'03 Division Outlook

NoFanOfDrama wrote:Herradura,

Sting Gutierrez (not Scarfone - that was a different team both from a player and coaching perspective) has not played Liverpool Rase 03 this year (2013) in TGPL. The game this year was a forfeit due to a tournament conflict and the game was not rescheduled.

The only meeting between Sting G and Liverpool Rase this year was in Liverpool's Freedom Cup Tournament, and Sting Gutierrez beat Rase 03 to win the championship.

So, given how much stronger Sting Gutierrez has gotten this year, I don't think it would be a draw.

Moneypenny wrote:I completely agree with Herradura's commentary this morning. It is also interesting is to read through the earlier pages of this thread, particularly the ones from the winter break. Several teams, considered in the "top ten" just three months ago, have significantly dropped (significantly enough to take them off the radar of some potential players who may be searching for a new team).

Now that the top five are arguably solidified, I'd like to shift the discussion to the other 35 teams ranked in the top 40 on the FBR, 25 of which will likely end up in LHGCL. 15 of these teams are likely to play in D1 against the top mentioned in Herradura's post. There are several "levels" which can be seen if you look at the points associated with each team based on the most recent rankings:

Teams ranked 5-8 are very close and only separated by 2 points.
Teams ranked 9-15 are also close, only separated by 4 points. There are lots of rumors flying about some of the teams in this group.
Teams in the 16-20 range are also only separated by 2 points.
Teams from 21 to 26 are only separated by 4 points. There are multiple teams in these groups who consistently use guest players to make their team better and keep up their ranking. However, these guests will not be with them come signing day because their primary allegiance is to a top 10 team.
Teams ranked from 27-39 are all within 6 points.

IMHO, it is the 3 groups of over 20 teams (ranked 16-39) that are actually the most interesting to watch and this Spring. These teams are all separated by just 20 points the exact same point spread between number 1 and 15). This is why there is so much movement within these rankings on any given week.

As the 03 teams begin to solidify and prepare for tournaments, there are many questions to be answered. It seems that lots of families are "putting out feelers." However, these inquiries are more often about seeing if there is room on another team, "just in case my DD's team implodes." How many teams will disappear because their roster is too small and they have depended on guests all season and cannot recruit more players? How many families believe they are sitting on solid teams and only need 1-2 players when really some of those players are guesting elsewhere and hedging their bets? How many DDs do you know who are not seeing enough play time but their coach continues to recruit additional players? How many have been fully committed to a team, only to spend time on the bench while the "guests" benefit from the playing time? How many are asking their teammates and coach about the minimum number of players they need to take to qualifying? There are lots of problems teams are having and everyone is thinking things will change at the end of league play. If you think it has been crazy thus far, just wait for tournaments/silly season.

Suddenly, the forum has become quiet...too quiet. I hear lots of interesting comments about a variety of teams. This one is going to implode, that one is looking for a new coach, etc. I think teams who once were very vocal and frequently posted on this forum are now just trying to hang on to the end of the season. There is little to no posting of scores, absolutely no color commentary. No one wants to be a target or draw attention to themselves for fear that their team may appear in jeopardy. Several teams are playing chicken and hoping another team will fold first so they can benefit from players looking for homes. My perception is that the top 5 teams listed above are the only teams guaranteed to be in LHGCL next year. Everything else is up for grabs.

What is unfortunate about all of this is that somewhere along the way, many families and kids have lost sight of what this is really about....These are 10 year old girls. They want to play competitive soccer but only when it is FUN! Do I want my DD on a top team? Absolutely. Do I want my daughter to burn out before I even have the chance to evaluate the value of ECNL (or whatever comes next... )? No. At this point, she just loves soccer and wants to play as much as she can.

Most importantly, I want my DD on a good team with a quality coach with a reputation for developing players and success in LHGCL. I want my DD to see lots of playing time with other DDs that she enjoys and girls who make each other better. They support each other and win/lose together as a team. No drama among the kids or the parents. I want my daughter to play with her friends but she does not have to choose to be on a team that has all her friends, as long as there is a feeling of mutual respect among the players.

