions as well not just texas. so yes a good sample size I saw.

Uh huh

#MAGA

by Big Ern 13/07/20, 12:08 am

TxFutbal wrote:ECRL based on what I saw last season and following the various leagues were for the most part competitive matches with some really good development. Not much difference between ECNL and ECRL in many instances (not all). In some instances I saw ECRL teams beat some ECNL teams where they faced off. In many instances ECNL players would play in ECRL league games to get minutes and/or help the ECRL team win matches against better opponents.

Biggest difference I saw between ECNL and ECRL was size and speed of the fowards mostly. Technical skills were similar as was quality of defense.

Again.. not saying this across the board, just in many instances where ECNL and RL were playing in same venue, practices, and friendlies that I saw. Just as not all ECNL teams are of the same quality, not all RL teams were of the same quality.

Isn't that ^ just how it typically goes though? And by that I mean ... Not mucha difference between the 2nd and 3rd levels?

May be a bit different story though in the upcoming year due to now having to compare the most elite, top level here in DFW with the 2nd level, won't it?

by smugrr 13/07/20, 09:11 am

Trying to figure out.....There is ECNL. No problem. Then last year and this year there is ECRL which plays the same schedule (Oklahoma and S. Texas) as ECNL and thus travels. And this new thing is some kind of ECRL light, which only plays locally and in its S. Texas version, contains some non ECNL clubs, but not, so far, in its N. Texas version.

by TxFutbal 13/07/20, 08:14 pm

Isn't that ^ just how it typically goes though? And by that I mean ... Not mucha difference between the 2nd and 3rd levels?

May be a bit different story though in the upcoming year due to now having to compare the most elite, top level here in DFW with the 2nd level, won't it?[/quote]

Agree.. I expect ECNL to have more separation in quality than ECRL. I expect ECRL to get stronger. LH with Frontier and FDL will be a solid 2.5 to 3rd ring of competitiveness. NPL will suffer the most. ECRL-NTX... Why? Not needed and will be embarrassing.

by AtThePitch 13/07/20, 08:18 pm

TxFutbal wrote:Isn't that ^ just how it typically goes though? And by that I mean ... Not mucha difference between the 2nd and 3rd levels?

May be a bit different story though in the upcoming year due to now having to compare the most elite, top level here in DFW with the 2nd level, won't it?

Agree.. I expect ECNL to have more separation in quality than ECRL. I expect ECRL to get stronger. LH with Frontier and FDL will be a solid 2.5 to 3rd ring of competitiveness. NPL will suffer the most. ECRL-NTX... Why? Not needed and will be embarrassing. [/quote]

Here is a honest straight forward question.

Why do you care? If your child is on a team in FDL/LH and you are comfortable that that is the second best league, if that even matters, shouldn't you be happy.

by TxFutbal 13/07/20, 08:26 pm

I happen to believe FDL/Frontier/LH is a quality platform and serves a much needed place in NTX soccer. You combine these 3 platforms with State Cup and beyond and $ for $ it competes well. How many ECNL kids always seem to "slum it" around state cup time? Nuff said.

by AtThePitch 13/07/20, 08:48 pm

What I think should be the focus is the rules that allow just what you mentioned, then the rest would settle itself. If a league can't sustain itself it goes away.

As an example you can now have three u10 players on a boys classic league team. Never allowed u10s to play in a NTX sanctioned league before and now they can.

by Checkpoint Charlie 14/07/20, 07:24 pm

AtThePitch wrote:What I think should be the focus is the rules that allow just what you mentioned, then the rest would settle itself. If a league can't sustain itself it goes away.

As an example you can now have three u10 players on a boys classic league team. Never allowed u10s to play in a NTX sanctioned league before and now they can.

#MAGA

by smugrr 10/08/20, 03:11 pm

One of the confusions I see, even on the ECNL website, is to confuse the ECRL that is the number 2 team and travels with the ECNL team and uses ECNL referees and fields, with the local RL league which does neither and presumably, will be teams 3/4 and will only be a part of that teams schedule. It makes sense where, as in S. Texas, other clubs are participating and you have the hope of being invited into the big show at some point in the future, but not if, as in N. Texas, it is just another way to get in some more games. And will they be teams 3/4 or just whomever wants in, and the FDL or some other league will be the principal place for teams 3/4? Does anyone know if the three clubs in N. Texas participating are sending what they perceive as their 3/4 teams? Or just flipping the proverbial coin?

by jogobonito06 10/08/20, 03:45 pm

One team I know going into the RL NTX league feels they will get the same or better quality matches as they did in NPL last year. Same quality without travelling to Arkansas is a win.

by smugrr 10/08/20, 04:25 pm

But Arkansas is pretty in the fall. And RL NTX only provides 5 games, one of which is against your own club.

by AngelinaGoalee 10/08/20, 06:12 pm

Texans U17 ECNL lost twice to Solar U17 ECRL...is that bad? That either means Solar’s ECRL is going to do well and or Texans are in for a long season (if it happens)

by Tanner 10/08/20, 07:55 pm

AngelinaGoalee wrote:Texans U17 ECNL lost twice to Solar U17 ECRL...is that bad? That either means Solar’s ECRL is going to do well and or Texans are in for a long season (if it happens)

Is that bad lol??? Solar won 1-0 in the first game. They played each other in the finals and Texans were winning 1-0 with 2 min left before Solar scored a great goal to tie it up and send it to PK’s. Solar won in PK’s. I wouldn’t say that was an earth shattering result.

