Monday, January 14, 2019

Collegiate Soccer

See you later, youth soccer...

It's a college game now.

Who went on to play in college, who didn't?

Where are they now?

Share your collegiate soccer experience at DI, DII or DIII.

Trust us, the kids are all watching.

793 comments:

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Anonymous said...

CSA was in dallas cup but not in finals, not even quarter finals.
Mainland defeated holmdel fair and square

Anonymous said...

Not sure what info you are going on but CSA is in finals of u18 division of Dallas cup vs. baltimore Celtic

Anonymous said...

wow good luck CSA! It would be great to have a team from NJ win.

Anonymous said...

No one will stop Cedar Stars. They will represent NJ at nationals. Too strong and too talented

Anonymous said...

Yeah, CSA is bomb squad but it's kind of surreal because they have a good deal of international players because they are basically a Benedict's varsity team. Beautiful to watch them play but it's almost like they aren't a real NJ club team. Not sure how I feel about the international players presence for club soccer, or high school for that matter. Wonder how much the Patterson scandal might impact Benedict's.

Anonymous said...

With one small exception. The team they brought to Dallas isn't the team they play with all year.

Anonymous said...

3 teams left that seemingly no one really knows much about.
Excel, I don't even know where they are from
Mainland, winning 5-0 over a top 98 team is impressive so they must have done something
Cedar Stars, have always been decent but they have really put together an impressive run.

Anonymous said...

So did anyone witness the mainland 5-0 trouncing of holmdel?

Anonymous said...

Holmdel is always on here so the fact that they nave not defended themselves is interesting. A top level 98 getting beat that badly by a 99 is almost unbelievable. Maybe Mainland has loaded up with different players this year. Maybe they have a lot of turnover from last year and have created a south jersey allstar type team. Any team that can beat Holmdel 5-0 is a scary scary team.

Anonymous said...

That's what I'm saying. Odd that no Holmdel folks have commented . . . I guess it's possible that maybe Holmdel was playing short handed. 5-0 is certainly a big deal result though.

Anonymous said...

Holmdel was missing some players. Players were on vacation and one was ineligible to play this game.

Anonymous said...

That's too bad for Holmdel. Mainland must still be a quality team though. Noticed they beat one of the STA teams also.

Anonymous said...

Boo Hoo. You have over 20 on your roster Holmdel, if you are a top team play those players and prove it.

Anonymous said...

For what it is worth Holmdel lost some key players from last years team. They also added new players but in the U19 age group you just do not get the same dedication level that you did in U18 and prior. These players know if and where they will be playing in college and these games are not much more than just another game to them. The 99's are still going through the recruiting and evaluation period and it can show on the field.

Anonymous said...

Holmdel had 1 sub to start game vs mainland. Field was horrendous. Spring break vacations. Goalie was on crutches all week. A kid played a full 80 who had been sick all week. An injury occurred so no subs for 35 minutes. If you want excuse there you've got them now so chew on them all you want. Bottom line is It was a fluke of a game. Credit to Mainland though they came out ready to play on the night and got the job done with authority. They are a good team, don't sleep on them.

You didn't hear us crying about the loss on here but you all want to know so It sucked but it's over and we're gonna move forward and keep doing what we do and try to play attractive soccer and win games.

Haters gonna hate

Anonymous said...

5-0. 5-0. 5-0. That is a big number

Anonymous said...

A loss is a loss...

Anonymous said...

Thanks to 10:14 for the report on holmdel/mainland game. It really is a weird age for club soccer. Seems like teams are barely putting enough players on the field and in some cases don't even hold training sessions that regularly. Would be great if they could create some kind of distinct "heading to play in college" division that could sift things out so that the players who want to train in play intensely to prepare for serious college play could do so.

Anonymous said...

Dont hear you crying? What exactly was that post about then? You lost, it happens. In the end will anyone really remember or care?

Anonymous said...

Looks like SSC put enough guys together to win 6-0

Anonymous said...

Good work SSC, although you have to admit you could have won with 6 or 7 players in total.

Anonymous said...

SSC vs. CSA should be interesting. CSA just won Dallas cup for 1999 division and are beating teams soundly. They will likely win the state cup I think.

Anonymous said...

I am not so sure that it will be interesting at all. This CSA team is not like others. Have you seen St Benedicts play? This is not your run of the mill put together team. I do not see this particular Stronghold team staying close. Yes, CSA is clearly the favorite to win it all.

Anonymous said...

Like I said. I think CSA will win it all. Still, I feel that the game vs.ssc could be interesting in that it will be the first time CSA will go against a somewhat legit 98/99 team. From here on in the matches look interesting do CSA. SSC, either sjeb or STA, and either tsf or Marlboro. All legit 98/99 teams.

Anonymous said...

Are there rules in us club soccer about percentages of club rosters that can be international players?

Anonymous said...

I guess I dont know for a fact but come on. Dont these players go to school here, have residency here. how is this an issue.

Anonymous said...

Actually a good question about international players. I'm sure CSA has it under control, but I've heard that the process for getting carded through us club for foreign-born non us citizen players is not simple.

Anonymous said...

Define not simple. Show some proof. I know you can't

Anonymous said...

Yeah. I KNOW you can't! I'm the echo of the simpleminded fool called 9:36.

