The Quality of CSL & PDL

[DigzTFC]

I've watched a few CSL games on Rogers now and have come to the conclusion that the CSL is not much more talented than the men's 1st divisions I have played in Halifax (I'm serious). I would like to know if PDL is a higher quality league? I'm assuming so because London FC has a few thousand people showing up to each game and there is no way a CSL game would attract that number...even more to the point there is a CSL and a PDL team in London. Am I correct in my assertion of PDL being better?

Also, do you see the partnerships with youth development programs as the turning point for the CSL? I think its a nice step but it needs to change structurally to achieve higher attendance and game quality. Right now, I can't really see it producing any players of MLS or USL quality except for the ATTAK and the Academy.

[Eric]

The PDL is not better than the CSL at all. The London team is a novelty this year, we'll see if continuos to be the same next season. The difference is in the people running the two organizations, the PDL owners have obviously deeper pockets than the CSL owners. PDL directors are probably more business incline than their CSL counterparts, therefore PDL promotes the games and their organization much better and see more positive results much quicker than the CSL ever will.

[VPjr]

PDL is hit and miss from a business point of view. London and Victoria are proving to be very successful, primarily because they've approached it properly, investing the marketing dollars necessary to draw crowds. I applaud those groups for their efforts and I am happy to see they have been so successful. If FC London's owners were operating a team in the CSL and utilized the same business principles, I have no doubt whatsoever that they would enjoy similar success. To compare London City to FC London from a business accumen standpoint is an unfare comparison. Its apples and oranges. FC London are pros. London City...not so much.

There are some teams in the US that are also very successful.

At the same time, there are many PDL programs that average 100-400 people per game, just like a typical CSL match. Again, it comes down to marketing.

As for the quality of the soccer, it is my opinion that CSL is a significantly better product, although I'd say that this year the league's 10 teams got off to a pretty slow start. Things are improving now but there appears to have been a bit of a drop off this season. The top teams are just as good, if not better, than last year but at the bottom of the table, there is less quality. Last season, the CSL was outstanding to watch almost every week. The league was blessed with excellent coaches who trotted out organized squads that were a treat to watch.