Canadian Premier League

[Cheeta]

28 minutes ago, Ansem said:

TFC: Supports the league only if they don't compete and wish to dump their C-Squad in it

Impact: Hostile to it. Considers Quebec theirs

Whitecaps: Most likely hostile to it as they view Manitoba to BC as theirs

https://mobile.twitter.com/24thminute/status/832666518924165122

https://mobile.twitter.com/24thminute/status/832666781881765889

https://mobile.twitter.com/24thminute/status/832667052464680960

 

Have to wonder who, exactly, should be surprised by this?  Haven't those involved with this scheme been working with this "truth" since day one?

Gawd help us if they haven't.  This CPL isn't ever going to come off with the assistance of the MLS franchises.  It's going to come off in spite of it.  The second those concerned accept that, quit trying to make it happen, and get to working around the MLS parties interests the sooner something meaningful happens.  

And it feels like something has to happen.  Now if not sooner.  The clock is ticking. 

[Ansem]

Just shows you how those 3 teams (MLS) put so little effort in Canadian markets outside of their own and just declared Canada as theirs by God given right.

For all we know, the 3 Canadians clubs could very well have been the most ANTI- MLS CANADIAN EXPANSION voices. They have everything to gain by telling MLS to not consider any more franchise in Canada. Possible that when Ottawa was being considered, both TFC and Impact lobbied for the plan to be dropped 

Those 3 who procrastinated on the rest of the country as "something in my to-do list" got blindsided not only by CPL but by the scope of it.

They are most likely to stay the #1 in their immediate markets but there's no way they will hold on to the rest of the country like they thought they did and would.

Now it makes even more sense why the scope of CPL was kept under wraps for so long. Ifor anyone knew the scope of the league from the get go, MLS and the Canadian teams would have reacted a long time ago. Now all they can do is reacting as things unfolds. 

If those 3 teams and MLS are this pissed and for sure they have seen most of CPL scope and business plan, it's not only legit but they are going for major league status. You must be doing something right if your competitors are this negative

[matty]

3 minutes ago, Ansem said:

Just shows you how those 3 teams (MLS) put so little effort in Canadian markets outside of their own and just declared Canada as theirs by default.

For all we know, the 3 Canadians clubs could very well have been the most ANTI- MLS CANADIAN EXPANSION voices. 

Those 3 who procrastinated on the rest of the country as "something in my to-do list" got blindsided not only by CPL but by the scope of it.

They are most likely to stay the #1 in their immediate markets but there's no way they will hold on to the rest of the country like they thought they did. 

IMHO MLS as a whole could have killed the CPL with a 4th team in Alberta.

[canucklefan]

13 minutes ago, Cheeta said:

Have to wonder who, exactly, should be surprised by this?  Haven't those involved with this scheme been working with this "truth" since day one?

Gawd help us if they haven't.  This CPL isn't ever going to come off with the assistance of the MLS franchises.  It's going to come off in spite of it.  The second those concerned accept that, quite trying to make it happen, and get to working around the MLS parties interests the sooner something meaningful happens.  

And it feels like something has to happen.  Now if not sooner.  The clock is ticking. 

I agree. Last year I stopped watching games of the three Canadian MLS, the playoffs being the exception, clubs because none of them satisfied my expectations of Canadian content. I should add I watched some of TFC games when they started at least three Canadians.

Also, with the recent developments, Montreal Impact killing FC Montreal, I will likely see less of them next season. Their Canadian content last season was an insult to the program and I fear next season their Canadian content will be worse.

[Ansem]

2 minutes ago, matty said:

IMHO MLS as a whole could have killed the CPL with a 4th team in Alberta.

100% agree. 

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

Anthony Totera seems to be getting into nostalgia in a big way all of a sudden:

I am almost certain that I was at the game mentioned at the end against Nova Scotia (should still have the program somewhere) and that there were considerably fewer than 2052 people there (as in even 10% of that would be being very generous as was always the case when I went to one of their games). The North York Rockets belong nowhere near a statement of all out support for the local team, because they had almost no support. The Blizzard at least had a few hundred regulars. If anybody ever does try to launch a second pro team in the GTA, they need to avoid having a suburb in their name like that because it sounds completely bush league and they would need to do what Halifax are planning in terms of building a new small modular SSS because the small athletics/high school football stadiums like Esther Shiner, Birchmount and North York simply don't work well for soccer.