Anonymous said...

Whatever. It doesn't really matter does it? Maybe it's unfair that a team is stacked with great international players but isn't it wonderful to have that high level of play in the mix?

Anonymous said...

http://www.ussoccer.com/about/federation-services/intl-clearance

Anonymous said...

Are you seriously asking if the CSA players are legal to play? How else would they be carded? Why would it be unfair that they have many international players? MF has players from all over the state as does Marlboro to some extent. Do you think that Holmdel has all players that live in Holmdel? This is not something new it is just the way it is at the older age groups. The best players want to play together and the midlevel teams take the leftovers from those disbanded teams.

Anonymous said...

Are you seriously suggesting that NJ players are carded in the same way as international players? Dumb argument. Someone asked about carding procedures.That's all.

Anonymous said...

No, the question was brought up because someone felt they were not legal to play. They may not have said it, but that is what they were after.

Anonymous said...

US Club carding only requires a valid document (Birth Certificate, Passport, etc...) that shows your date of birth. So if you are an international kid living in the US all you have to do is show a copy of your passport.

Anonymous said...

Ummmm, so it is that easy. Not such a dumb argument anymore.

Anonymous said...

Any Marlboro updates? I wouldn't be surprised to see an upset here.

Anonymous said...

No score is reported, anyone know? Would be a nice shakeup if Excel wins. Not out of the question, it is a team with a lot of HS state championship players on it.

Anonymous said...

NJCUP has it reported 4-0 NJCSA Marlboro

Anonymous said...

Ok, and with that result we now have the Elite 8. Good luck to all the teams that are still standing.
Of the 8 remaining 6 are 98’s and 2 are 99’s. Of the 99’s CSA is a favorite to win it all and Mainland United as a relatively unknown dark horse. Most of the 98 powers have moved forward with Wall the lone Cinderella story.

SJEB 98 vs STA 98NPL

SJEB is #4 in NJ and has won their 3 games 9-0, 3-0, 1-0, although they have not played a top team to this point and were heavy favorites in each of those games. STA 98 NPL #8 in NJ won 4-0, 3-1, and pk’s. This is a strange matchup because SJEB has really not proven much yet and STA will be their first true challenge yet STA has not played great teams yet and have moved on but not by big scores. It took PK’s to get away from Hudson and they should not have been in that situation. I give the edge to STA in this one 3-1.

NJCSA Marlboro vs Wall

NJCSA Marlboro is #1 in NJ and has wins of 4-0, unreported, 4-0. Wall is #34 in NJ and was wins of 3-1, 2-1, and 2-1. Marlboro will be the favorite in this game and has not allowed a goal in this tournament while scoring many. Marlboro is the reigning NJ Cup state champion and also went on to win the National Cup last year. They are a team filled with college bound players and will be a tough match for Wall. Wall has a very impressive win over Marlton and also beat SJEB 99 who is also a reigning NJ Cup champion. Wall too has some college bound players but I feel that Marlboro will be too much of a complete team and will win this 4-1.

CSA 99 vs Stronghold

CSA is #1 in NJ and has wins of 6-1, 6-0, 5-0. Stronghold is #7 in NJ and has wins of 3-0, 1-0, and 6-0. Stronghold has long been a super power in NJ soccer and has some of the best players available. CSA is newer to the scene but these boys have chemistry as many play together not only on club but also in HS. CSA is coming off an impressive Dallas Cup Championship and has destroyed all teams in the NJ Cup. Stronghold has a big win over Go Soccer, but that tells me nothing. CSA will continue to roll with a 3-2 win.


Mainland United vs TSF 98/99

Mainland is #17 in NJ and has wins of 6-0, 2-0, and 5-0. TSF 98/99 has wins of 2-1, 3-2, and 1-0. TSF is a solid team but has not put up the totals expected against the competition they have played. They will now go up against a Mainland team that has not allowed a goal and has a very impressive 5-0 win over a real good Holmdel team. Mainland HS did win a group 3 championship so there is talent there. I am going to ride the hot pony and take Mainland over TSF 3-1

Anonymous said...

I am not surprised Marlboro won but I do know some of the players on Excel and they are good players. I will admit I am a bit surprised at the final score, I thought it would have been more competitive, actually thought they had a chance to win.

Anonymous said...

Nice predictions to the above poster. Interesting pick with CSA over Stronghold. Stronghold has been a longtime force and CSA is the new kid on the block. Stronghold won a national championship 2 years ago so I think they will hang on to this one.

Anonymous said...

If CSA is playing with the team that won at Dallas Cup there is no way Stronghold win.

Anonymous said...

How would you know this. Were you in Dallas?

Anonymous said...

I have been there and I know the quality teams in that tournament. It's very impressive to win your division and if you check out CSA's scores, they had an easy time doing it. SSC is a good NJ team but CSA is a good international team.

Anonymous said...

With the level of players on this CSA side SSC does not stand a chance. There are a few CSA players who were recruited to play there and represent their country on a national team level.

Anonymous said...

Everyone is already crowning CSA, just like everyone was saying SDFC would crush SSC last year semi state cup. Ended up Ssc crushing SDFC..it's state cup game anything can happen.. CSA is a newer team with some good players added. SSC has the experience has been in the cup final for the last 5 years.

