who is the best ECNL 01 team?

Big Poppy wrote:

Big Poppy wrote:Sting Flanagan appears to be the front runner in the 01 Group (Plano Labor Day Invitational Tournament).  

I see this as a tune-up and nothing more!

A lot of 5-0 to 8-0 wins all the way to the finals.  

Whoever takes 2nd place.....will be a distant 2nd!

I must admit I was way off on my assumption in goal differential for Flanagan.  Appears that Kicks Gold hung with them and made it a game.  

Flanny definitely wasn't the steamroller I thought they would be this weekend either, although they did take care of business in the end and won the final pretty handily 4-0 over the Gretna team from Nebraska. Flanny is a bit beat up right now, and had at least 3 key players out with injuries this weekend. However, from the chats I had with some of the Flanny parents and players, they will be the first to tell you that they know they need to play better.

Kicks Gold gave them everything they could handle in both games they played this weekend, especially in the semi-final today. It was a pretty exciting atmosphere with both semis going on simultaneously on adjacent fields, with all of the parents sitting back-back, and both semis ending up tied 2-2 after regulation. Gretna got one in on Sting D in OT to win 3-2, and Flanny/Kicks went all the way to PK's (4-2 Flanny on the PK's).

By the way, the Gretna team from Nebraska was definitely legit, and would compete well in D1 down here. Very good keeper, good speed at fullback, a very fast, savvy striker who knows how to finish, and solid depth. However, based on a brief conversation I had with one of their parents after the semis, my gut told me that they might not be prepared for the speed and physicality they were going to see from Flanny in the final, so the 4-0 score in that game didn't really surprise me.

Great weekend of soccer for the girls in the hot weather!

bwgophers wrote:

Big Poppy wrote:

Big Poppy wrote:Sting Flanagan appears to be the front runner in the 01 Group (Plano Labor Day Invitational Tournament).  

I see this as a tune-up and nothing more!

A lot of 5-0 to 8-0 wins all the way to the finals.  

Whoever takes 2nd place.....will be a distant 2nd!

I must admit I was way off on my assumption in goal differential for Flanagan.  Appears that Kicks Gold hung with them and made it a game.  

Flanny definitely wasn't the steamroller I thought they would be this weekend either, although they did take care of business in the end and won the final pretty handily 4-0 over the Gretna team from Nebraska.  Flanny is a bit beat up right now, and had at least 3 key players out with injuries this weekend.  However, from the chats I had with some of the Flanny parents and players, they will be the first to tell you that they know they need to play better.

Kicks Gold gave them everything they could handle in both games they played this weekend, especially in the semi-final today.  It was a pretty exciting atmosphere with both semis going on simultaneously on adjacent fields, with all of the parents sitting back-back, and both semis ending up tied 2-2 after regulation.  Gretna got one in on Sting D in OT to win 3-2, and Flanny/Kicks went all the way to PK's (4-2 Flanny on the PK's).

By the way, the Gretna team from Nebraska was definitely legit, and would compete well in D1 down here.  Very good keeper, good speed at fullback, a very fast, savvy striker who knows how to finish, and solid depth.  However, based on a brief conversation I had with one of their parents after the semis, my gut told me that they might not be prepared for the speed and physicality they were going to see from Flanny in the final, so the 4-0 score in that game didn't really surprise me.

Great weekend of soccer for the girls in the hot weather!

Have to agree with you BW, it was a very energetic atmosphere today during the 01 semi's. Both games were exciting as to I couldn't stay in my seat and just focus on our game. Sting D made an awesome come back to tie it up and send it into OT. That was very exciting to watch. Good luck to Sting D this year.

I went out to watch Flan vs. KG...wanted to see the pre-season ECNL favorite in person (and see how many Kicks SC played with KG).

Watched their Bracket game Saturday. Score was 2-0 flan, but pretty much an even game. When the SC players were on, KG was the better team. When they went off, Flan generally carried the run of play.


General thoughts on Flan ECNL:

1) First impression - WOW - this is basically a new team. Only recognized about 6 or 7 girls from last year. Most their new girls I've never seen before...

