🚨 PLAYER SIGNING 🚨 ➡️ We are so pleased to announce the signing of midfielder, Omar Kreim 👀 welcome to our East Coast family #TogetherFromAways 🌊🗞 Read more: https://t.co/gXOhtzfMzK#CanPL #COYW pic.twitter.com/yKYsopOloM— Halifax Wanderers FC (@HFXWanderersFC) November 28, 2019 🚨 PLAYER SIGNING 🚨 ➡️ Another Québécois is coming to Halifax in the form of midfielder and @USPORTS_Soccer player of the year, Aboubacar Sissoko 👀 🗞 Read more: https://t.co/gXOhtzfMzK#CanPL #COYW pic.twitter.com/WaXNZ1F7IX— Halifax Wanderers FC (@HFXWanderersFC) November 28, 2019
We have announced a number of roster moves for the 2020 @CPLsoccer season. 📝 | https://t.co/Iua7JV83Op#ForValour | #CanPL pic.twitter.com/islrd279Qi— Valour FC (@ValourFootball) November 29, 2019 Returning: Valour FC have picked up the contract options of defenders Raphaël Garcia and Yohan Le Bourhis Not returning: The club also announced that midfielder’s Josip Golubar and Glenn Muenkat, along with defender Adam Mitter will not be returning next season.
News: @York9FC have re-signed captain Manny Aparicio for the 2020 CPL seasonInfo: https://t.co/CC6s0uruwA pic.twitter.com/oE8oC5mUzG— Canadian Premier League (@CPLsoccer) December 2, 2019
🚨 PLAYER SIGNING 🚨 ➡️ We’ve just secured the very first Islander (the East Coast kind) 👀 to play in the @CPLsoccer with the signing of striker Ibrahima Sanoh hailing from Charlottetown, PEI! 🌾🗞 Read more: https://t.co/R6Mv5lXCK6#CanPL #COYW pic.twitter.com/FPUdVqa9MK— Halifax Wanderers FC (@HFXWanderersFC) December 3, 2019
Welcome back home, Hanson Boakai! ❤️#OneOfYourOwn #HandsomeHanson #FCEd Read: https://t.co/KjX9nK2rm5 pic.twitter.com/BG4OD7ipLC— FC Edmonton (@FCEdmontonNow) December 4, 2019
....and have also re-signed Diyaeddine Abzi for the 2020 CPL seasonInfo: https://t.co/rtMlMyQvsJ pic.twitter.com/eVkvwpGBCn— Canadian Premier League (@CPLsoccer) December 4, 2019
📰📢 NEWS ALERT - Cavalry FC is pleased to welcome @OliverMinatel, Jordan Brown & @NikolaosGiants back to the squad for 2020! Stay informed: https://t.co/4fo2f94alw#CavsFC #WelcomeBack #RideWithUs #TakeTheHill pic.twitter.com/HzqBORn9KA— Cavalry FC (@CPLCavalryFC) December 5, 2019
Two internationals and our #CanPL #Ironman return for 2020.📝: https://t.co/Ca4tnoy7HB#York9FC pic.twitter.com/fq0qrLB9B9— York United FC (@yorkutdfc) December 5, 2019
(2/4) Joining him is Kyle Porter who will also be back with the 9 stripes in 2020#CanPL pic.twitter.com/dh8Wmr2PXn— Canadian Premier League (@CPLsoccer) December 9, 2019 (4/4) A full breakdown of today's @York9FC roster moves ⬇️#CanPL https://t.co/x2NXEOig0N— Canadian Premier League (@CPLsoccer) December 9, 2019
The Kids are back! 😎✊. #TrustTheKids.Pacific Re-Sign Chung, Verhoeven, Baldisimo, Verhoven, Hojabrpour and Campbell. . https://t.co/BUARKGVybs. #ForTheIsle | #PacificFC | #CanPL pic.twitter.com/xX34o9YtQH— Pacific FC (@Pacificfccpl) December 9, 2019
More returning players? Yes please. Emilio Estevez & Roger Thompson return to #York9FC for 2020. 📰: https://t.co/IhDbkujGpe pic.twitter.com/KjrgY70ODg— York United FC (@yorkutdfc) December 10, 2019
For CPL roster purposes, does Ryan Telfer still count as a Canadian now that he has chosen Trinidad and Tobago as his national team?
