FC Montreal 2016 Discussion

[masster]

20 hours ago, David C. said:

Whoa! Anyone in Montreal able to support or refute this rumour? Never heard anything about this - doesn't make sense to me.

 

I guess its time to start a USL sky is falling thread.

[Blackdude]

They had to sign for 3 years so I doubt that they are leaving USL this year maybe after next year, it's possible.

[itsinmyhead]

Looks like that tweet might be true after all. Impact are not confirming that FC Montreal will be in the USL next season

https://twitter.com/CapitaineSoccer/status/804744168920727552

 

[David C.]

 

[Ansem]

Interesting article about Montreal Impact bosses and the way they handled the FC Montreal folding

Original article

http://www.lapresse.ca/sports/soccer/201701/26/01-5063293-disparition-du-fc-montreal-on-nous-a-pris-a-la-legere.php

Translated from French:

Whether they have already found a place elsewhere or not, former players from FC Montréal consulted by La Presse criticize the way the Impact put an end to the existence of its subsidiary USL team. As much as the decision itself, they deplore the attitude of the Montreal staff, which have waited at the last minute to let them know.

In November, the players of FC Montreal leave goes their separate ways, convinced that a third season in the USL awaits them. It is, after all, what was officially announced to them some time before. But during this break from training, news began to reach their ears.

"After a week and a half on vacation, an agent told me that there would be no more FC Montreal and that by talking with other clubs, he knew that the schedule was done without our team, Midfielder Mastanabal Kacher. As my name was circulating, he asked me if I wanted to work with him to move forward in the negotiations. At first, I did not think so, and I did not tell anyone about FC Montreal. "

"In mid-November, I get a call from a coach [from another club] who makes me an offer and advises me to not wait too long. According to him, people from the Impact knew it, but they did not want to announce it yet. "

Were his sources based on facts or rumors? It was not possible to talk to technical director Adam Braz yesterday, but according to the Impact, the outcome of this issue really only settled in the final hours of the team's season at the end of November. The players would then have been warned of the situation, three or four days before Joey Saputo's and Braz's end-of-season evaluation, on December 9th.

"It was taken for granted that the pros were in the playoffs and that it was not the time to upset everything when they had a wonderful season. That was quite true, but what is more problematic is how [FC Montreal] players perceived it. The players gave everything to FC Montreal for five or six years. I was there since the creation of the Academy, " said right back Simon Lemire, who's disappointed to have initially heard the news through rumors and word-of-mouth.

"It is a pity that we learn it so late and that we were taken lightly. [...] That they make this decision, I have no problem with that, but at least let us as soon as the decision was made. "
 

Ottawa Fury

From now on, the Impact will be associated with the Ottawa Fury (USL) rather than relying on its own home team. The best elements of the Academy will pass directly from the under 18s to the first team without going through the USL box. The analysis of Joey Saputo is simple: it is desirable, according to him, to focus only on players close to the MLS rather than a complete group of about twenty elements. Several MLS clubs have opted for this strategy in recent years.

"That's his own mentality. If we look at football in Europe, there is no president who will say that. They'll laugh at him, period. Mr. Saputo has done a lot for us and I have great respect for him, but soccer is not an exact science, Kacher advances. You can have eight of them out, like at FC Dallas or in Europe. The goal is not to form a team so that 20 or 40 players come to your club. It's training them, reselling them, and making Montreal a soccer market. "

FC Montréal's mandate was clear since its launch in 2014. More than the search for good results, the young team was in a logic of development. The 2016 season, in USL, allowed Ballou Jean-Yves Tabla to show his level among professionals. Louis Béland-Goyette has regained a place with the Impact with a marked increase in the last few months. In Ottawa, it is not clear that Montrealers in the squad will be placed in such good conditions.

"The Impact gave me a possible solution with the Fury, but there was no guaranteed playing time. It was more testing. Now, we have to make our own efforts to find a new club, which is not obvious. You plan to spend another USL season and all of a sudden your dream comes to an end and you have to find something else, "says Lemire, who has good words for the staff at FC Montreal and Of the Academy. The club agreed to give us ten training sessions at the Cégep Marie-Victorin for two weeks [in January]. But from now on, we're pretty much left to fend for ourselves for good. "

Already training camp

As training camps begin in a few days in USL, some ex-residents of FC Montreal have already found a new employer. Defensive midfielder Marco Dominguez will continue his career with FC Cincinnati while Kacher has been recruited by the Switchbacks of Colorado Springs. Lemire also received a few proposals in the last few weeks. However, not all players will have the same treatment.

"It's really a dirty time for the players. I had a bit of luck, but I put myself in the shoes of those who are still looking for a club and have not played much in USL, says Kacher. There are some who have not had time to prove themselves and who are expecting a lot from their second or third year. [...] If I had any advice to give to the U-16s or the U-18s, it would be to find a university in the United States, try to get access to the draft and get chances. "

"We always had the illusion of saying no to exterior options and only targeting the Impact," adds Lemire, who has worked tremendously physically in recent weeks. I never had the chance to say, "I'm going to try my luck elsewhere" because we were led quietly to the Impact. To the young players of the Academy, I would say not to close the doors from the outside and to keep clear objectives. It can be American universities or other clubs in USL and MLS. "

[Ansem]

It's becoming evidently clear that in Saputo's mind, Montreal Impact has become Bologna FC B-Team. That's too bad because he used to be all in in Montreal Impact until he bought that club and promoted to Serie A.