Both teams played up an age level. Texans scored 23 goals and conceded 2 goals in 5 games. Solar scored 15 goals and conceded 1 goal. Girls have not played soccer since March so think we need to slow it down a tad when comparing teams and levels of play. How about the topic is revisited when girls know each others names and have more than 5 games under their belts.

by AngelinaGoalee 10/08/20, 08:12 pm

14 goals against a PPL team...but I digress.
I have no dog in the fight, just ole skool forum banter that’s all.

by Big Ern 10/08/20, 08:34 pm

Right AG! To take it a bit further, I thought it a little silly for any girls EC'N'L teams to be in this tourney altogether --

Outside of this ^ particular example, it really wasn't fair nor did it do much good for anyone. And most of us know both that Solar have become crazy deep at the top levels for girls at U14+ (especially at U17), and Texans are a lil' soft in that area (especially at U17).

And not sure what this talk about "Girls have not played soccer since March" or "when girls know each others names and have more than 5 games under their belts" is ... scratch

by smugrr 11/08/20, 09:46 am

To me the fact that one club's #2 team beat (barely) another club's #1 team is no big shock and would vary from club to club and on each age level, or maybe if a critical player was sick, etc....We should not expect otherwise. As to whether an ECNL or ECRL team should play in a tournament; they both did play up and the tournament was an open tournament. Those kind of teams need someplace to play besides the league which is not starting up for few weeks.

by AngelinaGoalee 11/08/20, 10:18 am

In a simplified, general aspect...you’re absolutely, positively, possibly correct.

by playitforward04 11/08/20, 10:56 am

"Solar have become crazy deep at the top levels for girls at U14+ (especially at U17), and Texans are a lil' soft in that area (especially at U17)." - Big Ern

Obviously loves himself some Solar...having to mention and praise a suspected "dream team" (U17 ECNL) in a post referencing an ECNL/ECRL showdown between two other teams. Don't worry the season will start soon enough and they will get all the praise needed if they fulfill expectations.

I find it hard to believe you have very solid grasp of that Texans team from your ivory soccer tower. Like most teams, they are probably mostly new players on their roster in the midst of a liability and health conscious return to play. Not every club or team for that matter used this time to practice or recruit. Give them a chance to build chemistry in the preseason before casting comments on their true potential.

"it really wasn't fair nor did it do much good for anyone"

I disagree with that opinion. The tournament allows these teams to evaluate their players and full rosters, evaluate different combinations, work on game fitness, and to remember how good it feels to play this game they love. They didn't pick who signed up for this Solar event, and I bet they were just excited to get back on the field. (Haven't played games since early March unless there is some underground league I am unaware of)

Both teams obviously showed up regardless of their league status to play some soccer. Congrats to Solar ECRL for a successful tournament. And best of luck to both teams this coming season!

by Big Ern 11/08/20, 11:31 am

smugrr wrote:To me the fact that one club's #2 team beat (barely) another club's #1 team is no big shock and would vary from club to club and on each age level, or maybe if a critical player was sick, etc....We should not expect otherwise. As to whether an ECNL or ECRL team should play in a tournament; they both did play up and the tournament was an open tournament. Those kind of teams need someplace to play besides the league which is not starting up for few weeks.

Understood smudger --

It's just that, in my opinion, there's a very sizeable drop off from ECNL to ECRL at the 'traditional power' clubs. And given that (I think I heard) none a single one of the Solar ECNL teams even conceded a single goal, while scoring 100+, it's safe to say that they had no business playing in this guy, and that because they did, they shoulda played up 2-3 years.

Very Happy

by AngelinaGoalee 11/08/20, 12:17 pm

Ivory Soccer Tower...
I don’t think anyone looks down on Texans.
Texans have their own facilities, pretty steep fees, history, exclusive Nike kits, and other resources as any big club should.
What that club lacks is beyond me and I wouldn’t be able to explain why they don’t experience the success like they used to. With all that the club possesses and their tenured coaching staff, why don’t more parents and players choose them? Not being judgmental but seriously curious why the players that seek the highest platform to play on make DTSC a last option?

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