CSA pursuing MLS franchise!!

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.

 

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.

 

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

 

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.

 

oh canada

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.

 

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

Is there a link for this story?

 

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.

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.

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.

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

WHO CARES!!!!!

 

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.

 

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 )

 

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

 

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/

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!

 

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.

 

Not our problem.

For who? Not us, certainly.

We expand in, say, Portland and Oklahoma, that's around 40 more young Americans getting a shot to develop and play at the professional level.

We expand into Toronto and Moose Lick, we get nothing save a couple more teams that Anschutz and Massah Lamar have to pitch in to help support.

"DILUTE THE TALENT POOL"??????!!!!!!!!

Dear sweet Jesus, we're looking for MORE opportunities for AMerican players, not fewer.

Were you, like, really excited when MLS shut down two teams because the "talent pool" would become less "diluted"???

The fukkin world is lousy with "strong opponents". South America is just teeming with "strong opponents" we could play.

Or is it your opinion that not getting a shot at a really good Canadian squad is hindering our progress somehow?

 

Actualy it doesn't work at all. Most franchises based in Canada loose $$$. Charging admission, parking, and merchendise all in Canadian dollars and then paying player wages in US dollars will never add up thanks to the exchange rate.

 

Let the CSA start up their own team, let them base it wherever they want, let them sign whomever they want.

But, make them adhere to the salary cap, AND let them pay their own Bills... It could be a very low cost way for MLS to expand...

and rivalry is good

 

NO NO NO!!! This is my pet peeve [along with countries participating in competitions they don't belong in (Columbia in CONCACAF Gold Cup)] NO CANADIAN TEAMS IN MLS! This is so dumb, who cares if they are in other American sports, those are sports mostly in America.

 

Part of the problem with other pro sports teams in canada is that the team makes its money in canadian dollers and pays the players with american.
What MLS could do to give a canadian team a better chance of making money is that canadian teams would have to have majority canadian players. i think CSA wouldnt be involved otherwise because CSA wouldnt get anything by having an all american team playing in canada. plus canadians would much rather see thier own guys then americans. so what u could do is make a rule that all players on canadian teams would be paid in canadian dollers. i think in the future u might see a American League and a Canadian League both under MLS. MLS cup could be a north american championship between the best American team and the best Canadian team