Toronto FC might not have a Canadian on the field.

[Dan Loney]

Well, until their second substitute, if they choose to make one.

I'd completely forgotten there was going to be an expansion draft until MLS sent me an e-mail about it. Mark your calendar, November 17.

And then I thought, ha, they're boned. Houston protects Onstad and DeRosario, the Galaxy protect Jazic, and suddenly they have an expansion draft to fill four spots. Suckers.

And then I read this, of which I was previously unaware:

Toronto FC player classifications
* Domestic players – Canadian citizens or Canadian permanent residents
* International players
Up to four Senior Internationals (non-domestic players who turn 25 years or older during the year).
Up to three additional Senior Internationals who would qualify as Domestic players on a U.S.-based MLS team.
Five Youth Internationals (up to 24 years old); two of these slots expire at the end of the team’s 2008 season.

That's twelve players on Canada's MLS team designed to promote and improve Canadian soccer who don't have to be Canadian. At least, not until 2009. The Falcons* can build a pretty amazing team under these so-called restrictions, at least in theory. I mean, Wayne Rooney would be a Youth International under this system. But how will that develop Canadian soccer?**

*Now that "FC" has become the Roughriders of MLS, let's use Falcons as a placeholder for Toronto, in tribute to the NASL flop, until their fans decide on an actual name for them.

**Yes, I think MLS can afford to develop Canadian as well as American soccer, especially if private Canadian investors are paying for the privilege, and here's why. Mexico spent a thousand years owning North and Central America, and every time they left the CONCACAF sandbox for the World Cup they got pantsed. Suddenly the United States comes along, and Mexico has to improve themselves. Oh, and PS, Mexico starts making a lot more money from games against the United States. Sure, when Canada beats us 2-0 in the quarterfinals of the World Cup, it won't seem like that great an idea, but in the long run, strong CONCACAF teams will benefit us all.

Like, maybe, being rich and powerful enough to take Central America into CONMEBOL, and leaving Jack Warner the presidency of an all-Caribbean CONCACAF with 1/16 of a World Cup spot. Well, I can dream.

[Scotty]

Oh well.

Inter Milan frequently fields a starting XI without a single Italian player, if that's any sort of consolation to the Canadian fans...

[TopDogg]

No need for consolation, as there will be plenty of Canadians in the first XI.

Trust me on this.

[Justin O]

So are all those Americans going to have to learn to speak Canadian?

[Stan Collins]

No need for consolation, as there will be plenty of Canadians in the first XI.

Trust me on this. Yeah, a couple of extra factors:

- They might not be able to fill the YI spots, because MLS teams aren't generally going to leave young players unprotected, unless they're unready or busts.

- The draft will be the dregs of the league in general, so they'll often be better off going for Greg Sutton than overpaying Nick Rimando. (I would advise nearly every team in the league to leave a keeper unprotected. Toronto would rather go Canadian here).

[Beau Dure]

Stan's right, and it's not as if the YIs (or even the SIs) are sure starters. This basically lets Toronto take three Americans, and since when are Americans sure starters on a foreign club?

[Matrim55]

I still can't fathom why MLS would want one of their clubs participating under different rules. What's to stop Chivas from asking for the same dispensation, except with Mexican nationals?

Just make Canadians and Americans count the same in the league. It's not like there'll be a huge influx of canucks pushing out all the young American talent.

[Bill Schmidt]

It is worth it to have more solid players available for the league as a whole, and let's not pretend it's not the most free of free markets for players already in the league, and it will be great to have games against Canada be more interesting.

[Bill Schmidt]

No need for consolation, as there will be plenty of Canadians in the first XI.

Trust me on this.

Yes, if anyone takes a look at the Canadians abroad, there are several of MLS quality. I am sure at least a few will accept offers to become homecoming heroes and start their country's journey in top-flight club soccer. Just like the Americans abroad did in 96.

[TopDogg]

Yes, if anyone takes a look at the Canadians abroad, there are several of MLS quality. I am sure at least a few will accept offers to become homecoming heroes and start their country's journey in top-flight club soccer. Just like the Americans abroad did in 96.
Mo was on a local sports radio station a couple of days ago stating that he already has three additional Canadian internationals (ie. not youth players) signed, with an announcement to come in a couple of weeks.

A reasonable guess would have those three coming from the Scandinavian leagues, who run a similar summer schedule to MLS and end their season this month.

On that same show Mo also said he's looking at some other non-Canadian internationals. Hopefully we'll hear something on that front pretty soon.

[Daniel from Montréal]

I still can't fathom why MLS would want one of their clubs participating under different rules. What's to stop Chivas from asking for the same dispensation, except with Mexican nationals?

Just make Canadians and Americans count the same in the league. It's not like there'll be a huge influx of canucks pushing out all the young American talent.
Uh, because LA is not in Mexico???

