I think NPL is US club soccer and Piedmont Conference is USYS.. Both are merit based. Piedmont conference is still strong, you qualify through that by your state cup finish. But with the addition of NPL and ECNL ,,, fewer clubs send their top teams to state cup.... for example,,,, usamp 05s won the u-13 state cup
Last year by beating CESA...... neither Usamp or CESA will have a team in the u-14 state cup this year.
