would montreal make a good spot for expansion? i know there's the old olympic stadium that is huge but that would be fine. Since noone in Montreal has really ever cared for the Expos it would be a good summer attraction. If not Montreal, bring sports back to Quebec City, build a stadium up there and I think Quebec City would make a great place for a team.
People cared about the Expos, but only as long as ownership doesn't give ya the screws. Olympic Stadium (aka "The Big Owe") is fine as long as you like the following: - A long ways away from the city core in a bad part of town. - The stadium roof coming down. - Parts of the stadium comming off. - That annoying astroturf. Quebec City doesn't even have a stadium that would be suitable to MLS standards. That doesn't even count public apathy.
no offence to Canadiens. MLS shouldnt ever go to Canada. Canadaiens are counted as foreign players. But US is foriegn to them. the rules would have to be totally bent around the Canadaien team.
IS Montreal a big soccer town? If it couldn't hold a hockey team i can't see it supporting a MLS team.
Excellent comments that have got me thinkin'... The Montreal Manic (especially) and Toronto Blizzard were drawing exceptionally well before the NASL fizzled on them. So, given the right circumstances, the nation has potentially good pro soccer towns... along with Vancouver. Ragin' and others have mentioned that perhaps it's best that Canada have its own Div 1 pro league. Maybe they could even play an interlocking schedule with MLS someday, but the finances and charters remain separate. As Furie and Doyle touched upon, we'd first better find some serious, soccer-caring owners in major markets, then come up with a few modern-day Varsity Stadiums. The Division-One Dominion Dream League: East: Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City (just for Petkedude), Windsor (for the soccer-starved Detroit crowd). West: Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg.
well, if the expos stay in Montreal, hopefully they'd get a new stadium which could also be used for soccer.
Montreal Ownership A couple of links that talk about the billlionaire Saputo Family one of Canada's richest who have been involved with the ALEAGUE since the early 90's. http://www.planetfootball.com/artic...e=Garber+comments+on+Toronto+expansion+issues http://www.planetfootball.com/article.asp?id=141026&Title=Saputo+not+interested+in+MLS+Toronto
That would be Nordiques you runny dreck Quebec City is only in the same province as Montreal. That's like saying that NYC cant keep their hockey teams out of bankrupcy when you are talking about the Sabres. No wonder the rest of the world says Americans are ignorant
Ok, I can't believe that no one has mentionned this before... 1. The team made a profit in 2002 and I doubt they'd want to jump ship to MLS to lose money. 2. Saputo is the heart and soul of the organisation and he has repeatedly said he has no interest in MLS. 3. With the Expos leaving town (eventually) and the Impact getting bigger crowds, and greater media coverage (this year), I think that Montréal could qualify as a "Canadian-soccer city" and will continue to grow over the next 4 years (5 year plan). 4. The Impact is partially owned by the government and one of its mandates is to breed and give a chance to the best local talent (over half our roster is from the Montréal area). In MLS, this could not happen. And Montréalers love watching their own (bar Brisebois ). 5. IF, and that's a huge IF, the MLS were to SOMEHOW come to Montréal in the next few years, they would most likely play at Molson Stadium, home of the CFL Alouettes. With Fieldturf being installed this year, there is a dispute between the Als who want permanent lines and the university and city, who want a blank field for soccer. http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_pictures/north_america/canada/quebec/montreal_molson.shtml Slideshow: http://members.tripod.com/cfldimension/m-1.html Capacity will be at 20,400 this year and 24,000 in 2005.
Looks like the makings of a sad sports summer up north with SARS in Toronto & the Big Owe (or Ouch!!!) still deemed safe for habitation in Montreal. ax319: Ottawa will be in the first expansion wave. I promise (and I'm not Doug Logan). Revolt: Hell's bells is right! If Moosejaw came thru with an investor, a stadium, and 8000 season ticket pledges, they'd be right there, too! All seriousness aside... Have the Impact owners ever made any noise about a Canadian Div 1 league?
To all intents and purposes, before 2002, the Impact owner was Joey Saputo and he's still the de-facto president. Around fall 2000, plans started to emerge about a Canadian United Soccer League (CUSL), loosely based on the MLS SEM. Unfortunately, the plans never got off the ground (for many reasons) and as the "coalition" started disintegrating, Saputo and other owners pulled out of the idea. However, with appaling numbers in the early part of the A-League (attendance-wise) for many teams and if the Canadian expansion materialises, then I wouldn't be surprised if a Canadian league was started up, even on a bigger scale than the A-League (in collaboration with the CFL/CFL Stadiums). Sometimes you need to start big.
Are f&%king nuts? what do you mean montreal couldn't support hockey? Montreal is the winningest professional sports franchise in the North American Continent?
Wow. That is one of the sweetest stadiums I've ever seen. I hope you guys get blank fieldturf so some soccer games could be played there.
Montreal Canadiens - 24 Stanley Cups New York Yankees - 26 World Series Championships Is 24 bigger than 26?
Blank field-turf at Molson should score Canada some points with FIFA, re the country's desire to host some Women's WC contests if the US gets the tournament (if the CSA is on the ball, forgive the pun). Certainly a small victory for soccer in Montreal. Now, if soccer people there will make the most of it.
I doubt it. Fieldturf is still Fieldturf (not grass) and the school season will have started by the time the WWC rolls around, making the field booked solid. If Canada's group is going to play in Canada, it'll be Edmonton, who, on top of a top-notch grass facility, have a (recent) history of success with the women, which can't be said about Montréal (our last game was a friendly in 1998 v China that attracted 4,000; the team is playing here on Monday in an emergency rescheduled game, expect less than 1,000 at a training facility...).
As it relates to the Alouettes and Molson Stadium and turf lines, I have to agree with the Alouettes. They are dedicated tennants who regularly sell out the place and don't want to have to repaint the lines and advertisements all of the time. Considering that the WWC won't be in Canada until at least 2011 and that the CSA can only promise one or two friendlies per year, it seems just that the Alouettes' needs and wants come first. And considering that they sacrificed expensive seats and de-crowned the field all to make the field soccer-ready, they've already done plenty.