[Dan Loney]

What's to stop Chivas from asking for the same dispensation, except with Mexican nationals?They're not a Mexican team, for one thing. Any more than the Boston Celtics are Irish.

Besides, 2005 proved that the Chivas organization did not have enough talent to compete in both first divisions. I think the rest of the league would be delighted if Chivas USA went back to having Hector Cuadros as their all-time leading scorer.

Just make Canadians and Americans count the same in the league. It's not like there'll be a huge influx of canucks pushing out all the young American talent.Yeah, but what about *insert completely ignorant speculation on the nature of employment law here under NAFTA and God knows what else*

EDIT re Canadians coming home: it was very remiss of me not to include http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=216234&page=17 as an example of who could potentially come back home. (Well, if one makes the dangerous assumption that Toronto is "home" to every Canadian.) But if Canadians who were already holding down jobs abroad fill out the TFC roster, that doesn't actually increase the total number of Canadians making a living playing the game.

And besides, that doesn't really change that, if non-Canadian Mo Johnston felt like it, he doesn't have to put a Canadian on the field until the second sub. Weird for a team specifically designed to develop Canadian soccer, is all.

[Shopping Cart Man]

Oh well.

Inter Milan frequently fields a starting XI without a single Italian player, if that's any sort of consolation to the Canadian fans...
Don't forget Arsenal

[voros]

Yeah, a couple of extra factors:

- They might not be able to fill the YI spots
I'm sure Alex will be left unprotected.

[Topo]

If they really wanted to develop Canadian soccer, it seems like Onstad, De Rosario, Jazic, Serioux, et al should count as domestic players for other MLS teams also.

Maybe it's coming. Chivas seems to have unlimited Mexican players.

Maybe we reach the European situation where any CONCACAF player is domestic for salary cap.

Or maybe not.

[freisland]

Uh, because LA is not in Mexico???

Depends on the street.

Seriously, tho, I always argued Toronto should be based in Niagara - US side.

[Toffee²]

Hey maybe Radzinski will go back to Canada since he's not really getting it done at Fulham.

[Delta Blues]

Hey maybe Radzinski will go back to Canada since he's not really getting it done at Fulham.

The guy who couldn't be bothered to accept call-ups for WCQ's for Canada? Yeah, I'm sure he'd love to help grow Canadian soccer by coming to MLS... :rolleyes:

[Vicious Lhasa Apso]

As much as Americans want to pat themselves on the back with hints that Toronto will be rostering and starting some massive amount of Americans (the idea being that Canadians will realize our glory via their inability to meaningfully fill their personnel openings), I don't buy it.

The Canadians have already signed one national, Brennan.

They have the admittedly awful-perfoming roster of the USL Lynx to choose from, as that team is converting to a PDL team, and releasing its overage players. That's a full roster to sign at will, if you really have to.

Serioux had a rough year in Houston and is from near Toronto. His original notion to signing in MLS was to be very close to home, but he was traded from NY. Having been a mediocre SI on a Cup finalist, we might be quite willing to part with him. Ditto the over-the-hill but serviceable GK Onstad. And let's not forget DeRo is from the same town as Serioux and doubtless will be eager to play for TFC, at some juncture.

Even if people protect their Canadians from the draft, with the exception of DeRo the handful of Canucks are sufficiently mediocre where they would likely be available at a price.

I could also see players from the Impact and Whitecaps looking to join TFC, and players currently abroad, although that will be a drip drip drip and not the simple turning on of a faucet. People have contracts and loyalties and ambitions, one assumes, although over time one would have to assume MLS would be attractive compared to USL, and a competitive TFC offering lots of PT might be better than a mediocre position abroad, if that's all you can get.

And people are ignoring the US parallel, where players looking to make their NT started making tracks home to play in the new league, the better to get guaranteed PT in full view of the national coaches.

And I think people are ignoring simple national pride. I don't think Canadians will stand around and let the team suck very long. They might have a Chivas first year, they might start a few Americans in year one, but look how Chivas did this year.

If TFC works out well, the roster rules could actually be to their advantage. They could play Chivas-esque salary cap games, negotiating for players that, as with Chivas, can have basically one dominant destination if they sign with MLS: Toronto. So long as TFC is the only team north of the border, they would have a virtual lock on MLS-interested domestic talent, whereas in the USA, we have 12 teams fighting over a given signee, eg, Reyna or Keller if they ever return.

Lastly, I would see the USL rosters as a decent starting point for assessing the likely roster makeup of TFC. The Lynx only had 2 or 3 non-Canadians, Montreal just a few more, and the Whitecaps still only had something like 8 or 9 non-Canadians on a full soccer roster. I think that provides a decent starting point for thinking about what TFC's roster will look like.

[HSEUPASSION]

Don't forget Arsenal

Justin Hoyte is French? Someone should tell the poor guy he's living a lie.