The Girls Elite Clubs National League (ECNL), founded in 2009, kicked off its 11th season with 96 clubs. Since U.S. Soccer launched the Girls Development Academy in 2017, the two leagues have beencompeting to field the nation’s top clubs, creating what University of North Carolina coach Anson Dorrance has described as a “civil war in girlssoccer.” Mark Krikorian, coach of defending NCAA Division I women’s champion Florida State, said that, “Both of theleagues, in my mind, are reasonably split in terms of where the best players are playing.” Christian Lavers has been ECNL president since its inception.
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