The "extraordinary circumstances" are that the US and Canada almost share everything else. In sports, there's the USL, then the NHL, MLB and the NBA. If Canada doesn't bother to have it's own top-flight hockey league, what will make it likely that Canada will have it's own top-flight soccer league? I haven't seen any reason or even inclination for CSA, USSF, or FIFA to object. I only see MLS objecting, for the lack of a stadium and an owner/investor with deep pockets and commitment. [/B][/QUOTE] Seeing how you run your leagues, why should we trust you with soccer?
Actually, the biggest team in town after the Habs are the CFL Alouettes who have had something like 34 straight sellouts (albeit at 20,000). Then the Expos and then, at the bottom of the sports page, the Impact. Actually, Montréal is very passionnate about soccer, and not just the ethnic population. Unfortunately, for now, the passion doesn't (really) extend to the Impact. And, to contradict your post, the Impact is actually a publicly-funded non-profit organisation (tax advantages), bankrolled by the Government of Québec, Hydro-Québec (the state electric company) and Saputo (dairy products). Joey Saputo founded the Impact, came to its rescue when it went bankrupt and rallied the current owners when all seemed lost. He has money, lots of pull and PASSION! So I wouldn't discount the possibility of an SSS. Just don't expect too big (18,000 would be ideal for now, so the Alouettes wouldn't steal it, as stadiums are never "specific" here.)
1. I'm amazed at how stupid many of the posts on this thread are. Damn, I'm gonna have to get that premium membership this weekend (ignore lists.) 2. MLS will do (or try anyway) to do what is in its best interests. If Toronto or Montreal (or both) can pony up $20M for expansion teams, AND at least break even (which is quite possible with an SSS) AND get a TV contract with the Canadian ESPN (forget the name), then it's a no brainer for the league. 3. Am I far wrong in saying Australia is to New Zealand (in terms of size, number of cities, etc.) as the US is to Canada? That example, PLUS Wales and England, PLUS the North American leagues, to me, make if a very easy case for FIFA to approve. 4. The argument to FIFA would go along the lines of, Canada only has Montreal and Toronto that can support a genuine Div. 1 team. You can't have a two team league. Can we join MLS? (An alternative argument would be, Montreal {or Toronto} can support a team, but they can't play themselves.) PS...Monaco plays in the French league. The obvious reason is that it would be absurd for Monaco to set up its own national league. The question is, how much less absurd would it be for Canada?
What do you mean by this? If Fifa didn't recognize MLS, then its players would not be able to play for the national team. The USSF is empowered by Fifa to sanction a division 1 league. The USSF certified MLS, so Fifa has at least recognized MLS by the virtue of the USSF membership in Fifa. I think a Canadian MLS team would be a good idea at some point. However, there are plenty of US cities that could support a team that don't have them yet. Until MLS can put teams in the Rochester's, Philly's, Houston', Seattle's, and the like that we already have, a Canadian MLS team can wait. A Canadian team would fly in the face of the current MLS mission statement, and would seem to set MLS on a much different path. Besides, with the low value of the Canadian Dollar, a Canadian team would have it much harder than a US based team. If teams in good markets like DC struggle, what makes anyone think that a Canadian team would do much better when it has the weak dollar problem on top of everything else? Then you have the player movement issues. Think of all of the classifications MLS already uses for players. There's no way a Canadian team would want to count it's own players as foreign, so how do you deal with the fact that Canadians would be foreginers in all but one team and Americans foreigners on a team in the US top flight. For me, the whole idea is a little weird.
What it really boils down to it is whoever has several hundred million dollars or billions lying around, and is willing to play by MLS rules will get a team where he or she pleases. Be it Houston or Vancouver.
Canadian MLS teams wouldn't take a team away from a worthy American city. They would be a bonus. Why? Because they'd be using 3 foreigners and a bunch of Canadians. Basically, it would be like adding a team without thinning our talent pool at all. Canadians would count as foreigners to the US MLS teams - Americans would count as foreigners to the Canada MLS teams. Yes, that would make trading and negotiation a little weird, but so?
Why would Canadanians want nothing to do with MLS? That seems odd to me. You have no league, nor do you have the prospects of getting a league of your own. Your national team could not be worse at the momement. The only league that's been proposed was one where the teams would be a summer camp for young players at select European clubs. That's no way to develop domestic talent is it? Good luck with the soccer up there as you continue to go it alone. MLS has a myriad of problems, but at least the US has a league good enough to help it qualify for the World Cup. I think MLS should add a few more US teams before going north, but it's kind of shortsighted to dismiss the idea entirely because I doubt a better situation will present itself.
I just think it would be a little weird. It's already confusing trying to figure out all of the player classifications. This would make it more so, and perhaps put the Canadian team at a competitive disadvantage. I'm sure there would end up being a roster exemption or something for Canadians on US teams and for Americans on the Canadian team(s), but as a fan that stuff is so hard to sort out. I think there are enough American players to fill at least four more domestic clubs though. Expanding north should benefit MLS, USSF, and the CSA long term, but I'd be happier if MLS waited until there were 14 US based clubs. I agree that Canadian expansion gives MLS options without dilluting the talent base however. That can't be bad. The main thing that makes expansion to Canada difficult though, is the value of the Canadian dollar. If all contracts are paid in US dollars, but local revemues paid in Canadian dollars, that would have a major impact on the league's bottom line.
This is very true and we see how this affects the NHL already. With a salary cap and SEM or at least heavy revenue sharing, this shouldn't hurt a team in Toronto or Montreal as much as it does the dirty dirty Leafs or Habs.
Re: Re: Toronto and MLS DoyleG is a megalomaniac who thinks he speaks for Canada. If you peruse these threads, you'll see he doesn't.
You keep talking about the big cities. What about the rest of the country? Or is it that the rest of the country doesn't exist outside of the big cities?
This assumes FIFA regulations are actually an expression of the will of the membership and/or administration. That isn't always the case. I don't see anything in the explanationn of the rules that differentiates a prospective MLS move from the A-League's current situation.
The A-League was never considered to be "Div. 1" by the USSF. The MLS was stated by the USSF as being the countries 1st Division. FIFA doesn't give a damn what happens in the lower divisions. If a Canadian team goes in, it would be under USSF, not CSA, control.
So Doyle, You would rather have no D1 clubs in Canada as opposed to one or two MLS clubs? There are plenty of cities in the US that could have clubs, but MLS is in only 10 cities. What about the rest of the US? Your opposition to MLS in Canada is strange. Are you just bitter that a bunch of NHL teams left Canada? I'm sure the USSF and the CSA would work out an arrangement where a Canadian MLS club would be under some sort of joint authority. The CSA already exerts control over the Canadian clubs in the USL.
Right, because they're going to put a major league sports franchise in Woodstock, Ontario. The rest of the country exists - they don't have major league sports, though, amigo.
CFL is major league as the NFL Mr. Mojo Jojo. I guess Americans consider anyone who isn't American as inferior. Explain why someone in Alberta, which is home to the newest talent in Canadian soccer, pay attention to a team based in Toronto. We don't pay attention because they have no realtion to the rest of the country. No one else pays attention to the Leafs, Raptors, Jays, or Argos outside of the GTA.
Who cares about the rest of Canada? They won't be able to support an MLS team, just as they weren't able to support NHL teams and are barely able to support CFL teams - with the CFL hardly being "major league" in the sense we are using the term here. The point is that Toronto, Montreal, maybe Vancouver are the only cities that could probably support an MLS franchise. Why would someone in Alberta, which is home to newest talent in English and German soccer, pay attention to a team based in Toronto? Because they're Canadian and they like soccer?