Long Term Game Plan for Canadian Soccer

Josh was probably the best example. I should have had a list of the NT pool in front of me to jog my memory. Not to say anything disparaging about the others but Josh was very mindful of the education he received, business IIRC. And judging by the severity of his injuries, I bet he's glad he did.

 

Robin Glover went to the info session on the weekend. He's a member of the Voyageurs and posted a lot of good info here:

http://www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com/reports14/14l1o001.htm

On a personal note, I thought it interesting that Pickering showed up. They recently broke ground on a new indoor soccer centre that they'll pay the city back over 15 years or something like that. On top of that debt, there are no stadiums adequate for League One in the area...they must be curious more than anything.

There is already talk about an inter-provincial cup at some point in the near future. As of right now, talk is between Quebec and Ontario.

Trophy below (from Robin Glover, link above):

 

Thanks for posting this. I have really appreciated items I've read from Robin over the years. No one else covers lower division Canadian soccer better.

As for the content, this is exactly my problem with the CSA's approach. They are trying to start new leagues from scratch instead of simply helping to guide teams and leagues that are already in place. So now we "have" an Ontario league that is supposed to kick off in just a few months except there aren't even any teams yet.

It is telling to me that only one CSL team even came to check things out. Apparently team ownerships would rather stay with a league the very sanctioning of which is iffy than trust the CSA's ability to execute their paper plan.

 

Yes that is a shame that the two leagues already stand one in Quebec and one in Ontario Right now and will likely have the champs of Play each other. The CSA and the two leagues should try to be working together for the common goal.
It would certainly help to fill future NASL D2 Franchises in Canadian cities Ottawa then Hamilton to get a look at a core of Canadian players to fill their rosters

 

Wasnt to sure where to put this, but this seems like an appropriate spot...

CSA president discussing expanding the Canadian Championship to a "full Canadian Open Cup" after 2015.

 

Thanks for posting that. Having read the article, however, all it really says is that Montagliani believes it is something that needs to happen eventually but won't happen in the next couple of years. Then there's this quote from the author:

"With the CSA earlier this year endorsing a recommendation to look into a regional, semi-pro development-focused league across the country, there could be a slew of potential new competitors for the Voyageurs Cup in the years ahead."

There could be, but they won't be any different than the CSL and PDL that already exist and those teams aren't in the Voyageurs Cup now.

I'm not wanting to be overly cynical because maybe then can do some good. It seems to me, however, that the CSA spends a lot of time thinking up plans and exactly zero time actually creating anything tangible. Meanwhile, there are owners and players and fans actually making things happen in club soccer but the CSA does nothing concrete to help them.

 

Canadian Soccer Association presents strategic priorities for 2014-2018
Posted on 23 January 2014 in Canadian Soccer Association
http://www.canadasoccer.com/canadia...ts-strategic-priorities-for-2014-2018-p155825

PDF: http://www.canadasoccer.com/files/CanadaSoccer_StrategicPlan2014_2018_EN.pdf

Line that caught my eye on a first glance: "Our financial decisions should be based on answers to simple questions: Will this program bring us closer to our goal? Will this initiative help Canada become a leading soccer nation? If the answer is "no", then it is time to rethink its relevance, no matter how long it has been around." If this doesn't refer to the CSL, then I don't know what.

 

Considering the CSL actually puts money into club soccer and the CSA doesn't, a commitment based on whether a program supports soccer in Canada should favour the CSL.

 

The CSL should be supporitng the expansion of more NASL clubs in Canada. The CSL and other D3 leagues are all amatuer.
I am already reading that players that are being signed by Ottawa and Edmonton are Canadian players who have been playing in other countries around the World including the MLS clubs at lower divisions or reserve sides. Others are being drafted into the MLS but with no rooster spots are signing with Ottawa or EDM as well as former academy players from foreging clubs or Canadian clubs that are Canadian Nationals are also signing with the NASL sides.
some have even seen time with MLS clubs but are in international roster crunches.
Problem to me is that there are not enough NASL clubs in Canada right now.
These guys are also been recent members of CMNT U17 and U20 and U23 sides.
Hamilton, QC, Calgary. Even if a stadium should be built in the GTA for the Argos a second Toronto club in the NASL outside downtown Toronto in the GTA would be a whole different population of almost 2 million people then would be aong the 3 million inside the city of Toronto as well as the 8ooK in Hamilton.
Have all of these NASL clubs affiliate with PDL sides that already exist for poplayers who leve their U18 and U16 youth academy teams for NCAA colleges or CIS Universities to come back and play in the summer and when it is time to turn pro unless they get an offer to play for an MLS side they can move onto their NASL affilate club.
GTA NASL side k-W PDL affiliate
Hamiton London PDL affiliate
Ottawa already has a PDL club
etc