I'm thinking flan must have searched high and low to find a lot of these girls cause I definitely don't remember seeing many of them in D1 in recent years. Not like I know every kid and where they play, but would be interesting to get a break down of Sting ECNL roster and where they started...would be an eye opener for parents of younger players who think it's so important to be on a "top" team at u11.

2) In the past I've made comments like "OFC or no OFC" regarding Flan's OFC forward and her impact on Sting.

Time to retract.

Having seen this kid multiple times against DD's team and against others, she is indeed a difference maker, even on a team already loaded with forwards. She might be the best player on Sting ECNL, and you'd have to put her up near the top in any ranking of NTX forwards. Yes she's fast, but so are a bunch of others...actually quite a few are faster...she's probably not even the fastest on Sting. But her soccer IQ is solid, and most importantly for a striker, her finishing is CLASS.

I've seen her in multiple high pressure games only get a few chances, but she's almost always putting them on frame with very smart shot placement. Her conversion rate has to be off the charts. That quality in the final third separates her from most  in this age group. This kid is looking like the real deal.

Yes, I called it a "travesty" that Flan is recruiting out of oklahoma for NTX ECNL, but really can't begrudge a player of that caliber. I'm sure ANY other NTX coach would go after her too if they could. The travesty would've been if half of Sting's ECNL starters were OFC players.

3) I put Flan as pre-season favorites because he can now put out a front 4 that is on a different level than anything we've seen on one team around here (or anywhere else for that matter). I never saw those 4 on the field at the same time
this weekend. At least one didn't play at all...Gophers did say a few Stingers were hurt. Defense does have more speed...time will tell if they are better technically. And I will co-sign big poppy's earlier comment on the jury is out on the midfield.
They're MOSTLY bigger and faster than U13 D1 Sting, but depth and quality? Time will tell on that too. I had them as early favorites because I figured with an attack that deadly, you could put tweedle dee and tweedle dum in the midfield and still win most every game (as long as your D is decent).

Overall impression - Sting has so many new pieces and parts, it will take time for them to gel. Obviously they can steam roll any team that doesn't match up athletically, but against equal comp, not sure the whole is as good as the sum of the parts...YET.

I wouldn't take ECNL Flanagan in a game against U13 State Cup Flanagan...TODAY...but in another 3 months, and they get healthy and learn to play together, I would still put this group as the one with the highest potential upside...just too much talent, size and speed, and would be very surprised if they aren't a national contender come late spring.

Of course if they don't get healthy, and their offensive studs can't stay on the field, all bets are off, because based on pre-season results there still isn't much gap between the top teams.

Can't wait to get first look at Solar, Grubb and Texans ECNL to see how they stack up. Said it before, and will say it again, the DEPTH in this age group is incredible.

haterinho wrote:


General thoughts on Flan ECNL:

1) First impression - WOW - this is basically a new team. Only recognized about 6 or 7 girls from last year. Most their new girls I've never seen before...

One of the Flan parents said they picked up kids from Sting North, Sting Hilton, Texans North and Texans FW among others. Watched some yesterday as well. Solid group.

Was able to watch Sting, FC Dallas and Solar play this past weekend.

Sting is the most ready for the ECNL season. They have played in a number of tournaments and looks to have meshed together a lot of new girls. Forwards will be tough with all that size and speed. Should be a good game this week against FC Dallas.

Solar is the best team. They only needed to add a few key players to an already star-studded team. Added a Flanagan Player that will play a key role in the middle. Solar has the best midfielders of any team IMHO. They control the game for Solar.

DVS-ONE wrote:Was able to watch Sting, FC Dallas and Solar play this past weekend.  

Sting is the most ready for the ECNL season. They have played in a number of tournaments and looks to have meshed together a lot of new girls.  Forwards will be tough with all that size and speed.  Should be a good game this week against FC Dallas.  

Solar is the best team.  They only needed to add a few key players to an already star-studded team.  Added a Flanagan Player that will play a key role in the middle.  Solar has the best midfielders of any team IMHO. They control the game for Solar.  