It seems lots of families and players are having to ask themselves what they want and how they are going to get everything they want on one team. It's time to really think about priorities.

What is it you really want for your DD next year? Are you happy with how things are? Are you ready to sign a year commitment to this coach/club/group? If not, you better begin looking...

GrandTXSoccer wrote:Wait, is this the same Sting G team that didn't win their bracket and lost to Rush in their tournament?

Bottom line, after SRSA there is no clear cut #2 in this age group. There are about 5 teams that would all finish within about 2 games if they all played each other twice in a season.

NoFanOfDrama wrote:

GrandTXSoccer wrote:Wait, is this the same Sting G team that didn't win their bracket and lost to Rush in their tournament?

Bottom line, after SRSA there is no clear cut #2 in this age group. There are about 5 teams that would all finish within about 2 games if they all played each other twice in a season.

Yes, they lost 1-0 to LP Rush.

It was one of those games where the ball stayed on the Rush side 80% of the time, 8-10 shots hit the crossbar or the post. Rush had two shots the entire game, one was a missed coverage fluke and it went in.

Had Sting G won that game, they would have won the tournament.

silentparent wrote:

NoFanOfDrama wrote:Herradura,

Sting Gutierrez (not Scarfone - that was a different team both from a player and coaching perspective) has not played Liverpool Rase 03 this year (2013) in TGPL. The game this year was a forfeit due to a tournament conflict and the game was not rescheduled.

The only meeting between Sting G and Liverpool Rase this year was in Liverpool's Freedom Cup Tournament, and Sting Gutierrez beat Rase 03 to win the championship.

So, given how much stronger Sting Gutierrez has gotten this year, I don't think it would be a draw.

hmm wasn't that the famous sting g "guess" players tournament?

NoFanOfDrama wrote:

silentparent wrote:

NoFanOfDrama wrote:Herradura,

Sting Gutierrez (not Scarfone - that was a different team both from a player and coaching perspective) has not played Liverpool Rase 03 this year (2013) in TGPL. The game this year was a forfeit due to a tournament conflict and the game was not rescheduled.

The only meeting between Sting G and Liverpool Rase this year was in Liverpool's Freedom Cup Tournament, and Sting Gutierrez beat Rase 03 to win the championship.

So, given how much stronger Sting Gutierrez has gotten this year, I don't think it would be a draw.

hmm wasn't that the famous sting g "guess" players tournament?

SP - that "guess" team that beat LP Rush in the semi's and LP RASE in the finals of the LP Legacy Freedom Cup has had very, very little roster changes since then.

During the medals ceremony of the tournament, Lee stood right next to me and complained to Keri about how this Sting G team was a "ruse" and it was all a "smokescreen." (Complete with Keri calling him a jackass for asking her to accept the medal for 2nd place on behalf of the team.) I was actually surprised to see Lee not have more class than that when he ran his mouth while the other team was accepting their 1st place medals and parents of the girls accepting those medals were right next to him.

I'm sure those comments from Lee filtered down to the parents and that is where all of these "guess" comments come from. Not because they LP Rase lost to a better team that day, but because of "guess" players.



I'm already well over my "no drama" limit for the day so I will end my comments on this topic here. I just don't like when people base opinions on hearsay rather than understanding the facts of the situation.

silentparent wrote:

NoFanOfDrama wrote:

silentparent wrote:

NoFanOfDrama wrote:Herradura,

Sting Gutierrez (not Scarfone - that was a different team both from a player and coaching perspective) has not played Liverpool Rase 03 this year (2013) in TGPL. The game this year was a forfeit due to a tournament conflict and the game was not rescheduled.

The only meeting between Sting G and Liverpool Rase this year was in Liverpool's Freedom Cup Tournament, and Sting Gutierrez beat Rase 03 to win the championship.