Anonymous said...

SSC will not lose this game. Don't fall into the hype trap.

Anonymous said...

How would anyone know what players actually participated in Dallas? They could have had 3 players not normally on the team and that could make a big difference. Agreed, the Dallas Cup scores were very impressive indeed, but only CSA would know who played. I am sure they are a very good team, maybe the best team money could buy but as a 99 squad and new to the scene there are very few people that can actually say they have seen them play.

Anonymous said...

I think that some people on this list don't fully understand the level that the CSA team is playing on. This is a team of many high level international players who have been hand picked/recruited to play at Benedict's. Even though Benedict's did not have a great season this past year, it seems like these players have now gelled and are playing like the elite level team they were supposed to be. There is an individual offensive talent that may be headed to the Brazilian national team, and the rest of the players are superb. There are no holes in this team. This is soccer though and anything can happen, but I'd say the odds of them winning the cup are very high. Marlboro or TSF could match them in some phases of the game but there is the matter of the Brazilian attacking player that I don't think any team left in the cup will have an answer for.

Anonymous said...

Agreed that CSA is a very good team but why are you suggesting that only Marlboro and TSF are a challenge for them? Every good team can challenge them. Probably won't win but they can play a good match.

Anonymous said...

Do you think SSC HAS A LEGITIMATE chance.

Anonymous said...

Sure, there's a chance but SSC are the underdogs in the match.

Anonymous said...

If you look at their past performances TSF and SSC lose their fair share of matcheS. NJCSA Marlboro has lost 2 games in the past year, two! CSA loses games but everyone seems focused on the Dallas count. Is that the same team the play with when the lace them up normally? They are also 99's and although it isn't a huge difference it is still a difference. I wish them luck and would even go out to see premier level players play

Anonymous said...

TSF got pounded this weekend. They do not look like much of a threat, new players not meshing.

Anonymous said...

Not a lot of EDP scores posted this weekend. I see the TSF score and Marlboro beat Marlton 4-0. Any others?

Anonymous said...

MF had two wins and a tie this weekend and Holmdel went 1-1 with one game not recorded. MF won one game 10-2, in a regional league showing their power over teams out of state.

Anonymous said...

10-2? How bad was this team? A lot of strange scores this season.

Anonymous said...

CSA won 8-1 against the Elizabeth firebirds in the usys quarterfinal

Anonymous said...

They beat the Elizabeth Fireballs? That is a huge win!

Anonymous said...

To the Wall doubters we are approaching game time!

Anonymous said...

Mainland should handle TSF. They are up and coming team and even though they are a 99 team, it seems like they are playing more impressively right now. They have good talent and probably more hunger and fire than TSF. 3-1 Mainland.

Anonymous said...

Cant say I have ever seen either play but the 5-0 win Mainland had over Holmdel is perplexing. TSF scores have been spotty but they have always been a very good 2nd tier team, always banging on the big boys doors. I think TSF wins a close one.

Anonymous said...

To the Wall poster above, you still playing in this rain?

Anonymous said...

So did you play? Who won?

Anonymous said...

If Wall won, they would have already posted something at 6 am this morning!!!

Anonymous said...

Ok so I was wrong

Anonymous said...

TSF over mainland 1-0

Anonymous said...

Respectable score.

Anonymous said...

Respectable for mainland, TSF's supposed to be an elite team. The score doesn't reflect that.

Anonymous said...

In a tournament where you lose and are out--any win is a quality win.

Anonymous said...

I don't know much about tsf or anything about mainland but that comment about judging how elite a team is based on margin of victory seems strange for soccer. Basketball maybe, but margin of victory in soccer? On all levels beyond rec and town soccer, goals are generally at such a premium that I can't see how that metric reflects much significance at all.

Anonymous said...

Really? Seems odd that you wouldn't know much about either team. They're discussed on this board all the time. I think everyone would agree that a 1-0 win is not a huge win by any standards. The score indicates that the teams are for the most part an even match.

Anonymous said...

Then most soccer matches are played between evenly matched teams, genius.

Anonymous said...

Kinda hard to break down soccer match based on score alone. That seems like an obvious point. Apparently TSF did what they had to to get to semis. Maybe someone who was at game can offer details. Marlboro vs. TSF should be good. Marlboro would seem to be favorite based on ranking but have these teams played each other in the past year?

Anonymous said...

TSF is a big underdog

Anonymous said...

SSC wins

Anonymous said...

Score?

Anonymous said...

How can that be? Can someone confirm score

Anonymous said...

2-1

Anonymous said...

Because CSA is a 99 and SSC is a 98 that is ALWAYS in the final 4

Anonymous said...

Final four
STA
Marlboro
SSC
TSF

3 of four are always here. TSF new to the party

Anonymous said...

Well um, I think you will want to rethink this now.

"I think that some people on this list don't fully understand the level that the CSA team is playing on. This is a team of many high level international players who have been hand picked/recruited to play at Benedict's. . There are no holes in this team. there is the matter of the Brazilian attacking player that I don't think any team left in the cup will have an answer for."

Anonymous said...

CSA/ST BENEDICTS show that they are still a high school team that cant beat a top Nj club team..

Anonymous said...

