Now that the 2010 season is dead, but not even cold, time for the 2011 season thread! So, how's it going to go down? Who will win? Will the new clubs perform as well as this season's expansions have? Will any of the perennial minnows move up this time around? Please? Also; let's get some rumours! vote now for 2011 Roger's Cup champion.
Brantford Galaxy to repeat as CSL Champions in 2011.....!! now thats out of the way..the expansion to Ottawa,Kitchener, Missasuga and Pickering it should lead to more rivalries..Brantford and Hamilton Croatia now have one, maybe Kitchener can get in there as well, Missasauga and Pickering should be good for the Toronto area rivals, and Ottawa and Montreal :} time is coming that the CSL champion enter the NCC and play the likes of Toronto FC, Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps? will it happen, not for a while but who knows?
Now, the best team in the CSL in any given season would be able to give those three a run for their money, but probably not win the tournament... BUT, imagine if you will, all the ticket revenues for the CSL clubs who do host TFC, Impact, and Whitecaps, and also the buzz generated around said clubs. Those NCC home games would be a great showcase for the club and CSL at large, and a great time to pitch Season pass sales.
UPDATE: As of yesterday, I've learned that the CSL now gives out the Givova Cup, not the Roger's Cup as in the past.
Givova is now the league sponsor..and had a nice Cup to win..although Givova needs to get the team jerseys available to the public..
In my opinion, since the league also has Sportchek as a sponsor they should be telling them to sell the jerseys at their locations. (In the places with clubs, that is.)
2010 will be remembered for 2 expansion teams (although Hamilton Croatia has been a club long before this season) making it to the CSL final and having decent attendances, if they had a team of the year award it should go to the Brantford Galaxy, with little football history the put together a fantasic club and a highly entertaining one as well..good luck to the next round of expansion teams..2011 should be another big season for the CSL/
They do have a club of the year award, it's called the Givova Cup! New Erin Mills CSL franchise : FC Mississauga Eagles This bit of EMSC's press release addresses further expansion; So, apparently the Lions are now United and Portugal FC is now SC Toronto...after this and Italia Shooters going back to be York Region, methinks the Serbian White Eagles will be changing their club name in a few years.
Portugal FC were not getting the support from the Portugese community so they are trying to get other support..which is good cause they are a good club and deserve some support...good luck to them.
More interesting than trying to guess a winner is, at this point, a discussion of the new teams. I'm very happy to see Kitchener on the list. That has been a glaringly obvious spot for CSL expansion for a long time. I'm also happy to see Ottawa back in the league. (Was it really 2003 when the Wizards got turfed? Wow, time flies!) My only concern there is with the Fury. Is there room for two tier-three teams in Ottawa? I'm less thrilled with Mississauga and Pickering. The league obviously has a different strategy but I'd prefer to see single teams in more markets rather than more teams further subdividing the GTA. Clearly there's a lot of off season for further expansion announcements but I'm slightly concerned not to have at least a reference to the return of Trois-Rivieres. Given how successful they were in the past both on and off the pitch I'd hate to see their planned one year hiatus become a permanent shut down. Having a second Quebec-based team would also help the optics of the league and also presumably make it more attractive for further Quebec expansion into places like Quebec City, Sherbrooke, or possibly even Gatineau.
I beleave the fury and the csl team can both have success.As for gatineau i would hope they would wait a few years and let the ottawa csl team get set build up a fan base before expanding to gatineau.
I would've thought having both Ottawa and Gatineau in the league would make for an excellent derby matchup. CSL clubs don't really "build up" a fanbase traditionally, people either go or they don't. A proximity-based rivalry like Ottawa-Gatineau seems ideal.
Yes and no gatineau is 5 minutes away from ottawa.So in one hand you could say its a different market it still is ottawa and really is the same market.
I think the people in Gatineau, and in Quebec in general, would take the former hand and pass on the latter, and so would I. Gatineau to CSL!
The Fury is PDL which is actually 4th-tier and mostly amateur teams. CSL would be a step and comparable to the new USL-Pro - both recognized as Division 3 in their countries
But again thats the thing its not just gatineau people that support events and teams in gatineau.Having a team in ottawa and gatineau is having 2 teams in the same market.Many people in ottawa support events etc in gatineau and many people from gatineau gpo to ottawa.
For higher level teams (the Senators and the CFL) it is, in practice, one market. For lower level teams (the CHL and lower tier soccer) it is, in practice, two markets. I understand the proximity issue. The fact seems to be, however, that people don't cross the bridge for minor league sports. I think this distinction will be overlooked by most Ottawa sports fans. Either they won't know or they won't notice much of a difference on the field anyway. As for off the field performance, I think a team in either league can do well if properly run and promoted. Both leagues have Canadian teams that draw over 1000 and both leagues have Canadian teams that draw under 200.
They do cross the bridge for minor league sports major jr hockey as an axzample.I am not saying 2 teams can't work they can all i am saying is it may be a issue with 2 teams starting at the same time.