That would also explain why he saw little value in keeping FC Montreal around

[Blackdude]

21 minutes ago, Ansem said:

It's becoming evidently clear that in Saputo's mind, Montreal Impact has become Bologna FC B-Team. That's too bad because he used to be all in in Montreal Impact until he bought that club and promoted to Serie A.

That would also explain why he saw little value in keeping FC Montreal around

I'm wondering if it is. Bologna fans think that Bologna is the Impact's B-team. FC Montreal was an idea forced by MLS and it was a bad idea.

[Dub Narcotic]

The MLS didn't force anything on anybody beyond requiring a USL affiliation of some sort. This fiasco is all on Braz and Saputo.

As many remember, I was pointing as far back as early in their inaugural season what a waste of time this team was. A completely uncompetitive side filled with players whom were never going to make it at MLS level and whom dragged down the development of the few serious prospects who were on the team.  

It took two years for the Impact to decide to change course to a much better model and away from the 'Sandor philosophy' of thinking that pro minutes, regardless of the quality, are enough to develop players. Bezbachenko has also gone on record as saying that their goal is to make TFC2 much more competitive as well this year. 

The best model for player development right now is pretty clear: the A+ prospects like Tabla, Edwards and Davies should split time between the MLS sides and starting in USL, the A-/B+ guys should be fighting for spots with solid veterans at USL level and the lesser and younger players go in L10/PLSQ/BCPL.

I'm not going to be too hard on Montreal and Toronto, there's no blueprint for how to do player pathways well in North America and all three MLS teams here have lost pretty substantial amounts of money on youth development for not much return so far. I'm excited to see the results from a more rational and responsible way of using the USL for both clubs going forward. 

[maccaliam]

I'm not sure I really understand your post, Dub. First you say, "The best model for player development right now is pretty clear"and you say the levels you think each prospect should be playing at. Then in the next paragraph you say, "there's no blueprint for how to do player pathways well in North America". That sounds like a contradiction to me, but maybe I'm mis-reading what you are trying to say.

To your first point, I don't see how you can say what "the best model for player development is" unless you finish that sentence with "whatever helps that particular individual to develop into a player for the next level". Everyone is different, and any situation can be the right one for certain players. FC Montreal may have been a bit of a gong-show at times, but it also could have been a great way for some players to step up and take on a leadership role. 

To your second point, I agree, I don't think there is a particular blueprint for how to do player pathways well in North America. But why celebrate the loss of opportunities for some late developers or players who may have needed a season of bedding in and could step up next year? (I realize you aren't exactly celebrating, but you do appear to be revelling in the sort of "told you so" role). 

This isn't meant as a 'screw-you'. More of a, "I don't quite get it".

[Dub Narcotic]

Not really a contradiction: we now have, at least, a local maxima for how do do development that was determined by trial and error.

I also think you missed my major point entirely: the only reason to grieve the loss of FC Montreal in its past form is if you think that spending a lot of money giving long shot prospects Division 3 minutes is an end in itself. If you think, rather, that the goal of development is to maximize the potential of your best players into senior club and national team regulars, then this team was a disaster as constituted.

There's not an big pot of money for this sort of thing; opportunity cost is a massive issue in North American soccer. It would have been nice if FC Montreal stayed as a separate club following a model similar to Whitecaps 2 but even the Fury affiliation is better than what existed.

 

[Blackdude]

10 hours ago, Dub Narcotic said:

The MLS didn't force anything on anybody beyond requiring a USL affiliation of some sort. This fiasco is all on Braz and Saputo.

As many remember, I was pointing as far back as early in their inaugural season what a waste of time this team was. A completely uncompetitive side filled with players whom were never going to make it at MLS level and whom dragged down the development of the few serious prospects who were on the team.  

It took two years for the Impact to decide to change course to a much better model and away from the 'Sandor philosophy' of thinking that pro minutes, regardless of the quality, are enough to develop players. Bezbachenko has also gone on record as saying that their goal is to make TFC2 much more competitive as well this year. 

The best model for player development right now is pretty clear: the A+ prospects like Tabla, Edwards and Davies should split time between the MLS sides and starting in USL, the A-/B+ guys should be fighting for spots with solid veterans at USL level and the lesser and younger players go in L10/PLSQ/BCPL.

I'm not going to be too hard on Montreal and Toronto, there's no blueprint for how to do player pathways well in North America and all three MLS teams here have lost pretty substantial amounts of money on youth development for not much return so far. I'm excited to see the results from a more rational and responsible way of using the USL for both clubs going forward. 

Yes, but the CSA would never have accepted a Canadian affiliated USL team 2 years ago and having an US afiiliate is just bad because you can't loan the players outside of Transfer window. So, they chose to have their youth team in USL. I still think it was better than having an affiliation in the US.