Actually I see it a bit differently. CSA is a great team, Stronghold has been a great team and a NJ leader for many years. No reason to jump off that ship and they proved it again. For those over rated players that left, too bad we won't be playing you in the semi's and finals.

Anonymous said...

What has CSA ever done? They won the Dallas Cup with a team that was not their regular team. Other than that, anything else? Overrated team. Didnt say they didnt have talent, but they are very overrated.

Anonymous said...

St. Benedict's has always bent the rules with the HS team by playing their academy players. They probably brought some academy players to Dallas as guest players.

Anonymous said...

Did anyone see the game?

Anonymous said...

Yes people did

Anonymous said...

Good. Just checking.

Anonymous said...

Marlboro over TSF 3-2
SSC over STA 2-0

Anonymous said...

SSS was dominant

Anonymous said...

Marlboro has given up 1 goal this season and none in the SC TSF is that good offensively? SSC will win 3-0 but it won't be that close. SSC is the much better team now.

Anonymous said...

Marlboro hasn't exactly gone through murderers row in D.C., and they only beat holmdel 1-0.

Anonymous said...

What is DC? When did they best holmdel 1-0?

Anonymous said...


State cup

Anonymous said...

Marlboro beat Holmdel in the state cup?

Anonymous said...

Looked at the NJYS state cup. Not much of a state cup this year, not many playing. Top 2 teams easily are MF and Marlboro, but they cant meet in the finals because the flighted them next to each other. Barrington, yes Barrington gets a bye and has the easiest draw of any team. I dont think it will matter though, according to gotsoccer they have never won a game. NEVER unless you count a beach game. So why would they even register for this? Their coach is listed as the same person who runs the state cup for NJYS.

Anonymous said...

Marlboro beat holmdel 1-0 in edp

Anonymous said...

Do you people just make up information? 2-1 was the score, really not that hard to look up. Still wondering the relevance though.

Anonymous said...

Semi and Final predictions

NJCSA Marlboro vs TSF
Both have been top NJ teams for many years, TSF always knocking on the doors of the top 5 but not quite getting in. This will be the chance they have been waiting for. Marlboro is coming up on their 1 year anniversary of their last loss and has won a national championship along the way. Based on current scores I would give the edge to Marlboro. 3-1

Stronghold vs STA
Two teams that have been in the top echelon for what seems like forever. They play each other often and know each other well. Should be a very tight game and in the past STA has not been able to get over the semi final hurdle, I expect that to stay the same here. Stronghold wins 2-1 in OT.

Anonymous said...

Seem like sound predictions. Tsf seems to have trouble scoring and it will be hard for their defense to withstand marlboros pressure. Ssc and STA seems nothing if not evenly matched , so OT seems like a good bet there.

Anonymous said...

Heavy rain predicted. Are these games being played on grass or turf?

Anonymous said...

Someone brought up that Marlboro is coming up to one year without a loss. I looked at gotsoccer and it is actually true. Based on the levels of the teams they play I would have to think that they would lose a few times at least. Kudos to the coaching staff and players, must be doing something right.

Anonymous said...

Club teams that have players moving on to play in college, what would be considered a good number per team. My sons team has 2 players playing in college and the coach thinks that is a fantastic number. Do other teams have more, less? I know it will be different I am just looking for some insight on this.

Anonymous said...

The national average for HS players playing in college is 4%. Two from one team is good. Good luck to those boys.

Anonymous said...

Most boys who want to play in college are going to play at the bigger name clubs. Of course these clubs will have a higher percentage of their players playing in college but there are good, motivated players on many teams that can play in college.

Anonymous said...

So a team like Stronghold or TSF what type of numbers could they expect or get? Compared to a 30th state ranked team as an example?

Anonymous said...

Probably about 10 players from the bigger name club teams.

Anonymous said...

Not a bad question. I am surprised that there are not statistics specifically on this. If a club has a history of sending players to play in college I would think they could and would charge more.

I really dont have a guess. I dont know what is standard but I do know that going through this with my oldest son there are many players that say they will be playing in college but dont actually do it. Some quit after one year and some just felt the pressure to say they were going to play but never actually went in early August. Some actually didnt even make the college team they bragged about. It happens.

Anonymous said...

Seems like one useful distinction in terms of last comment would be between players who are recruits vs. walk ons. Also might distinguish between D1 and D3 recruits.

Anonymous said...

I think a lot of kids are very capable of playing in college but when they seriously consider the commitment and dedication demanded of student athletes they don't want to commit.

Anonymous said...

Yes I did a poor job with that. I know D1 and D3 players that at the last minute decided not to play. I also know quite a few D3 players that were as good if not better then some of the D1 players. I also know people that went to a d1 program and were told they will never play but if you want to be on a team you can practice only. I didnt consider walk-ons as part of my equation. absolutely anyone can be a walk-on and I dont consider that to be something that was earned by the player. Take the local colleges as examples. Ramapo, TCNJ, Stockton all have many players walk on and tryout. Many believe they are on the team by merely trying out. Of course they are not. Monmouth, a very good D1 program still has student tryouts every year.

Anonymous said...

You are wrong. Many kids THINK they can play in college nut only the few do. Comparatively to number playing now

Anonymous said...

Please clarify last point.

Anonymous said...

