There was never much of a chance the ECNL would be able to throw a velvet rope of exclusivity around its biggest, most prestigious clubs. As the girls Development Academy elbowed itself into the discussion about who develops the best and brightest in the country, there would always be some bleed-over.
For the ECNL, the task was always about limiting the damage and continuing to prop up the tenets of development that got them here. The latter is unassailable, buttressed by a massive number of U.S. YNT players and a seven-year history that’s given them unique perspective. Whatever U.S. Soccer does with its academy, it will never be able to usurp those hard-won lessons.
But the former is suddenly on shaky ground. Damage limitation in the form of defecting clubs is suddenly more untenable than ever.
The U.S. Soccer-led girls Development Academy made waves in early July by announcing 25 clubs had agreed to join for the 2017 season. It was the first wave of additions, and while it was an important stepping stone it didn’t tell us everything. PDA led the charge, and 60 percent of the NWSL was represented, but there were still some huge clubs left out of the mix. Were they abstaining, or were they simply biding their time?
After the first jab, U.S. Soccer came across with a haymaker on July 9. It announced it added 28 more clubs for the 2017-18 season, bringing the total to 53. And it emphatically answered the question as to whether the ECNL had something to worry about in its new club competition.
After this second wave of additions, the answer, emphatically, is yes. The ECNL has something to worry about. Here’s what we learned after the girls DA’s second significant round of expansion.
