CSA pursuing MLS franchise!!

[CanuckFan]

Just off the press. One of a few eyebrow raisers in Andy Sharpe's press release on CSA Goals for 2003:

The enduring success of Major League Soccer in the United States has been its impressive ability to develop domestic players so they can be more competitive at the international level. That point was driven home by the US performance in the 2002 FIFA World Cup.



It is with this in mind, and the obvious necessity of having a full time tenant in any future Toronto soccer stadium, that the CSA has recently become actively involved in efforts to bring a MLS franchise, comprised mostly of Canadian players, to Toronto in the near future.

[Canadian_Supporter]

I certainly hope this doesn't happen. I enjoy watching the MLS, but it is not our league. The MLS should stay an all American league.

[roarksown1]

It works in the NBA. It works in MLB. It works in the NHL. Frankly I wouldn't care if there was an MLS team in Canada - I'm just happy that it looks like another possible investor is interested in joining up. That bodes well for the league.

[cjaldrich]

I'd have to agree - Canadian franchises are second class citizens in the other major US sports leagues. It would be the same in soccer.

Beside, I feel a certain nationalistic pride with the MLS being a US league.

[Canadian_Supporter]

Originally posted by cjaldrich
Canadian franchises are second class citizens in the other major US sports leagues.

Hmmm... I wonder why that is?

How much does is the fee for an MLS expansion team? $15-20 million US????

[soccerfan]

truth in fact

,... Canada can't support on it's own a competitive first division league.
....having MLS teams in Canada would bode well for soccer competitivness,ratings, interest
,....having canadians play competitive soccer on regular basis as part of MLS would hurt USA chances of qualifying to future World Cups as was in 1986 when Canada qualified to Mexico '86 over the USA, with the majority of the canadian players from NASL

[The Creeper]

I was always under the impression that Fifa would have to approve of intermingling of countries in one league.

I believe Monaco is a club team instead of a national team because of this. Although there is a New Zealand team in the Australian League.

[fatmaradona]

where will the team be? Toronto because that's where the soccer ass'n is? I'd think Montreal be a good spot, seeing how it has that euro feel

[Captain Canuck]

Originally posted by fatmaradona
where will the team be? Toronto because that's where the soccer ass'n is? I'd think Montreal be a good spot, seeing how it has that euro feel

Toronto. But it won't happen unless the CSA can get a soccer stadium built in Toronto. Right now we have nothing.

I sincerely hope it does happen.

[Canadian_Supporter]

Originally posted by The Creeper

I believe Monaco is a club team instead of a national team because of this. Although there is a New Zealand team in the Australian League.

Welsh teams in the English league and Berwick in the Scottish league. Although Berwick is only a few miles from the Scottish border :)

[GRUNT]

This would be great for MLS, and great for the CSA. I hope it works out.

Is there a link for this story?

[DoyleG]

Originally posted by The Creeper
I believe Monaco is a club team instead of a national team because of this. Although there is a New Zealand team in the Australian League.

The New Zealand side in the NSL, Kingz FC, answers to Soccer Australia. It's basically an Australian team even though it's full of New Zealanders.

Originally posted by roarksown1
It works in the NBA. It works in MLB. It works in the NHL. Frankly I wouldn't care if there was an MLS team in Canada - I'm just happy that it looks like another possible investor is interested in joining up. That bodes well for the league.

It didn't work for the NBA given the fact that Vancouver packed up and moved to Memphis. Toronto will only really survive as long as it can keep Vince Carter in town.

In the NHL case, Montreal is now onwed by an American, same with Vancouver. Ottawa is bankrupt and Calgary and Edmonton are bleeding red ink. Toronto is even going under a mjor ownership change.

As for MLB, Montreal is all but dead. It will only be a matter of time before the Blue Jays join them.

Even the NLL cross-border experiment is failing as well.

Originally posted by soccerfan
,... Canada can't support on it's own a competitive first division league..

That is a moot point since there is no one willing to invest in a Canadian League to begin with. Too pre-occupied with horses, hockey, and european soccer teams.

Originally posted by soccerfan
....having MLS teams in Canada would bode well for soccer competitivness,ratings, interest

It would the same with any other league with a TO team in in.

WHO CARES!!!!!