How many kids do you know that run around town saying "College X wants me to play but I dont want too"? These are the same players you know are not that good to begin with but they want to feed their ego. It is not easy to be recruited. Only the Academy's and the very top club teams truly have coaches looking at them and even so there seems to be very little rhyme or reason to it. If you want full exposure to recruiting the Academy route is the only way to go. That doesnt mean you wont get recruited if you are on a club team but you will have many more options the academy route. I have 2 sons, and I have seen both paths over the past 3 years and it is night and day. The college coaches dont have to think when they recruit an academy player, they know he is committed, they know he is used to training all the time, he is much easier to justify giving money too. I will tell you this however, it does not mean they are better then a club team player but % tell you they are.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the thoughts. Is at least one of your sons playing in college now? It would be interesting for those on this list who have sons going to play in college, to hear some perspectives from parents and/or young men who have recently been through/seen the experience play out.

One thing to add to what you are saying is that, yes, there are the academy and very few top tier club players who are actively recruited--and here I'm talking about D1. But it seems like for a significant part of D1 rosters, especially at the schools who are not perennial powers, coaches rely as much on players reaching out to them--so that "recruits" are often self generated. I mean they have to be high level players of course, but I guess I'm just saying that with soccer, it's not like a majority of players on a roster are getting significant if any scholarship money and few are generally sought out and recruited vs. reaching out to staff and staying on their radar over the junior and first part of senior year--a process through which they become recruits and eventually commits.

Anonymous said...

Why do they schedule state cup semifinal and final for grass fields? It's not like early May is a particularly dry time of year. If the rain stays as steady as they say for the next 24 hours then I don't see how the semifinal games get played tomorrow night. Sad.

Anonymous said...

Yes, I do have a son playing in college now and the dropout rate from the team has been a few a year. All because they assumed they could play at the next level and they couldnt or didnt get the chance too. Many freshman are brought in but no walkons have made my sons team in the 3 years he has played. He is playing at a D3 school that does recruit and they seem to focus on the recruited players.

Anonymous said...

Yeah the field situation with state cup is odd. Seems like it is always an issue from what I can recall. Weather, field conditions in general. When I heard it was in a Brunswick, I just assumed it was East Brunswick at that Heavenly Farms place. Which is super nice and turf I think. Why have the semis and final at a city park on grass fields?

Anonymous said...

MONEY
I am sure they were cheap or maybe even free.

Anonymous said...

Match day. Should be two good games. Marlboro a clear favorite but in elimination play, you never know what will happen. STA/SSC seems
like a toss up. Maybe we will have two down to the wire matches.

Anonymous said...

Marlboro a clear favorite??? Based on what ??

Anonymous said...

Just basing prediction on marlboro's high ranking and strong record. Who knows though? Not sure if those teams have played head to head recently. Maybe others have more insight.

Anonymous said...

Based on they win 80% of their games. You are either joking or you are lying to yourself about the facts. Marlboro is the clear favorite against TSF.

Anonymous said...

Well you were wrong. Yes TSF lost but it took pk's and we had every chance to win.

Anonymous said...

"The gotsoccer system is a guide, nothing more. It also is the most accurate guide we have."
I think gotsoccer does at decent job of an impossible task. But I don't think they're the most accurate.

http://youthsoccerrankings.us/

This site is currently way off the mark in many age groups as the change to birth year has reeked havoc on the approach. But this will right itself over time. My point is that the math employed here is a more "accurate" approach to ranking teams.

Here are the current NJ U19 top 10 as per gotsoccer:
1 MATCH FIT
2 HOLMDEL
3 MARLBORO
4 STRONGHOLD
5 STA NPL
6 SDFC RANGERS
7 IRONBOUND SC PREMIER STRIKERS
8 SJEB
9 CAPE EXPRESS
10 MANALAPAN

And here's Youth Soccer Rankings take on this:
1 MARLBORO
2 MATCH FIT
3 STA NPL
4 HOLMDEL
5 PDA MESSI
6 TSF
7 STRONGHOLD
8 SJEB
9 MARLTON
10 CAPE EXPRESS

A number of similarities. But some big differences too. So you can make your own decision as to accuracy.

Anonymous said...

"The national average for HS players playing in college is 4%."

http://scholarshipstats.com/soccer.html

As per the data found here, the percentage of HS boys who go on to play in college AT ANY LEVEL is 7.9% And they also indicate that 1.2% play at the D1 level. Another interesting number is that their percentage of foreign players in the NCAA (D1, D2 and D3) is 12.1%

Anonymous said...

And for anyone who's interested, I'll share my son's story.

He's currently a senior and plays for an "elite" club team. Last year he visited a few D1 schools who had interest and was offered roster spots. In other words, they wanted him to come but didn't want to share any of their athletic scholarship money with him. Technically this would have made him a "walk on" at these schools. But getting an assured spot on a D1 roster is an accomplishment nonetheless. I suspect many D1 schools actually hold open tryouts for "walk ons". But I'm also pretty sure this is a formality as they'll usually have already filled out their rosters with non-scholarship players they've already scouted and met with.

My son went in a different direction because he has a very well developed sense of the value of a dollar. He ended up picking a D2 school which offered better academic credentials than most D1's and a pretty significant chunk of scholarship money. He's not going for free, but half price ain't too bad at all.

