Toronto MLS player recruitment

[fireman451]

quote:Originally posted by Ed

The USA being so xenophobic and full of itself by nature (not that that's a bad thing ) has kept some star players at home that in the Cdn scene would be long gone (Donovan being the most glaring example).

USA is full of itself, that's what I love about it:D Guess I'm feeding the monster by saying that . . .oh well, since when did we care what others think?

I understand your point, but your case for soccer-xenophobia is much more evident in Mexico. Mexico keeps virtually all of its talent and it can afford it too. Donovan actually wanted to come back (and bad-I think home sickness and his hot Hollywood girlfriend played into it). MLS saw an opportunity to get back one of its stars and paid Bayer Lever. big time. If Donovan didn't have such a hard-on about coming home to Southern California he'd still be over there. His decision to return to MLS over staying in the Bundesliga took a lot of heat from soccer know-it-alls down here.

[Richard]

There is no question that having just one MLS team in Canada with the possibility of perhaps a total of three within the next ten years will not propel Canada into the top 10 of the FIFA rankings. Neither will it attract all our players back from Europe. But it will make a huge difference to the state of soccer at the highest levels in Canada and will only be good for the game overall. It will be decades if ever before European clubs can no longer attract the best and brightest soccer players from Canada and the USA. Even if the MLS eventually becomes comparable in level of play with the best Europe has to offer, playing in the MLS will never have the cachet of playing in the best European leagues. It would be like expecting a European gridiron football league to overtake the NFL - ain't gonna happen - ever.

[Cheeta]

quote:Originally posted by fireman451

Donovan actually wanted to come back (and bad-I think home sickness and his hot Hollywood girlfriend played into it). MLS saw an opportunity to get back one of its stars and paid Bayer Lever. big time. If Donovan didn't have such a hard-on about coming home to Southern California he'd still be over there.

Well that's a pretty interesting take.

Oooh yeah. He wanted to come back to MLS all right. There's no dought about that part.

Anyway, I can't see any way in which MLS can't but help that certain level of player who doesn't have access to a EU visa and who hasn't been recruited for overseas play as a teenager. Especially with the Commonwealth Working Holiday visa looking like it's going to dry up.

The possability of a working wage is going to keep a lot of lads interesting in the sport who would have otherwise moved onto something else. The later bloomers at least for sure.

And I don't think the older lads or lads who've reached a rough patch coming back to Canada to revive their careers would be so bad either so long as it's not overdone. They'll bring something to offer with them from the Old World that the younger lads might have a hard time learning in MLS otherwise. At least as I see it know.

But no, I don't envision anything more than MLS being a stepping stone to EURO. And no, I can't expect the Blizzard providing much more than a supporting cast for our MNT. We could see an important improvement in the quality of those cast members though.

[Jason]

quote:Originally posted by Ed

I am not arguing with any of that.

I am trying to temper the overly optimistic types who seem to think that ONE (not 10, not 12) MLS team in Canada is going to help solve our senior men's national team issues.

You currently have 12 teams in the MLS and only a handful from those 12 teams figure for your national team.

One MLS team in Toronto is not going to help our men's team in any big way, despite what the CSA and the commentators on Rogers' Sportsnet have to say.

Our best players will continue to go to Europe and it's those best players that should represent us internationally.

The USA being so xenophobic and full of itself by nature (not that that's a bad thing ) has kept some star players at home that in the Cdn scene would be long gone (Donovan being the most glaring example).

The single biggest advantage to having a Canadian MLS side is that it will provide a good alternative to a player who isn't willing or able to get a spot on a Euro club and isn't sure if he should really keep pursuing soccer as a career choice. It keeps them playing competitively and enables them to have a chance to tap their potential. Canada loses so many players once they have graduated from their NCAA scholarships or are at a similar age. Look at some of our former U23 sides and see how many guys hang up the cleats competitively after this time and never even try playing pro soccer. Players have to ask themselves whether they really want to play for peanuts in the USL to keep the dream alive and delay entry into the real world. The MLS with its better salary structure makes it a lot more appealing to play for a couple of years and see what happens.

Jason

[G-Man]

quote:Originally posted by Jason

The single biggest advantage to having a Canadian MLS side is that it will provide a good alternative to a player who isn't willing or able to get a spot on a Euro club and isn't sure if he should really keep pursuing soccer as a career choice. It keeps them playing competitively and enables them to have a chance to tap their potential. Canada loses so many players once they have graduated from their NCAA scholarships or are at a similar age. Look at some of our former U23 sides and see how many guys hang up the cleats competitively after this time and never even try playing pro soccer. Players have to ask themselves whether they really want to play for peanuts in the USL to keep the dream alive and delay entry into the real world. The MLS with its better salary structure makes it a lot more appealing to play for a couple of years and see what happens.

Jason

With the average team salary at 1.5 million the MLS is the Wendy's of the pro sports world.

Lets all say COBI JONES MVP!