[Ansem]

Seems to me CPL being so secretive paid off.

1-ultra secrecy=fly below your future competitor's radar which won't bother trying to counter you nor take you seriously. Taking a note from the Art of War: "If you're strong, act weak. If you're weak, act strong to fool your opponent"

2-Laying the cards on the table when it's too late to react, meaning...

-MLS won't expand in Canada due to all those applications in American markets they just can't ignore. Very bad timing for MLS.

-The 3 teams will double down on defending their market

-They will have to accept losing most of the rest of Canada as they won't be able to protect all of those territories at the expense of the lucrative base in their immediate markets.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

22 minutes ago, Cheeta said:

...The second those concerned accept that, quite trying to make it happen, and get to working around the MLS parties interests the sooner something meaningful happens...

Agree that's the rational way of looking at it, but I suspect there was a 2026 World Cup bid scenario that fueled a much loftier dream.

[Ansem]

8 minutes ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

Agree that's the rational way of looking at it, but I suspect there was a 2026 World Cup bid scenario that fueled a much loftier dream.

Since we're either hosting or very much likely co-hosting, that's exactly the kind of press/buzz/atmosphere CPL needed to thrive. Decision date is 2020... that's 6 years of soccer being mainstream in this country.

That also attracts investors for potential expansion teams. 

Lastly, there's also the "high" of a post WC which will have fans want more. More citit's might apply and more fans wanting the product just like it did for MLS after the 1994 WC.

Very smart of the CSA to recreate the similar conditions that helped MLS start and growing to what it is today. 

Thank you Vic chants are in order at kick-off

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

9 minutes ago, Ansem said:

Very smart of the CSA to recreate the similar conditions that helped MLS start and growing to what it is today.

The CSA probably had the inside track for a solo hosting when Sepp Blatter was still president, because 2026 was very much CONCACAF's turn, the USSF would have sat it out over what happened with Qatar and Russia, and Mexico had already had it twice since 1970. Under that scenario I could definitely see more of the CFL franchises being very amenable to the idea of a new soccer league if they had the opportunity to cash in by being a host city and had access to a legacy fund similar to what MLS had after 1994. The MLS franchises would probably even be under heavy pressure to join at that point, because finding rival investors in those markets would be a lot more credible. Remove that financial carrot, however, and there is no way they are shifting leagues now and it's hard to see anyone taking them on in a big budget sort of way if a new league ever got off the ground. Under a joint bid, it will almost certainly be the three MLS cities that host, so they are the ones that probably stand to benefit. The Whitecaps might even get a natural turf SSS out of it.

[1996]

Must be a reason why we are one of a few countries in the world that have never really had our own coast to coast pro hockey league , or pro basketball league or pro baseball league , however, we have always chosen to join North American leagues. Hockey a sport that apparently defines Canada and is to Canada what soccer is to Brazil we play in a North American League and we only have 7 pro hockey teams that play at the highest level, how the hell can that be in Canada where we supposedly eat breath and sleep hockey, must be a reason? Think  about that for a second when imagining that a national Canadian league made up of only Canadian cities in soccer of all sports in Canada will thrive one day , ya ok. Maybe what some of you need to do is go ask someone who is very knowledgeable about pro hockey, and in Canada there are many, ask them how come we don't have a pro major league Canadian hockey league from coast to coast, why do we have to play in a North American League in hockey a sport that we are the best at and that is followed in Canada like no where else on earth? Moreover, why do we only have 7 pro teams in the NHL, but more importantly why don't we have our own league? The answer you will most likely get is the same answer why no national league apart from the CFL in any sport will flourish in Canada.