So, given how much stronger Sting Gutierrez has gotten this year, I don't think it would be a draw.

hmm wasn't that the famous sting g "guess" players tournament?

SP - that "guess" team that beat LP Rush in the semi's and LP RASE in the finals of the LP Legacy Freedom Cup has had very, very little roster changes since then.

During the medals ceremony of the tournament, Lee stood right next to me and complained to Keri about how this Sting G team was a "ruse" and it was all a "smokescreen." (Complete with Keri calling him a jackass for asking her to accept the medal for 2nd place on behalf of the team.) I was actually surprised to see Lee not have more class than that when he ran his mouth while the other team was accepting their 1st place medals and parents of the girls accepting those medals were right next to him.

I'm sure those comments from Lee filtered down to the parents and that is where all of these "guess" comments come from. Not because they LP Rase lost to a better team that day, but because of "guess" players.



I'm already well over my "no drama" limit for the day so I will end my comments on this topic here. I just don't like when people base opinions on hearsay rather than understanding the facts of the situation.

if you say so but it was pretty obvious sting g had about 4 -5 guess players including a goalkeeper so, if you say those kids are now sting g players, i will defer to you...

NoFanOfDrama wrote:

silentparent wrote:

NoFanOfDrama wrote:Herradura,

Sting Gutierrez (not Scarfone - that was a different team both from a player and coaching perspective) has not played Liverpool Rase 03 this year (2013) in TGPL. The game this year was a forfeit due to a tournament conflict and the game was not rescheduled.

The only meeting between Sting G and Liverpool Rase this year was in Liverpool's Freedom Cup Tournament, and Sting Gutierrez beat Rase 03 to win the championship.

So, given how much stronger Sting Gutierrez has gotten this year, I don't think it would be a draw.

hmm wasn't that the famous sting g "guess" players tournament?

SP - that "guess" team that beat LP Rush in the semi's and LP RASE in the finals of the LP Legacy Freedom Cup has had very, very little roster changes since then.

During the medals ceremony of the tournament, Lee stood right next to me and complained to Keri about how this Sting G team was a "ruse" and it was all a "smokescreen." (Complete with Keri calling him a jackass for asking her to accept the medal for 2nd place on behalf of the team.) I was actually surprised to see Lee not have more class than that when he ran his mouth while the other team was accepting their 1st place medals and parents of the girls accepting those medals were right next to him.

I'm sure those comments from Lee filtered down to the parents and that is where all of these "guess" comments come from. Not because they LP Rase lost to a better team that day, but because of "guess" players.

I'm already well over my "no drama" limit for the day so I will end my comments on this topic here. I just don't like when people base opinions on hearsay rather than understanding the facts of the situation.

Zidane wrote:Sting G expects to beat LP RASE when they play each other...so I am not sure where you are getting your information...maybe somebody can post the all-time record of LP vs StingG.

herradura wrote:

Zidane wrote:Sting G expects to beat LP RASE when they play each other...so I am not sure where you are getting your information...maybe somebody can post the all-time record of LP vs StingG.

No reason to get feathers ruffled.... If you are a top 5 team, don't you expect to win every game you play? Sting G, just this mid-season has found consistency with all the new additions and coach and are no doubt a top 3 team. As GrandTex says, any of the top 5 teams can win against each other on any given day. (standard SRSA disclaimer).

Moneypenny wrote:I completely agree with Herradura's commentary this morning. It is also interesting is to read through the earlier pages of this thread, particularly the ones from the winter break. Several teams, considered in the "top ten" just three months ago, have significantly dropped (significantly enough to take them off the radar of some potential players who may be searching for a new team).