I'm thrilled for a couple of reasons. One is that I think his chances at playing time are significantly better and I know he'd be miserable riding the bench for a prolonged period. He might even get a decent amount of time as a freshman. But the biggest reason for my satisfaction is that he'll be able to go to school without borrowing money and will graduate without debt. So if I look at youth soccer from an investment perspective (which I NEVER did), the costs we've endured ended up being money well spent.

Regarding academics, I think there are a lot of very good schools in this country and have long believed that the quality of one's education has a lot more to do with the student than the University.



Anonymous said...

Based on the Marlboro/TSF semi, I didn't see any significant talent difference or overall team effectiveness between the teams. In fact, TSF may have had more chance than Marlboro before pk's, and a stronger defense. I'd give the edge to Marlboro in the middle, and possibly a slight edge in goal--but maybe not. Really could have gone either way. If Marlboro is a #1 team than many are.

Anonymous said...

Both semis seemed balanced and intense. Saw more of the Marlboro tsf one, but it seems like any of the four teams could legitimately be champion. Would love to see more games between them.

Anonymous said...

Fair and balanced! Not sad!!

Anonymous said...

You say you watched the TSF Marlboro game and you say that TSF had more chances? They had one shot on goal and marlboro had possession much more of the play. TSF showed very well as a top team should have but I didn't see where they would scare you with goal scorers. Could TSF have won, yes, but that shouldn't be a surprise they played well and are a very good team. From what I saw of the SSC an STA GAME STA took it to them. Clearly was the better team on this day. SSC defense was suspect and broke Their star in the middle was invisible

Anonymous said...

STA IS STRONGER THEN PEOPLE GIVE CREDIT FOR. WILL WIN TODAY 2-1

Anonymous said...

Was prediction accurate?

Anonymous said...

Great great game. Both teams played with skill and aggression. Marlboro won in the end 3-2 and I would love to see this played again. Parents all good. Coaches all good. Players laid it out in the field. Well done STA and Marlboro

Anonymous said...

Agreed. Tough loss. Good win.

Anonymous said...

I guess another congratulations is in order for Marlboro. My son plays on a top NJ team and has never won a State Championship, to win multiple over a span of 4-5 years is truly a great accomplishment. I would have liked to see STA win one but Marlboro has built up a dynasty of sorts. My son has no chance to win the NJYS state cup as they did not enter but from what I can see not many teams did.

Anonymous said...

At this age group the NJYS bracket is not a good one. Many teams did not apply and even the best teams are all playing one another prior to the finals. It is set up for either Marlton or a non deserving team to be in the finals. So simple to do this right, but why should NJYS change their ways at this point.

Anonymous said...

It is odd that you would have two of the best teams in the state in the same bracket. Even more odd that you would have the Barrington team in the other bracket who is coached by the games commissioner for New Jersey Youth Soccer.

Anonymous said...

10:41 that is not odd that is a crime.

Anonymous said...

It is the penalty we get for only playing in one of the two state cups.

Anonymous said...

Penalty? Why would you be penalized? Does seem weird that the bracket came out the way it did but I think it is a completely blind draw. Am I wrong with this?

Anonymous said...

Best part of the weekend was watching the SSC coach lose. No one deserved it more.

Anonymous said...

Now the youth soccer lives are really coming to an end. Do you remember the early years when Holmdel NJX ruled the world? Literally could win a game by 8 goals every time. Then the U11-U14 portion where kids changed teams every day and teams merged to try and form the next great thing. New private clubs would come out of nowhere and promise the world (NJForce). Local clubs lost their best players and those teams turned into rec plus teams. Then we hit the "real" years, U15-U18/U19, where teams and players developed further and separated from the pack. Teams like MF, SSC, Marlboro, STA, SJB, Marlton, were always in the top tier and others such as Holmdel and TSF came in and out. If you look at the State cups since U15, have played 7 of them with one pending:

Marlboro 4 State Cups
MF 2 state cups
SSC 1 state cup with 3 runner up
Marlton 2 runner ups
STA 1 runner up

That will for the most part show who has finished strong and there is still one more cup up for grabs!

Anonymous said...

Barrington will win the last one, mark it down.

Anonymous said...

Think there is any chance that the guys running ERL will start today or tomorrow to plan for the heavy rain that seems pretty much guaranteed for this weekend? Last year, with a similar forecast, they waited until Friday to make contingency plans. It was a disaster.

Anonymous said...

Be proactive MF. Make the call and have HBC come to your turf. Simple

Anonymous said...

Just hoping that 1 of the 12 people who read this blog might know someone at ERL and tell them to get busy.

Anonymous said...

What's wrong with playing a 60 minute game on a small sided field?

Anonymous said...

Regarding the ERL, did you get value out of it? Was the travel and money spent worth it since your whole team already knows where they will be going to college? Were all the games competitive? Did you join it for the players or the coaches ego?

Anonymous said...

League was not bad. Beats playing the same old teams over and over. Some good games some not so good. Nothing at all to do with egos, MF as a club is a member of ERL. All teams play in the league. 1 trip to VA and one to Kirkwood. Not a big deal. Team is just playing to stay in shape and they really like playing together and spending time together. Don't worry about the money, people spend their money the way they wish..

Anonymous said...

