A perspective from SoCal

SoCalSoccerDad wrote:I have to ask, what happened to the Texas teams?  Surf Cup and now the Silverlakes Showcase have watched Texas teams get walloped and not exactly put on the best showings.  Most of us from SoCal have always been ready for these teams from Texas showing up to take on SoCal.  But, the last series of showings have not been very impressive.  I’m not throwing stones, but it is definitely not what many of us expected.  How could there be such a remarkable drop off in one year.  Kicks and Sting just came in and completely owned SoCal teams the last couple of years.  And, contrary to what many say, the Texas teams come with physicality, speed and (dont tell anyone I said this) skill.  How can that all drop off so fast in less than one year?  I’m interested in the Texas perspective.  

Ready?  GO!!!

SoCalSoccerDad wrote:I have to ask, what happened to the Texas teams?  Surf Cup and now the Silverlakes Showcase have watched Texas teams get walloped and not exactly put on the best showings.  Most of us from SoCal have always been ready for these teams from Texas showing up to take on SoCal.  But, the last series of showings have not been very impressive.  I’m not throwing stones, but it is definitely not what many of us expected.  How could there be such a remarkable drop off in one year.  Kicks and Sting just came in and completely owned SoCal teams the last couple of years.  And, contrary to what many say, the Texas teams come with physicality, speed and (dont tell anyone I said this) skill.  How can that all drop off so fast in less than one year?  I’m interested in the Texas perspective.  

Ready?  GO!!!

SoCalSoccerDad wrote:I have to ask, what happened to the Texas teams?  Surf Cup and now the Silverlakes Showcase have watched Texas teams get walloped and not exactly put on the best showings.  Most of us from SoCal have always been ready for these teams from Texas showing up to take on SoCal.  But, the last series of showings have not been very impressive.  I’m not throwing stones, but it is definitely not what many of us expected.  How could there be such a remarkable drop off in one year.  Kicks and Sting just came in and completely owned SoCal teams the last couple of years.  And, contrary to what many say, the Texas teams come with physicality, speed and (dont tell anyone I said this) skill.  How can that all drop off so fast in less than one year?  I’m interested in the Texas perspective.  

Ready?  GO!!!

NoSpinZone wrote:

SoCalSoccerDad wrote:I have to ask, what happened to the Texas teams?  Surf Cup and now the Silverlakes Showcase have watched Texas teams get walloped and not exactly put on the best showings.  Most of us from SoCal have always been ready for these teams from Texas showing up to take on SoCal.  But, the last series of showings have not been very impressive.  I’m not throwing stones, but it is definitely not what many of us expected.  How could there be such a remarkable drop off in one year.  Kicks and Sting just came in and completely owned SoCal teams the last couple of years.  And, contrary to what many say, the Texas teams come with physicality, speed and (dont tell anyone I said this) skill.  How can that all drop off so fast in less than one year?  I’m interested in the Texas perspective.  

Ready?  GO!!!

So on our board, you can look at most posts and find elements of truth.  Foxy makes a point in her own special way, and BigEgo is right some, wrong lots.

Kicks 06 went away with Age Pure, those players are now playing 05 ECNL.  FCD DA did, over the summer, poach a top 05 player as BigEgo noted but mostly the same team, albeit young for 05s.

Sting Black:  Were all AP 06s.  Lost 1 player to 05 FCD DA, otherwise the top players from Sting Black that always took care of business in SoCal are playing up in ECNL 05.

So no mass exodus to DA, just some of the top 06s are in 05s now and having plenty of success.

Where Ego is correct is GDA(just for wrong reasons).  DFW couldn't field 5 quality ECNL teams(Pre-DA), but now we try and field 7 teams(3 GDA and 4 ECNL).  So everything is watered down.  The 06 age group isn't very deep to begin with, now move 10-ish top 06 players(from all clubs) up to 05(DA or ECNL), and the age group gets worse.  Solar DA is probably the best team at moment, but not sure they can compete and win nationally at this point.  Too much talent playing up, doesn't lend itself to top age group teams.  Need another year or two for the water to clear and get the best players together in this age group.

04Soccer wrote:I doubt anyone in Texas cares what you guys think.
If you want to ask about physicality, then ask the Legends FC coach about his 03 DPL team getting beat 3-1 after not having a loss in 17 games

04Soccer wrote:I doubt anyone in Texas cares what you guys think.
If you want to ask about physicality, then ask the Legends FC coach about his 03 DPL team getting beat 3-1 after not having a loss in 17 games

Big Ern wrote:

04Soccer wrote:I doubt anyone in Texas cares what you guys think.
If you want to ask about physicality, then ask the Legends FC coach about his 03 DPL team getting beat 3-1 after not having a loss in 17 games

Spoken like a true Texan.  I wonder if you guys (and ladies, sorry Foxer) could be any more cliche redneck and make us look any dumber?

That being said ... well done Texans FDL -- Haven't seen their DPL sides, but the U15 and U16 Legends DA teams are stout!

AngelinaGoalee wrote:

Big Ern wrote:

04Soccer wrote:I doubt anyone in Texas cares what you guys think.
If you want to ask about physicality, then ask the Legends FC coach about his 03 DPL team getting beat 3-1 after not having a loss in 17 games

Spoken like a true Texan.  I wonder if you guys (and ladies, sorry Foxer) could be any more cliche redneck and make us look any dumber?

That being said ... well done Texans FDL -- Haven't seen their DPL sides, but the U15 and U16 Legends DA teams are stout!

Hehehehehe....he’s probably telling to you to “shut yerr chickenhole” right about now BigE!!

Was the Solar V FCD U15 game a good one?

SoCalSoccerDad wrote:Thank you all for the responses!  Quite different here in SoCal as a very small number of 06s play up.  We have our own challenges with the way our leagues are, this year, all spread to the winds with DPL, ECNL, SCDSL, CRL, CSL.  Many teams play in multiple ‘leagues’ but its rare to get all the top teams in the same tournament.  

And Checkpoint Charlie, you are correct.  I didn’t know what I was talking about but now I do thanks to some of the kind people from Texas.  

timmyh wrote:

SoCalSoccerDad wrote:Thank you all for the responses!  Quite different here in SoCal as a very small number of 06s play up.  We have our own challenges with the way our leagues are, this year, all spread to the winds with DPL, ECNL, SCDSL, CRL, CSL.  Many teams play in multiple ‘leagues’ but its rare to get all the top teams in the same tournament.  

And Checkpoint Charlie, you are correct.  I didn’t know what I was talking about but now I do thanks to some of the kind people from Texas.  

Two main factors for why Texas teams aren't getting as many chances to whip up on Socal as much anymore are
1) DA starts at U13 around here so you won't see many DA teams outside of Showcases starting the summer before that starts up, and
2) for the younger teams Supercopa has passed Surf Cup in these parts as the national tournament of choice. Most all the top Dallas teams play in the Supercopa, and Dallas has been dominant in recent years.