Home Forums Long Island & Eastern New York Soccer Message Boards Roll Away The Stone Soccer News Major League Soccer launches new elite competition for youth academies

Major League Soccer announced the launch of a new elite youth competition platform intended to provide year-round high-level matches for MLS club academy teams and non-MLS academy teams that previously participated in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy which ceased operations.

The new platform will provide elite competition against domestic and international teams. MLS is also evaluating expanding participation to include clubs beyond the former U.S. Soccer Development Academy, in addition to future potential competition opportunities for girls.

“Major League Soccer is deeply committed to developing world-class players through an elite competitive pathway, from our academy teams through the professional game,” said Todd Durbin, MLS EVP of Competition & Player Relations in a league statement. “As we look ahead to the 2026 FIFA MLS World Cup here in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, now more than ever it is incumbent on us to establish a competition that sets a new standard for elite youth play and allows athletes to achieve their full potential.”

“We are seeing significant contribution to the quality of play in MLS from homegrown talent,” said Jeff Agoos, MLS Senior VP of Competition, Operations, and Medical Administration. “As we currently have 2,500 elite players and 250 top youth coaches in our academies, MLS is uniquely positioned to provide a new and enhanced platform that will include high quality coaching, professionalized environments and enhanced player identification.”

The competition will include league season matches and both regional and national tournaments with international teams. It will also expand coaching education and improve the approach to player identification to ensure top players have the opportunity to participate in a high-level development environment.

“Participating in high quality, competitive matches on a consistent basis is essential to the development of our young players,” said Fred Lipka, VP and Technical Director of MLS Player Development. “Launching this new competition will allow us to consistently challenge players, staffs and teams, optimizing the potential of every player on the field.”

This is boys only correct?

Interesting how the former DA clubs they mention haven’t said one word about this — just as they’re trying to lock down rosters for next year. Doesn’t smell right, but what do I know.

Elite? Bah, I'm only interested in super premier elite.

The former local DA Club put out a email tonight, that they are all sticking together to form their own league, under what governing body or under a particular league lke EDP or ECNL was not specified.

MLS seems to be taking over the DA role.

OMG stop it. just too funny. Close down 1 league and start another with the same stupid buzz words.

I believe so.

This seems like there will be 2 leagues. One, which will have the MLS clubs and a select few non MLS clubs, like CSA Monmouth and PDA, and a second tier league which will be the rest of the the DA clubs left to fend for themselves.

I think that you are underestimating the eliteness of their buzzwords.

O boy do tell do tell which one lol

Yes there will be MLS 1: mls academies and MLS 2: non mls DA teams.

Here we go again. At least it’s becoming clear that it’s about MLS and then the premier clubs. Like it was from the start. MLS needs game fodder. Now it’s not sugar coated. Academy system should be in the backs of MLS, not parents.

Many of these MLS teams are on the verge of going bankrupt. The only way they even have a small chance of running a youth league is if they charge all the parents enough to make a profit. They don't need any more expenses than they already have.

There is no MLS league. The press release is purely for politics to calm the waters and there will be no national league to replace the DA anytime soon. Everybody is skipping over the math which is a deal breaker out of the box. Today, its all about economics 101.

USSF ran the DA with their money for MLS and that costs the better part of $10 mln per year to run (which is the primary reason the DA was terminated, it just costs too much money to run a national league by their standards). If MLS takes that over (assuming all of the franchises can afford it), then $10 mln spread over 30 clubs = $350,000 per year. With no pro league operating and eventually teams playing in empty stadiums, there is no way any club signs up for $350k per year for a kids program starting in Fall 2020. If you believe that press release and you think its happening then you are clueless.

Now go to the non-MLS clubs like BWG and MO and NYSC, etc. Even if I was wrong on the first point and the MLS clubs decide to funds a new DA, you think MLS is funding a new national program with their money to make it free for these clubs. No way ! Each MLS program may run a local league in their local market as a way to recruit players at U8-U13 (which is cheap and easy to do), but for the older kids MLS is not subsidizing non-MLS programs. Another fantasy. These clubs are not writing a check (assuming they would be invited in the first place) so this fantasy of non-MLS clubs banding together to join a national league run by MLS is another false dream.

MLS clubs will be just fine. They will put an emphasis on training, play inter-quad games (u15 v. U17), enter high-end tournaments, make some international trips and arrange friendlies with other MLS clubs. They will be just fine and they will survive on their own and eventually MLS will launch a program that makes sense for MLS.

For the non-MLS clubs, you have three basic choices from here (which does not include joining some new fantasy national league run by MLS)
1. Get the ECNL lotto ticket,
2. Form your own local league w/o MLS clubs and clubs like PDA that are already in ECNL (meaning even this league is watered down as the best programs are gone)
3. Play in EDP or NYCSL.

Its not that complicated when you follow economics 101. Those are the only choices and the odds of #1 and #2 are remote. Looks like door #3 for most of those clubs.

ARe the best programs really gone, here? Boys clubs runing to ECNL? Was PDA's boys program ever really that good?

Somebody that gets it. Its all about player development until the math does not work and then its about the math. No way the economics will work for a national league for many years to come (if ever). I just hope the MLS folks are not misleading non MLS clubs in the DA into believing there will be a league any time soon. This post should be shared with every parent that has a kid in the Boys or Girls DA program.

This is absolutely the reality of it all.

you no nothing jon snow ! lol, you just graspping at straws. NYCLS ? LOL.

anyhow 12 of the local ex DA clubs in our area sent out a email they are forming a pact to stay togehter as a league, now it just depends which league will run the age groups for them.. Right now best bet is EDP National League.

USYS just released statement about their open arms to DA clubs to enter the National league they run. Honestly that may gain a fair amount of traffic and especially if they form some sort of affiliation with MLS academies as the primary talent source. While I understand girls clubs in california and texas running to ECNL, I think the boys programs will ultimately regret it. Boys want a pathway to professional soccer. Realistic or not. And when college scholarships dry up the "college pathway" wont mean a thing.

USYS seems like a far behind 3rd choice at this point, with US Club (ECNL) and MLS far ahead of them. ECNL has quickly tied up a number of former DA teams in So Cal, the Southeast and Crossfire (WA state). Will be interesting to see what our local area former DA teams do. After being discarded by US Soccer (and its business partner/de-facto owner MLS), it would make sense to discard the MLS option, but given MLS cache and some of the teams being NYCFC affiliates, I'm sure MLS league will have strong pull.

This is a lie. The St. Louis club just paid $200 for the right to play in the league.

MLS is only going to run two age groups and just one gender. Other leagues will absorb the rest.

Yes. Back in the NERP days before the academy system launched. PDA was squeezed by NYRB and Philly Union. It was the place for boys and girls to play. We are talking about 12 years ago.

“A new, high-level, elite youth soccer league is expected to launch after the demise of the DA, and we are told that it may be called the United League and is expected to offer regional competitions.

Working with both US Youth Soccer (USYS) and MLS, the new league could provide new opportunities for DA teams and even ODP — a tier of youth soccer that has been trying to resurrect itself as a pathway to professional soccer and the collegiate game.”