News: Jan-Michael Williams will be returning to the East Coast for the 2020 CPL season with @HfxWanderersFC as a member of the club's coaching staff#CanPL https://t.co/EaC71JgqUD— Canadian Premier League (@CPLsoccer) December 10, 2019
I'm interested to see if York (or, potentially, another CPL team) signs him now that TFC has declined his option. He could always end up back at TFC under a different contract but I'm guessing he isn't in their plans.
Montréal loan to Valour FC Goalkeeper James Pantemis Hearing @impactmontreal GK James Pantemis will be loaned out to @ValourFootball of @CPLsoccer He’ll b reunited w/ his former @CanadaSoccerEN youth Coach @galey77 & former IMFC teammates M.Petrasso & LBGoyette. Hopefully CPL stint can do for Pantemis what USL did for Crepeau #IMFC— Tony Marinaro (@TonyMarinaro) December 11, 2019
News: Changing sides - Jose Hernandez becomes the 1st player to join a different CPL club after departing Pacific FC to sign with @CPLCavalryFC Info: https://t.co/reqbjnff6m pic.twitter.com/E0OI4opKg0— Canadian Premier League (@CPLsoccer) December 11, 2019
Guess who's back - @HfxWanderersFC have signed defender Peter Schaale to a CPL contract for the 2020 seasonInfo: https://t.co/3yPhyl5BnI pic.twitter.com/qqerN2rBHO— Canadian Premier League (@CPLsoccer) December 12, 2019
MVP Tristan Borges is returning to CPL 🚨#ForgeFC Roster Update🚨The core of our #ForeverFirst #CanPL Championship squad is set to return in 2020!ℹ️| https://t.co/xNLvP0XG1q pic.twitter.com/SFTmakqwQF— Forge FC (@ForgeFCHamilton) December 13, 2019
I'm disappointed to see this. I was hoping that the CPL MVP would move on to a higher league. It would be a great example of the CPL doing what it is designed to do and pushing along Canadian talent. At 21 Borges still has time. He could play out a two or three year contract in the CPL and then move on as a 23/24 year old. Still, it would have been a good news story for the CPL to have their first year star lead the way higher.
A few reason why this could be happening Forge resigning him means that they get transfer fees if a team wants to sign him instead of losing him for nothing. He can still transfer. Forge will play CONCACAF League, he might want to be part of it again If he can repeat his performance, he would be more likely to move to a higher tier than now
“He leads by example on and off the field and sets the standard in our group.” - James MerrimanMarcel is back for 2020! 🌊🔱https://t.co/3t0puO3Xs9#ForTheIsle | #PacificFC pic.twitter.com/vNjIsUR11G— Pacific FC (@Pacificfccpl) December 13, 2019
I can see that from Forge's perspective. If Borges wanted to try his luck elsewhere, however, he'd be more appealing as a free transfer. I read this as Borges wanting to stay or not getting any better offers. He may possibly get more attention if he has another stand out performance. He's also balancing time in the CPL ($50k?) against time elsewhere (presumably >$50k or why go) against the likely length of his career. The CPL has made a good start but Borges will be retired from soccer before CPL salaries reach levels where players can play their career there and then retire for real. From a financial perspective, he presumably wants to move up as quickly as possible so long as the move is to a team where he'll actually play. But my initial comment wasn't focused on what is best for Borges or the Forge but just on wanting to see some additional pumping up for the CPL.
There was never going to be a scenario where Forge would let him walk for free. Most contracts are 1+1 anyways and this doesn't prevent him from being sold