OK if you say so.

David said...

Highly recommend if you have younger kids that want to play in college. College coaches were all over at those 2 events.

Anonymous said...

Last ERL event my son's team was at in Virginia was filled with college coaches from all the divisions. There were even a couple of coaches (DI/DIII) in one of our regular season games up in New York.

Anonymous said...

What are you talking about. I never see coaches and I mean never

Anonymous said...

That's because your team doesn't go to the right tournaments and doesn't join the right right leagues.

Anonymous said...

Right tournaments? That is a joke, all we do is go to tournaments and the "right ones". Right league? The ERL good enough for you?

Anonymous said...

If you are really interested take a look at this link:
http://regioni.usyouthsoccer.org/competitions/us_youth_soccer_region_i_eastern_regional_league_erl/

Anonymous said...

NJYS State Cup begins this weekend, weather pending.

Excel Rasen Ballsport vs Hudson United
This is the match we all have been waiting for. Two dynamic at best mid level teams going head to head to earn the right to play South Jersey powerhouse Barrington. Whoever wins this game will be in the semi finals as they will both beat Barrington. So let that sink in and now you know how pathetic this state cup is this year. I will go with Excel because I like their name better.

Marlton vs Ironbound
Will not be a close match, Marlton will win easily. This is just another stinker of a game in the upper bracket.

Anonymous said...

Funny stuff, yet sad.

Anonymous said...

College players who already left for there first year are back for summer, could change up results in the last portion of edp and state cup.

Anonymous said...

2or 3 kids returning from playing D3 soccer aren't going to change anything in State Cup. Who cares about EDP?

Anonymous said...

CSA. Now you know who rules

Anonymous said...

Not all D3 kids returning

Anonymous said...

What team are u talking about

Anonymous said...

Any kids who graduated HS and played in college should not be eligible to play on their old youth soccer team. There are u21 summer teams for college players.

Anonymous said...

Why? If they fall under the age requirement they should be able to play. What is your concern? For that matter what team actually has this occurring? With roster sizes at 22 and above this would just cause more playtime issues.

Anonymous said...

NJYS state cup will have Excel Ballsport, Hudson or Barrington in the semi finals. 3 below average teams and one of them will be in the state semis. Who created this bracket? Horrible, and it takes away from the entire tournament. I guess I now know why my sons team and so many others stayed away.

Anonymous said...

Barringtons only wins came from state cup byes, what a joke.

5/14/2017 BYE TEAM (USA) 1-0
EDP Spring 2017 - Ranked until 6/30/2018
5/7/2017 WASHINGTON UNITED RAMPAGE (NJ) 0-6
4/30/2017 PITTSGROVE SC PANTHERS (NJ) 1-3
4/23/2017 LAWRENCE HAMNETT SA UNITED (NJ) 1-3
4/9/2017 CHERRY HILL SC WILD SHARKS (NJ) 1-1
3/25/2017 CHERRY HILL FC BLACK OUT (NJ) 0-2
EDP Cup Fall Showcase 2016 Boys - Ranked until 11/27/2017
11/27/2016 IRONBOUND SC REBELS (NJ) 0-5
11/26/2016 CAPE EXPRESS SC 99'S (NJ) 0-3
11/26/2016 AC CONNECTICUT DYS B99/00 (CT) 0-2
NJYS Presidents Cup u15-u17 - Ranked until 5/1/2017
4/9/2016 CARTERET GALAXY ELEVEN (NJ) 1-3
EDP Cup 2015 / Winter College Showcase [Boys] - Ranked until 11/29/2016
11/29/2015 VEREINIGUNG ERZGEBIRGE SC VE SHOOTERS (PAE) 0-2
11/28/2015 ARSENAL SC MAXIMUS BLACK (NJ) 0-4
11/28/2015 TINTON FALLS SC RIPTIDE (NJ) 0-1
NJYS State Cup u15-u18 - Ranked until 5/17/2016
4/19/2015 EAST BRUNSWICK GLADIATORS (NJ) 0-3
4/12/2015 BYE TEAM (NJ) 1-0
Washington Township Easter Classic 2015 - Ranked until 4/4/2016
4/4/2015 SPORTFRIENDS COUNTRY (NJ) 0-1
4/4/2015 WASHINGTON UNITED RAMPAGE (NJ) 0-3
4/4/2015 LYSA LFC SELECT (NJ) 0-4
4/3/2015 MOUNT LAUREL UNITED SPARTANS (NJ) 1-1
West Deptford Thanksgiving Soccer Tournament 2014 - Ranked until 11/30/2015
11/29/2014 VOORHEES SA DYNAMITE (NJ) 0-3
11/28/2014 HARRISON SC POWER (NJ) 0-5
11/28/2014 BORDENTOWN COMMUNITY SA BLAZE (NJ) 0-2
Deptford Fall Fest 2014 - Ranked until 10/12/2015
10/12/2014 DEPTFORD HURRICANES (NJ) 0-3
10/12/2014 TOMS RIVER FC REVOLUTION (NJ) 0-4
10/11/2014 DEPTFORD UNION (NJ) 1-1

Anonymous said...

The team people are questioning about bringing college players back is Ironbound. Ironbound played last year as a 97/98 team.

Anonymous said...