Now that the top five are arguably solidified, I'd like to shift the discussion to the other 35 teams ranked in the top 40 on the FBR, 25 of which will likely end up in LHGCL. 15 of these teams are likely to play in D1 against the top mentioned in Herradura's post. There are several "levels" which can be seen if you look at the points associated with each team based on the most recent rankings:

Teams ranked 5-8 are very close and only separated by 2 points.
Teams ranked 9-15 are also close, only separated by 4 points. There are lots of rumors flying about some of the teams in this group.
Teams in the 16-20 range are also only separated by 2 points.
Teams from 21 to 26 are only separated by 4 points. There are multiple teams in these groups who consistently use guest players to make their team better and keep up their ranking. However, these guests will not be with them come signing day because their primary allegiance is to a top 10 team.
Teams ranked from 27-39 are all within 6 points.

IMHO, it is the 3 groups of over 20 teams (ranked 16-39) that are actually the most interesting to watch and this Spring. These teams are all separated by just 20 points the exact same point spread between number 1 and 15). This is why there is so much movement within these rankings on any given week.

As the 03 teams begin to solidify and prepare for tournaments, there are many questions to be answered. It seems that lots of families are "putting out feelers." However, these inquiries are more often about seeing if there is room on another team, "just in case my DD's team implodes." How many teams will disappear because their roster is too small and they have depended on guests all season and cannot recruit more players? How many families believe they are sitting on solid teams and only need 1-2 players when really some of those players are guesting elsewhere and hedging their bets? How many DDs do you know who are not seeing enough play time but their coach continues to recruit additional players? How many have been fully committed to a team, only to spend time on the bench while the "guests" benefit from the playing time? How many are asking their teammates and coach about the minimum number of players they need to take to qualifying? There are lots of problems teams are having and everyone is thinking things will change at the end of league play. If you think it has been crazy thus far, just wait for tournaments/silly season.

Suddenly, the forum has become quiet...too quiet. I hear lots of interesting comments about a variety of teams. This one is going to implode, that one is looking for a new coach, etc. I think teams who once were very vocal and frequently posted on this forum are now just trying to hang on to the end of the season. There is little to no posting of scores, absolutely no color commentary. No one wants to be a target or draw attention to themselves for fear that their team may appear in jeopardy. Several teams are playing chicken and hoping another team will fold first so they can benefit from players looking for homes. My perception is that the top 5 teams listed above are the only teams guaranteed to be in LHGCL next year. Everything else is up for grabs.

What is unfortunate about all of this is that somewhere along the way, many families and kids have lost sight of what this is really about....These are 10 year old girls. They want to play competitive soccer but only when it is FUN! Do I want my DD on a top team? Absolutely. Do I want my daughter to burn out before I even have the chance to evaluate the value of ECNL (or whatever comes next... )? No. At this point, she just loves soccer and wants to play as much as she can.

Most importantly, I want my DD on a good team with a quality coach with a reputation for developing players and success in LHGCL. I want my DD to see lots of playing time with other DDs that she enjoys and girls who make each other better. They support each other and win/lose together as a team. No drama among the kids or the parents. I want my daughter to play with her friends but she does not have to choose to be on a team that has all her friends, as long as there is a feeling of mutual respect among the players.

It seems lots of families and players are having to ask themselves what they want and how they are going to get everything they want on one team. It's time to really think about priorities.

What is it you really want for your DD next year? Are you happy with how things are? Are you ready to sign a year commitment to this coach/club/group? If not, you better begin looking...

SteveHolt! wrote:Gophers gave some great info back on page 21 of this monster topic:

"In the '01's, the highest seed not to make D1 was #16 Diamonds (FBR #28 heading into QT). The highest FBR rank not to make D1 was Fusion Navy (FBR #12, LH Seed #21).

In the '02's, the highest seed not to make D1 was #18 Solar Stark (FBR #22 heading into QT, not only missed D1, but missed LH altogether - currently #2 in PPL D1 standings). The highest FBR rank not to make D1 was Saints (FBR #14, LH Seed #21)".