 

Seems like CSA is really trying to move things the right way and I'm glad this is happening. I hope they can actually achieve this plan. I like all the ideas and can't wait to see how it unfolds. Will there be success or another heartbreak....

 

http://majorleaguesoccer.org/

 

The CSA should open up a second cup competition alongside the Voyageurs. The Voyageurs can remain open for MLS and NASL sides exclusively, ala the FA League Cup, while a new competition for all pro and semi-pro teams, like the FA Cup, is opened. If the CSA can show they have the faculties to execute a cup tourney along those lines rather than constantly trying to start new wholesale leagues, with sketchy plans, it might get the teams more on-side to their overall plans.
Of couse the CSA should also go to CONCACAF for money to support this.

Having the media attention and promotion of a tournament like this, that would involve the bigger clubs at the later stages, would help drive sales at the gate for the smaller clubs.

Call it the Canada Open Cup or heck even honour the best Canadian player ever and call it the Sinclair Cup. Nothing wrong with naming a Men's Tourney after a Female player, since well she is still the best player.

 

Why would CONCACAF, spending the finances the way that they are, want to subsidize an additional cup for Canada? What is in it for them to help us run an amateur tournament when there are much poorer nations who can't run a cup at all?

 

Here I'll explain it this way.

1) The Creation and flourishing of more D2 and D3 teams in Canada will provide many more job opportunities (and at better wages), for CONCACAF players from developing nations. Heck CONCACAF can negotiate with the NASL and D3 leagues, the establishment of a Conference International slots in addition to the usual ones. I'm sure the teams would be open to giving out contracts to Caribbean and Central American boys if sponsorship dollars come with it.

2) The spending of CONCACAF in developing nations, even if the management changes, will always be subjected to massive corruption. Changing CONCACAF doesn't change the way of doing business in the developing world. This keeps the money in the hands of people subject to higher standards of accounting and oversight.

3) Growing football support in Canada is important to CONCACAF as we are a nation capable of holding a World's Cup. The money and stadiums are here. They just need to build the public image of the sport. Getting people interested in lower division football helps build grassroots support. I lived some years in Edmonton until recently and people seemed to actually be aware of the team when the Voyageur Cup games came about and people seemed impressed (and hoped to beat) that they were playing the MLS squads.

4) Could we not possibly incorporate other teams from CONCACAF, into the new cup that are a D2 or D3 equivalent? We've invited CONMEBOL teams to the Gold Cup.

 

That is a good point about more D2 teams in Canada. Right now there are just two and it looks like a 3rd in Hamilton will be coming after 2015.
CSA still needs to get involved in conversations with Calgary LLP about a club to rival Edmonton.

Canucks owner looks to be taking it upon himself to add a USL Pro side for the Whitcaps. Could Saputo do the same with a USL Pro club in Quebec city.
Winnipeg has a stadium will an NASL team work there?

Over in Halifax there are stadium talks. CSA should be involved in discussing all of the international soccer events could be played their and a possible NASL team.
Canada needs to fill these cities with pro soccer clubs whether they be a NASL side or a USL Pro Affiliate sides for the 3 Canadian MLS clubs in Canada

 

That would seem to be a perfect goal for pro soccer in Canada

 

I read somewhere that the Canucks owner is a big soccer fan and may be interested in owning an expansion USL Pro Club near Vancouver to serve as the Whitecaps USL PRO affiliate
Is there anything to this or just all talk right now

 

I don't think the Canadian MLS clubs would want to play in two Canadian Cups. Many Premier League clubs think having to play in the League Cup is annoying.

