Couldn't agree with you more and I am from Philly and son plays for Brotherly Love. There is nothing wrong with being third as a hotbed. Both those areas have more depth of talent; however you could make an argument that if you pick the top kids from each area, Philly can more than hang. The success of Haverford School at the top of the heap in high school, Mesa pre-merger in the club scene as well as Dukes, the success of Philly at the Under Armour Underclassmen games, and the long list of Philly Talent a the very top of the Collegiate levels for years.

However, I think that you could make a case that Canada has supplanted LI and MD. I would take a Canadian Team against both of those areas....Hill School, Culver Academy (loaded with Canadians) U19 National Team... there is a new sheriff in town and it ain't LI or MD.

Let's not pretend that BL also hasn't beaten the Crabs and plenty of other teams from MD and beaten LI Express both of which I would put at the top or close to the top in their respective areas.