TFC remains in League1 for 2015, but plans to field a younger team – likely its u18s with a few overage players mixed in. The full senior academy team will play in PDL this year before returning to League1 in 2016.
The fight over sanctioning the PDL team exposed divides at the OSA board level, CSN has been told. The board was divided between those that wanted to allow full sanctioning of the PDL side and those that believe that allowing a PDL team will undermine League1's efforts to grow. The latter group questions whether PDL will offer TFCA significantly higher competition.
According to a source with knowledge of the negotiations, the CSA is on the side of the “no PDL” group. However, it is willing to sanction PDL teams in cases where there is no equivalent level of domestic competition for Canadian teams to compete in, or if the sanctioning was granted before the creation of the domestic league.
The compromise solution was pushed by moderate board members who felt that there should be some flexibility in the no American league if a Canadian league available policy. However, the CSA was forceful in its communications with the OSA, stressing that it would not back any compromise that was for more than a singe season.