 

1) But your point originally was to establish a domestic cup competition not to start up new teams. Even so, I'm confused by what you're saying. Are you suggesting that CONCACAF should give grants to teams that sign CONCACAF players, directly subsidize the salaries of CONCACAF players, give grants for new teams in Canada that are starting up....or something else?
2) The rewarding of countries that are less corrupt is all well and good but shouldn't that be the least we should expect?
3) I agree that we need more teams at the lower levels but why should CONCACAF subsidize us? Getting more professional teams in our system sounds like something that private investors in our country should be able to do on their own, without outside help.
4) You mean like a Europa League but with D2 or D3? I doubt we will see anything close to that until the Champions League becomes more of a prime time event where every teams plays their best players and games become big events instead of inconveniences. The next club competition should be a Europa League where the next best teams to the Champions League get to play instead of restricting it to D2 and D3 which would require CONCACAF to subsidize the whole thing.

 

Two questions:

First, when you say the CSA should be targeting this, what does that actually look like? Specifically, what concrete steps could the CSA take to make this a reality? (I ask because while I am sure the CSA would applaud any ownership groups stepping into these markets, I haven't seen the CSA actually do much to help teams.)

Second, do you envision the USLPro teams as being farm team affiliates for MLS clubs? If not, what do you see as the principal difference between USLPro and NASL that would cause you to put some cities in each league? (I ask because in either case a team would be faced with continent-wide travel. Unless there's some advantage to USLPro, it might make more sense to keep all the teams in the same league.)

 

The one thing that I know for sure that the USL Pro is trying to do once all teams have an affiliate is to have 3 divisions; west, central, and east with play mostly in your divison to cut down travel costs with some crossover.

Im not sure if any of this will come to life but TFC had attemped to partner with the Lynx to move a club in to the USL Pro. TFC actually put in an application to the city of Hamilton for the use of THF but were turned down and the Lynx idea never got of the ground. They currently affiliated with Wilmington but it appears that they would like the Lynx program if they can find a sight in the southern Ontario.

vancouver Cunucks owner is a big soccer fan appareantly and has mentioned interest in owning an expansion USL Pro franchise to be the WCs affiliate and play in the fraser Valley.

TI Cats Owner Bob Young has spoken to owning an NASL franchise to play out of THF but said nothing will happen until after the 2015 Pan Am games.

Although Calgary has been mentioned as a city for an NASL franchise only rumorsas of now

Montreal Impact will need a USL Pro affiliate or own their own USL Pro team like the Galaxy. Although Quebec city would seem like a good place have not heard anything about that

So there are 3 reliable owners talking about having a pro team playing out of a Canadian City and could happen as early as 2016 or not at all.

In the Canucks want to own Vancouvers Affiliate I cant see the WhiteCaps saying no.
TFC is building the major Training Complez with several fileds in Mississuaga so I could see TFC owning their own or parterning with the Lynx and play at the complex on a game field with 5K seats as a reality.
Hamilton and the NASL should probably happen the question will be when. First priority is getting the Ti Cats all set before they begin looking into the NASL but a second tenant in Hamiton like in Ottawa seems like it is the plan but who knows.

 

I'd prefer non-affiliated as well. Your point about the Voyageur's Cup is valid. For me, however, its more about the team and the fans. I'd rather have a legitimate, independent team. An affiliated team is always going to come across as an afterthought. Attendance doesn't matter since the mother team is paying the freight anyway. For an example of what I mean, compare the Victoria Highlanders to the Whitecaps' PDL team. I want more Victorias.

Is it just lower payroll that keeps operating budgets lower? I don't see that travel, stadium, insurance, etc. would be any different between the two league. You are right about the attendances. The lowest NASL attendance is Edmonton at 2400. The lowest USLPro is Tampa Bay at 400. The league average for USLPro is about half that of NASL.

Personally, I'd prefer to see more Canadian NASL teams as the NASL seems to be a more stable league. In fact, if it wasn't for the MLS affiliation situation, I'd predict that the NASL would eventually come to dominate the D2 soccer scene while USL ended up basically running D3 PDL-level clubs. This may still happen even with the MLS deal, especially if the MLS affiliated USLPro clubs end up being afterthoughts. (I realize that technically USLPro is D3 but the reality is that they are trying to compete with D2 while avoiding the sanctioning issues.)[/quote]