I think they will all be ready. As they get older they run into coaches that won't have them playing a ton of games to develop and sharpen the team...they'll do it in training.

I would agree Solar has the best midfield....if I use the criteria of which team has their ball spend the most time moving through and amongst midfielders,Solar is tops in this area for a long time, unless you go outside of D1 down to a Sting Angel. When they are in possession, solar is the clear #1 midfield. When they don't have the ball, I'd like to see if they've added a destroyer or a harder edge because their only knock was they are so finesse oriented they have trouble getting the ball back when playing another team that can keep the ball.

Re the Flanagan player they added to midfield? Agreed, no doubt, very solid pickup for Solar. Based on what I saw this weekend, Sting misses her and has some work left to replace her. But if you would've just posted this a month ago you would've saved Shelby01 and his umpteen aliases from needing to stoke this thread until someone said it.

Is it fair for teams like Sting, FC Dallas, Solar to just go out and find kids to add to the teams to win a tournaments, games. It just seems like every time you all see these teams play that they always have new players. when is "THE TEAM" really going to play?

Shelby01 wrote:Is it fair for teams like Sting, FC Dallas, Solar to just go out and find kids to add to the teams to win a tournaments, games. It just seems like every time you all see these teams play that they always have new players. when is "THE TEAM" really going to play?

 



Are you just throwing stuff up against the wall to see what sticks?  

When in the past 3 years, has Sting '01 Flanny, FCD '01 Grubb, or Solar '01 Bates (or any of these teams' current ECNL incarnations), ever added kids to their team just to win a tournament or a game?

no I am not just throwing stuff up against the wall. I don't mean it that way! I am saying taking guess players all the time, discovery players and so on is that fair to all? you hear about these clubs in Florida, Cal.. that puts these tournament teams together for only the purposes of playing tournaments, and only tournaments. At the same time we talk about how Sting has almost a new team and because kids are injured they added a few more for last weekend. It just so happened they won!!! is that right ? when is it that they will play with just there team?

I believe that your comments along those lines specifically pointed at the top '01 teams at Sting, Solar, and FCD are misguided.

The Sting Flanny roster that played in PLD is his '01 ECNL roster for U14.  Haterinho's point is that Flanny turned over a large part of his roster going from U13 D1 to U14 ECNL, and this is true.  However, those weren't "discovery" or "guest" players he had at PLD.  It was his ECNL roster.  I did hear that he may have had 1 or 2 '02 players guest playing with his team to help with depth due some injury issues he is dealing with, but he wasn't bringing in those players just to win this tournament, and I'm pretty sure their playing time was generally less than his rostered players.  That's a common practice for any team in NTX, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

If you want to gripe about why Flanny signed up his ECNL team to play in PLD, then go ahead, but the roster he brought to PLD is the roster he will be playing ECNL with this year, and I don't think that was a secret to anyone heading into the tournament.

Some of the other long-time '01 D1 parents can correct me if I am wrong, but I don't recall Sting '01 Flanny, Solar '01 Bates, or FC Dallas '01 Grubb as ever having a reputation for bringing in significant guest players for the purpose of trying to win a game and/or tournament.

Now, you will likely see some "fluid" rosters for the Solar Red '01 and FCD '01 Premier teams that will be playing in LHGCL D1 this fall, because both of those teams have large # of players (i.e. >8 ) that are dual rostered between D1 and ECNL.  However, to my knowledge, Sting Flanny currently only has 2 dual-rostered players on his ECNL roster, and both of those players played with their LHGCL team in PLD.

So with all you saw the last three weeks is solar still the team. Are they the best ECNL Team? I know Sting had a big weekend but was this the weekend they really figured it out and will now compete here on out?

Shelby01 wrote:So with all you saw the last three weeks is solar still the team. Are they the best ECNL Team? I know Sting had a big weekend but was this the weekend they really figured it out and will now compete here on out?

FC Dallas is the clear early leader with big wins over both Texans plus Sting. Solar looks good but wins are not as impressive.