[Ansem]

11 minutes ago, 1996 said:

Must be a reason why we are one of a few countries in the world that have never really had our own coast to coast pro hockey league , or pro basketball league or pro baseball league , however, we have always chosen to join North American leagues. Hockey a sport that apparently defines Canada and is to Canada what soccer is to Brazil we play in a North American League and we only have 7 pro hockey teams that play at the highest level, how the hell can that be in Canada where we supposedly eat breath and sleep hockey, must be a reason? Think  about that for a second when imagining that a national Canadian league made up of only Canadian cities in soccer of all sports in Canada will thrive one day , ya ok.

The NHL was founded in Montreal in 1917. So Americans joined us until the gradual take over by Americans.

We have the CFL that is working. So why not CPL?

It's not because your generation refuse to acknowledge that we as Canadians don't need Americans in everything we do that the next generation hasn't figure that one out. 

[Ansem]

20 minutes ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

The CSA probably had the inside track for a solo hosting when Sepp Blatter was still president, because 2026 was very much CONCACAF's turn, the USSF would have sat it out over what happened with Qatar and Russia, and Mexico had already had it twice since 1970. Under that scenario I could definitely see more of the CFL franchises being very amenable to the idea of a new soccer league if they had the opportunity to cash in by being a host city and had access to a legacy fund similar to what MLS had after 1994. The MLS franchises would probably even be under heavy pressure to join at that point, because finding rival investors in those markets would be a lot more credible. Remove that financial carrot, however, and there is no way they are shifting leagues now and it's hard to see anyone taking them on in a big budget sort of way if a new league ever got off the ground. Under a joint bid, it will almost certainly be the three MLS cities that host, so they are the ones that probably stand to benefit. The Whitecaps might even get a natural turf SSS out of it.

Even in a co-host scenario it's soccer in general that wins in Canada not just MLS and the 3 clubs. 

All that extra attention on soccer will be beneficial to CPL and their markets as well.

If you think that people won't pay more attention to the comparison between CPL and MLS regarding the number of Canadians on those teams and which league might end up helping the national program more, you have another thing coming.

If CPL forces those 3 to play more Canadians than that's good news, if they stick to status quo, it might hurt them in the long run

[matty]

25 minutes ago, 1996 said:

Maybe what some of you need to do is go ask someone who is very knowledgeable about pro hockey, and in Canada there are many, ask them how come we don't have a pro major league Canadian hockey league from coast to coast, why do we have to play in a North American League in hockey a sport that we are the best at and that is followed in Canada like no where else on earth?

I have. They said a Canadian hockey league could independently of the US and still make a ton of money but there's a fuck ton more money to be part of the US so there's no point in ditching the NHL to form a Canadian league. The person I asked was a few years ago looking into buying the Coyotes or Panthers and had zero interest in moving them back to Canada. He also felt the CFL was a solid league and that Toronto is just a shitty market for it.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

1 minute ago, Ansem said:

If you think that people won't pay more attention to the comparison between CPL and MLS regarding the number of Canadians on those teams and which league might end up helping the national program more, you have another thing coming.

You do remember that "CPL" is said to be talking in terms of a domestic quota of 3 or 4 Canadian players? Beyond that if Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton and Ottawa are steering clear, it's difficult to see any high budget league getting off the ground at this point, so it remains to be seen if there is any comparison to be made.

[matty]

2 minutes ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

You do remember that "CPL" is said to be talking in terms of a domestic quota of 3 or 4 Canadian players? Beyond that if Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton and Ottawa are steering clear, it's difficult to see any high budget league getting off the ground at this point, so it remains to be seen if there is any comparison to be made.

These two are not steering clear. From what I've been told the situation is complicated with them but they're not viewing this as a must avoid. If the league is up and running odds are at least one is joining fairly quickly

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

Who told you this?

[matty]

3 minutes ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

Who told you this?

It's chatter from some of the guys in the TFC pressbox, non-Totz and Rollins folks, some well connected MSM who aren't talking publicly. My understanding is FCE are less game but both are willing to chat and see what happens and one might be up to joining within the first few years (possibly the launch but that's more 60/40).

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

TFC were willing to chat as well, so I am not sure what that proves. If there is anything interesting in that it's that Ottawa don't have to join as part of the conditions of their USL sanctioning, contrary to what Duane Rollins was claiming at one point. I suspect they took over FC Montreal's franchise.