The top 10 teams are a virtual lock to make the D1 super group. The parents from those top 10 teams do not need to come on here and argue over whether their team is #4 vs #7. However, they enjoy the debate so more power to them.

That is probably one reason their children are on those top teams- their parents are serious about this stuff and push their kids. Again, more power to them. It is each of our jobs to do what we think is best for our DDs- whether it is train 4-6 times a week or just have fun playing rec.

The real interesting results in July/August will probably be which teams quailfy 18th-22nd and which teams qualify 28th-just missing out on LHGCL.

bwgophers wrote:

SteveHolt! wrote:Gophers gave some great info back on page 21 of this monster topic:

"In the '01's, the highest seed not to make D1 was #16 Diamonds (FBR #28 heading into QT). The highest FBR rank not to make D1 was Fusion Navy (FBR #12, LH Seed #21).

In the '02's, the highest seed not to make D1 was #18 Solar Stark (FBR #22 heading into QT, not only missed D1, but missed LH altogether - currently #2 in PPL D1 standings). The highest FBR rank not to make D1 was Saints (FBR #14, LH Seed #21)".

The top 10 teams are a virtual lock to make the D1 super group. The parents from those top 10 teams do not need to come on here and argue over whether their team is #4 vs #7. However, they enjoy the debate so more power to them.

That is probably one reason their children are on those top teams- their parents are serious about this stuff and push their kids. Again, more power to them. It is each of our jobs to do what we think is best for our DDs- whether it is train 4-6 times a week or just have fun playing rec.

The real interesting results in July/August will probably be which teams quailfy 18th-22nd and which teams qualify 28th-just missing out on LHGCL.

Being completely above the board here, that statement refers to the final FBR ranking published the week before QT. In both the '01's and '02's, there were teams in the top 40 in March that did not make it to QT. In the '01's, there was merger between two top-12 teams (TFC and Princess Warriors) that took place in May, and a top 15 team (Sting Shepherd) that folded right around June 1. The Sting Shepherd implosion actually ended up helping out 3-4 other top 20 teams to round out their select rosters. In the '02's the top 10 was very solid, but two teams in the 15-20 range (LP St. John and Tx. Spirit) both disappeared between the end of spring season and signing day.

Having been around select sports in NTX (not just soccer) for the past 5 years or so, my experience is team dynamics are complex, fragile, and unpredictable. One day, you may be thinking that your team is rock solid and going nowhere... then, one or two key dominoes fall and "poof" the team implodes before most of the families knew what hit them. By the same token, I've also seen teams who struggle with numbers for years, with people constantly predicting their imminent demise, yet they always manage to hang around and get progressively stronger over time.

The bottom line is to expect the unexpected. There will almost certainly be at least 1 or 2 teams who right now are consensus LHGCL teams, that won't be around come signing day. There will also certainly be teams who are currently low on numbers, that many "pundits" are saying will implode, that will turn out just fine come signing day and QT. Finally, there will likely be 1 or 2 teams that aren't on anybody's radar today, who will sneak up and qualify for LHGCL, possibly even the D1 Supergroup (see Sting East Gutierrez in the '01's and FC Premier in the '02's).

TheDudeAbides wrote:I pick 5 teams outside of the top 25 in the current FBR rankings that IMO stand more than a solid shot of making LHGCL.

In no particular order;
DT FTW Rambo
Triumph FC Aguero
TFC Larry
Mustangs FC Bussey
& Odyssey

Triumph FC wrote:

TheDudeAbides wrote:I pick 5 teams outside of the top 25 in the current FBR rankings that IMO stand more than a solid shot of making LHGCL.

In no particular order;
DT FTW Rambo
Triumph FC Aguero
TFC Larry
Mustangs FC Bussey
& Odyssey

Thanks for the love but in the new rankings we are #24 so do Triumph Aguero still count as a team outside the top 25

TheDudeAbides wrote:Hey Tequila girl or anyone else,

With all the "hub-bub" going on, how about a recent assesment of #2-#15???