Even with the CFL, a lot of Canadians still follow the NFL. CTV almost always shows the Bills games during the season.
I think the CFL/NFL comparison is apples to oranges in terms of a Canadian soccer league. If TFC was moved out and a Canadian league was formed, very few Canadians would take an interest in MLS. The focus would remain on England and the other major European leagues. Who in this country really followed MLS before TFC? I think the best thing is for both to happen. Tor/Mon/Van in MLS with a ~10 team all-Canadian USL level (somewhere between 1 and 2) league in parallel. I think such an arrangement could be a real possibility 10 years from now.
I agree, I didn't pay any attention to the MLS before TOFC, MLS team quality ranges from on a England scale of top of table Championship to bottom of League One, there wasn't much reason to watch until TOFC joined. I'm sympathic to a Canadian league but skeptical it can be done in 10yrs...Montreal, Vancouver joining the MLS works for me in 20 yrs it could be a quality league to develop talent...
One thing I agree with you is that we don't know what will happen in ten years or twenty years, hard to predict. But let's assume for arguements sake that MLS continues to improve like it has in the past few years. Assume that within ten years MLS has improved to the level of the bottom premiership teams, like Fulham or Sunderland. How will you convince a team like Toronto who will have a quality side to leave MLS to play against a bunch of upstart provincial sides?
There's no doubt that TFC are in MLS to stay and it's very likely the same will happen with Whitecaps and Impact. Unless of course MLS goes bust, but I think the solvency of the league is in very good shape and getting better as time goes on. What we should aim for is for an all-Canadian league at the next level instead of sharing in USL and PDL. We already do have a national league in the CSL. I think the focus should be to grow it across the whole country. If the game continues to grow in Canada, I think it's quite possible to grow the CSL to USL level.
Any new Canadian national league can forget about the Impact, TFC, and Whitecaps. Even if Vancouver and Montreal don't move to MLS they wouldn't leave USL1 which is a strong league with TV exposure on FSN and a high level of professionalism. Also now that the Canadian cup has been created they will be able to create plenty of inter-Canadian rivalry amongst themselves. A new national CSL would be effectively an Canadian third division behind TFC (1st) and the Impact and Whitecaps (2nd). If it could achieve a USL2 level of quality I think it could be successful. Break it down regionally like Junior hockey into a Western league, Ontario league (probably including some of the current CSL teams) and a Quebec/Maritime league with a Memorial cup style championship tournament at the end and I think that you've got something to start with. If anyone thinks that a new Canadian league would be MLS or USL1 level they're high.
I'VE DONE IT! THE PERFECT SOLUTION! We merge The US and Canada into one super country! Heck throw Mexico in too! Then we can call MLS our (canada's) top flight of soccer and it goes to the development of "our" players. Canada calls ruling gov't cuz we're on top however, just incase this deal doesn't come through, I think we should have a short term goal of 3 MLS sides, but perhaps raising the minimum number of canadian players, and maybe highly promoting the canada cup of soccer and making it a bit longer (Home-Home- and one match in another canadian city like Clagary, QUebec, Halifax, etc.) and maybe marketing it over regular season MLS and if Impact and Whitecaps stay, USL league games. SLOWLY and over time develop this to a national league as it gains popularity.
I think we could look to Australia, a very similar country to Canada, espcially in terms of population, land mass and soccer popularity. In that light it seems pretty reasonable to me that we could have a national league on par with their A-league.
I don't think of MLS as America's league, or the USL for that matter. I think MLS is unique in that it is an international soccer league. It is Canada's and Americas, much like the NHL.
I didn't say it isn't did I? But in all seriousness it isn't. Unless of course we get more teams in there...
I think that considering that Toronto has some of the best fan support in the league, and the league isn't a firmly established American sport like the NBA or MLB, it gets more consideration. Now if Montreal or Vancouver get added, then there is no question.
Quite obvious you posted this reply with even thinking. Every aspect has been talked about here and in other threads and you go flying off the handle.
The same way that Celtic and Rangers have been "convinced" to remain in the SPL instead of jumping to the EPL like they wanted.