[CanuckFan]

Originally posted by GRUNT
This would be great for MLS, and great for the CSA. I hope it works out.

Is there a link for this story?

Check the CSA site, latest headline here:

http://www.canadasoccer.com/eng/index.asp

It is part of a news release on the priorities of the CSA (Cdn equivalent of USSF) for 2003.

[Crazy_Yank]

Originally posted by The Creeper
I was always under the impression that Fifa would have to approve of intermingling of countries in one league.

I believe Monaco is a club team instead of a national team because of this. Although there is a New Zealand team in the Australian League.

FIFA would have to grant special consideration for this to happen as it is against the by laws for division 1 leagues to cross boarders. Having said that there is a precident (sp?) for this. I believe if the CSA can find an investor FIFA would allow this.

[Crazy_Yank]

Originally posted by Canadian_Supporter
Hmmm... I wonder why that is?

How much does is the fee for an MLS expansion team? $15-20 million US????


Because other than NHL sides, the Canadian franchises aren't really Canadian teams. They're US teams based in Canada. I don't think they have any Canadian players. Also the fact that the players do not want to be paid in Canadian dollars (funny colored money :D)

[Crazy_Yank]

Originally posted by Canadian_Supporter
Welsh teams in the English league and Berwick in the Scottish league. Although Berwick is only a few miles from the Scottish border :)


I always did wonder about that. Do they use English or Scottish players?

[JTPenney]

MLS in Canada? Not a good idea...

The issue is league rules like foreign player limits. Would the Toronto team (even though I like the idea of Montreal getting it better, but that is another debate) be suject to the same limits? Currently that number is 3. http://www.mlsnet.com/about/regulations/
The player is a United States citizen
The player is in the United States as a resident alien (green card) or under asylum protection, regardless of eligibility to play for the U.S. National Team.


So would a Toronto MLS team only get 3 Canadians on its roster? Not likely!
Would they "save" their spots if they picked Americans to fill them? (i.e. 12 Canadians, 3 Americans and 3 International)

The franchise vs. membership in leagues is a debate that will most likely go on and on!

[Canadian_Supporter]

Originally posted by Crazy_Yank
I always did wonder about that. Do they use English or Scottish players?

I have no idea who the players on Berwick are. I suppose it makes sense that they play in the Scottish leagues since they are so close to Scotland.

[Bill Archer]

In MLS the teams all have to get their players from the same pool of available guys.

Bringing in another team that takes it's players from a DIFFERENT pool of guys changes the essential nature of the league.

Furthermore, part of the deal is that USSF and MLS cooperate in the development of young American players. It is having unarguable success in this regard, and this is what Canada is so interested in.

If Canada likes the program, great. They can start their own.

It's another case, like the idiot Pele discussions going on elsewhere, of peopl just not getting it, just not understanding what the league is, how it's constructed, what it's plan is and what it's goals are.

All these guys seem to see is a league, and they say "Hey, why don't we get a team up?"

It's apparently too complicated for them. Now, Pele has an excuse - everybody in soccer knows he's not the brightest bulb in the pack.

But you would have thought the CSA had a little more on the ball.

[Crazy_Yank]

Originally posted by Bill Archer
In MLS the teams all have to get their players from the same pool of available guys.

Bringing in another team that takes it's players from a DIFFERENT pool of guys changes the essential nature of the league.

Furthermore, part of the deal is that USSF and MLS cooperate in the development of young American players. It is having unarguable success in this regard, and this is what Canada is so interested in.

If Canada likes the program, great. They can start their own.

It's another case, like the idiot Pele discussions going on elsewhere, of peopl just not getting it, just not understanding what the league is, how it's constructed, what it's plan is and what it's goals are.

All these guys seem to see is a league, and they say "Hey, why don't we get a team up?"

It's apparently too complicated for them. Now, Pele has an excuse - everybody in soccer knows he's not the brightest bulb in the pack.

But you would have thought the CSA had a little more on the ball.



There's the argument that Canada can't support a viable domestic league. An MLS franchise (or 2) would be the next best thing. It would be a way for MLS to expand without deluting the talent pool. Sure a stronger Canada would make it harder for us to qualify, but would give us another strong opponent to help prepare us for high level competition.