MLS NEXT 2 is a new youth league offering college soccer exposure through MLS NEXT Flex events. Within three to four years, it could rival ECNL and NAL as a top development pathway. Eighth and ninth graders on MLS NEXT 2 teams are well positioned for college recruitment.
What is it that you need to know about the new MLS NEXT 2 league? The new MLS NEXT 2 league. Here's the bottom line, what you need to know. Whenever you're trying to find your goal of playing college soccer, it doesn't matter what club team you're going to play on, asterisk, because if you play minutes, it matters. If your coach is a good person, if you're getting exposure by showcases, there's a bunch of different variables. So in that case, I would tell you, if you're not sure, give me a call, description's below, and we can talk about your situation. But on the whole, MLS NEXT 2 is going to be really good because it's going to go to all the MLS NEXT Flex events and in all the MLS NEXT events, which means it will get the exposure. So my prediction is in time, probably 3 to 4 years, it will be much better than ECNL RL, way better than Elite Academy or NAL, and it will become probably MLS NEXT, ECNL, and MLS NEXT 2. Probably there's USL Academy, which is pretty good, but it's a very high level, but there's no showcases. That's the problem. For MLS NEXT 2, there are going to be showcases. So if you are in 8th, 9th grade and you're part of a team that's MLS NEXT 2, that would be great because then there's opportunity to play MLS NEXT. You're on a team that could get exposure, and now Division 3, Division 2, Division 1 soccer might be in cards for you. On the flip side, if you are a sophomore or junior right now and you're like, I don't know what to do, then it depends. You need to talk to your coach, you need to talk to your club. But in reality, MLS Next 2 is basically just what ECNL RL is, B team to ECNL. MLS Next 2 is that.