Hard to believe given the treatment given to Canadian players by TFC. Not just the older professionals. Academies aren't going to solve the issue of making TFC a better squad. MLS only requires teams to have an academy, not on how to run them. Hence why the NHL has largely gotten out of the development of talent even through the AHL. The need to win takes precedence over development. Instead, the academy will be another springboard to NCAA. It will be NCAA, not MLS, that will benefit from the academy system.
Exactly. First step to all of this, going one way (MLS) or another (Canadian League) is to raise the bar for not only TFC but Impact and Whitecaps also, for the minimum number of Canadian players required.
That's not really the same situation. Canada doesn't have a real league, Scotland does. Toronto was created as an MLS team. The old firm going to the EPL would be a step up in competition, which they ponder occasionally, not a step down.
Criticism of the high school and even NCAA training methods has been consistent by international coaches coming to the MLS. The academies offer these coaches an opportunity to train young players in what they believe is the correct way. Even if said players decide to go to college, their rights belong to the parent club so they will not enter the league through the draft. At any rate this leads to a much higher probability that they will be players given a chance on the senior squad than current domestic players. Coaches will be more familiar with their strengths and thier academy coach will be tasked with developing the talent in such a way that is conducive to the future desires of the parent club. Why hire an academy coach otherwise? Bottom line is that whether you have a domestic league or 3 Canadian teams in MLS, the academy system will be the primary reason for the improvement of Canadian and American soccer players in the end. Exactly my point. Obviously the EPL is a step up for the Old Firm; a step up which they have been barred from taking by both UEFA and the EPL. They want in but they have no support. The question was "how can you tell TFC, Montreal, and Vancouver to take a step down from the MLS to a Canadien league?" Granted that the Old Firm has never been in the EPL, but they think that they should be. So my point is that if you can tell the Old Firm to stay in the SPL, you can tell the big 3 in Canada to join an all Canadian team. Granted, as a compromise they may ask for the same salary cap as the MLS so that they'll be able to keep their teams together and dominate said Canadian league, but who knows.
Well if that situation ever arises in the future, and that is a big IF, it would be hard to know how it would happen. First would be who, would be telling them to move. I suppose FIFA? Either way, the possibility of diminishing the franchise values of those three clubs would result in an outcry by the owners. I am not even sure what else would happen, but I don't imagine it would happen easily.
you don't, an international league even if it's just N america is a very smart move, the euro super clubs want exactly that but are prevented from having one...
FIFA could order TFC out and into a Canadian league if there was one, I doubt that will happen...but if FIFA insisted they could withdrawing sanctioning and the supply of internationals like Beckham would dry up in an instant.
Aussie league is not stable if you were trying to sell the game to the corporate elite of Canada on the Aussie example they'll take their money and run....
That's exactly something I wouldn't mind seeing. If Mexico didn't have a strong and stable league I would be happy to see all three countries have a league together. As of now however, the most international MLS could become would probably be Canada, US and Puerto Rico.
Canadian player quotas would be problematic for TFC and the Impact and Whitecaps should they get to the MLS. Teams need to be succesful on the field to get fans and dollars. Requiring only TFC and any future canadian MLS team to have a Canadian player quota would put them at a serious disadvantage and undermine their success. TFC will not be the massive draw they are forever if they constantly fielded losing teams with sup-par Canadians. The MLS is better for creating fan interest in soccer but is not the way to develop canadian talent. Canada needs the 3 big teams in the MLS and then a second Canadian USL style league for talent development.
I agree with you. I never understood people who wanted to essentially use club teams to develop national talent. Even if Toronto FC signed me as a 14 year old and did their best to develop me as a football player, I would not be good enough. If Canadians are not good enough to compete, or Americans, or Mexicans or English or anyone, they should not be on the team. Either way I would never be in favor of a Canadian requirement for TFC. Instead I think if MLS is going to require quotas, it should require a North American quota for the clubs. I am not sure if this is currently in place, because I honestly don't care about a players nationality, but for example, De Rosario should not count as a foreign player for Houston and Americans should not count as foreign players for Toronto.