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NAL is rebranding under MLS Next 2 administration. For young players, join a team guaranteed to play MLS Next Fest and MLS Next Flex showcases by 8th or 9th grade, since college scouts recruit from these events, not from regular league play.
NAL is rebranding under MLS Next 2 administration. For young players, join a team guaranteed to play MLS Next Fest and MLS Next Flex showcases by 8th or 9th grade, since college scouts recruit from these events, not from regular league play.
What is better, MLS Next 2 or NAL? So first of all, I want you to keep in mind that when you say what is better, there's two ways to categorize this. Who's better, meaning which team is better and who will win against each other, or which one is better for being recruited to college soccer. Now, if you're 13, 14 years old, there's an argument to say, look, being on the better team and who cares who's better for college soccer. That's great because you're playing with better players and you're getting better. By 14 and a half, 15 years old, it doesn't really matter who's a better team. What matters is who is getting the most exposure. Now, in the case of NAL and MLS Next 2, NAL is technically going to be in charge of running MLS Next 2 despite it being titled MLS Next 2. Having said that, I recently spoke to the director of MLS Next 2 and he was explaining how MLS Next 2 teams specifically in the Pacific Northwest, and it will also spread spread throughout the country will be going to MLS Next Fest and MLS Next Flex events, which is to say, as of right now, I would tell you that MLS Next 2 would be better than NAL if the team is still titled under the name NAL, and it's very likely that team will change to an MLS Next 2 affiliate in the coming months to years. So the short answer is go to the team where you are being confirmed that you'll be going to showcase events. That is the team to play for once you hit 8th, 9th grade. Because development, you're still going to get better as a player because you're going to play soccer every day. But now it's about, can you be seen? Can you be seen in person? And if you want to get the best way to be seen is at a showcase because you're going anyways, and maybe you don't have to go to camps because you got seen at the showcase. Pretty unlikely. You're still going to have to go to camps. But that's what I would say between those two.