8.05
My concern is it is not fair to take players back on a team who have already left the team just so a coach has a better chance of winning some meaningless tournament when there is a full roster of deserving players who have been there working hard all season. But it wouldn't surprise me because winning is what matters most in this business, forget about putting the best interests of the kids first.

Anonymous said...

Not fair? What makes you think they left the team? College players always play when school is done, their coaches want them too. If the current players are deserving as you say then why would they lose their play time? Best interest of the kids? If we were talking U14 then maybe you would have a point.

Anonymous said...

You don't know teenagers too well if you think there's a huge difference in the mentality of 14 and 18 yr olds.

Anonymous said...

U14 players should play, U18 fight for play time, do you think it is going to be handed to them in college? Maybe you cant understand, but a 14 year old would.

Anonymous said...

you're argument is ridiculous. Of course college kids have left their youth team. Are they paying to hold their roster spot? That spot has been taken. Yeah, their college coach wants them to play in the summer on a mens team. Their done with youth soccer. You don't sound like a parent, you're probably some coach who wants college kids on your team because maybe you can win and impress someone, I don't know who.

Anonymous said...

Your argument is that your precious son will no longer play because there will be BETTER PLAYERS available. That is called life, get better or step aside.

Anonymous said...

Spoken by a really wise youth coach.I;m sure your players admire and respect you. Tell me coach, if you tell your players that they have to earn playing time, why are you rushing to play some kid who hasn't been around all season? and who hasn't paid anything?

Anonymous said...

A lot of assumptions, a lot. The starters who earn play time do respect me, the players who have not earned it may have excuses that I understand. Can not make everyone happy, just cant be done.

Anonymous said...

Thats nice but you didn't answer my question.

Anonymous said...

I did answer your question, I told you that you assume a lot. If you fear for your sons playtime, that is not my issue.

Anonymous said...

Seems like an Ironbound parent is very upset.

Anonymous said...

I never mentioned my sons play time. You're assuming thats my issue. and you did not answer my question.

Anonymous said...

3rd party here, why else would you care if players rejoined the team. The only answer I can see (and looks like the other poster did too) would be your son's playtime.

For what it is worth, who cares anymore.

Anonymous said...

Stronghold lost to Philly Copa? Surprising result to say the least.

Anonymous said...

Not surprised as SSC has diminished. Question is how many cards were handed out in that game?

Anonymous said...

What are you talking about. SSC was in the state cup semi finals and are the only team to beat Cedar Stars. Haters hate.

Anonymous said...

I do agree; playing time has to be earned. If you want to be a starter on that team, play like one and take playing time away from that college player.

Anonymous said...

You know what also has to be earned? Coaches have to earn respect from their players and no player on the team will respect a coach who wants to play a returning college player who hasn't been on the team all season. The coach just acts like nobody can question his decisions, but it's clear he only cares about winning.

Anonymous said...

ummmmmmmmmmm, this is a team of 18 year olds, what are they supposed to do wait for the oranges at half. You want to play, GET BETTER. While your coaches goal is winning yours seems to be whining.

Anonymous said...

NJYS 1/4 finals, congratulations to all that made it this far! :)

Hudson vs Barrington-- in the least anticipated state cup game of all time, Hudson will win and Barrington will continue to never have won a game.

Marlton vs FC Copa--Blowout city, Marlton will win easily

PDA Messi vs MFA--no issues here MF will take care of business and by halftime they will be looking for the exits.

Marlboro vs Ironbound--in what should be the only competitive game of the day Marlboro should hold on to edge out Ironbound.

Anonymous said...

10.06
Your comments just show how immature and rude some youth coaches are, You're the kind of idiot coach that customers want to avoid and I'm pretty sure that I can guess what club you represent. You don't care at all about the kids, only winning and always use caps when you post, everyone will think you're important.

Anonymous said...

7:50 Caps are used to focus on importance. What club is your guess, this should be comical. As a previous post pointed out, you do seem to be a bit of a cry baby.

Anonymous said...

My guess is the previous posts are all from the same very mean spirited club who I'm sure will go out of business some day. Every coach who has any integrity leaves. TSF All caps

Anonymous said...

Ok, so the coach at TSF didnt play your son the minutes you wanted. You do realize that on every single team there are parents just like you that complain about their son or daughters minutes. There are only so many minutes to go around, my suggestion would have been to play on a team that fits your sons ability.

Anonymous said...

One way to solve this is to be the coach/asst or team manager. There is always bias when a coach/team manager has a kid on the team. Their playtime is hardly ever affected.

Anonymous said...

True at U8 - U 13 maybe but after that age and in many instances prior any good team has a paid coach and all parents are relegated to the parent sideline. At U18 if you are still complaining about playing time, you are to blame. You have your kid on the wrong team based on skill level.

Anonymous said...

Everyone knows that many parents get preferential treatment for their kids. I have never known a coaches child to be benched and how about friends of owners? Back door deals are always on the table. Money talks.

Anonymous said...

At U18 that has all gone away. Ok, if you are talking about 2% of the players then you have a point but I would rather focus on the norm not the exception to it.

Anonymous said...

Before u18 are the most important years for a player. A club shouldn't pretend their business is player development when it's really maximizing profits. People catch on eventually and the business suffers from a bad reputation.

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