[Ansem]

51 minutes ago, 1996 said:

Must be a reason why we are one of a few countries in the world that have never really had our own coast to coast pro hockey league , or pro basketball league or pro baseball league , however, we have always chosen to join North American leagues. Hockey a sport that apparently defines Canada and is to Canada what soccer is to Brazil we play in a North American League and we only have 7 pro hockey teams that play at the highest level, how the hell can that be in Canada where we supposedly eat breath and sleep hockey, must be a reason? Think  about that for a second when imagining that a national Canadian league made up of only Canadian cities in soccer of all sports in Canada will thrive one day , ya ok. Maybe what some of you need to do is go ask someone who is very knowledgeable about pro hockey, and in Canada there are many, ask them how come we don't have a pro major league Canadian hockey league from coast to coast, why do we have to play in a North American League in hockey a sport that we are the best at and that is followed in Canada like no where else on earth? Moreover, why do we only have 7 pro teams in the NHL, but more importantly why don't we have our own league? The answer you will most likely get is the same answer why no national league apart from the CFL in any sport will flourish in Canada.

What a poor example.

Soccer is very much different than the rest in regards that all the other sports don't have "World Cups" and "Continental Cups" to the scale of FIFA.

Like Matty said, an inter country league like NHL, MLB and NBA are there for the sole purpose of entertainment and making money. Together, it's just better. Their main goals aren't to develop players so we can win world cups. MLB could care less about the Baseball classic and the FIBA cup usually flies under the radar.

Soccer is unique do to its scale. To be able to have a national team that can compete, they need a development program and my friend, Division 1 leagues and lower tiers are a direct way to achieve that. CPL is needed because the MLS mandate isn't to develop Canadian talents and make the national team stronger, it's to make their own stronger. We need not only CPL but it has to be able to have the highest level of competition possible...hence going after the D1 sanction....so that some of the most talented players available would consider playing in Canada to also help our players get better.

I get mad reading how we can't do shit without Americans, that CPL is a failure or will be a failure and we need to bank on the USSF. Stop being so fucking naive. If you like MLS, keep watching it. No one is making anyone choose a side. Support both but for godsake CPL needs to be a success. 

How about hearing what you'll do to help make it succeed instead of just writing it obituary in advance. To me, seems like some of the old generation just wants to be entertained and could care the fuck less about the future generations and the future of Canadian soccer.

[Gopherbashi]

4 hours ago, Greatest Cockney Rip Off said:

They are not paying for travel. They are sponsored by Air Transat who are covering all of their travel as well as all the clubs coming to Toronto. 

The only two articles I can find on it say they're paying for travel.  Granted, they're a year-old and it might have changed since then.  Where did you hear the sponsor travel bit?

[matty]

4 minutes ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

TFC were willing to chat as well, so I am not sure what that proves. If there is anything interesting in that it's that Ottawa don't have to join as part of the conditions of their USL sanctioning, contrary to what Duane Rollins was claiming at that point. I suspect they took over FC Montreal's franchise.

I'm trying to prove anything I'm just saying that they're aren't acting like this league is the plague.

The TFC comparison is somewhat poor because we know the nature of TFC's was to get a reserve team in and send a warning while FCE and OFFC's are about the team's themselves joining.

OFFC is pretty weird. If they did take it over then their VCup spot likely would of been denied, and maybe it is next year, but the Impact shutting down FCM makes zero sense if OFFC didn't take it over and are only there for a short period of time.

[Gopherbashi]

6 minutes ago, matty said:

I'm trying to prove anything I'm just saying that they're aren't acting like this league is the plague.

The TFC comparison is somewhat poor because we know the nature of TFC's was to get a reserve team in and send a warning while FCE and OFFC's are about the team's themselves joining.

OFFC is pretty weird. If they did take it over then their VCup spot likely would of been denied, and maybe it is next year, but the Impact shutting down FCM makes zero sense if OFFC didn't take it over and are only there for a short period of time.

The team could still act quasi-independently and the CSA could give them a spot, even if they took over the license.  It's a problem that's easy enough to get around.

That being said, last year we'd already had the VCup schedule for a month and a half by this point.

[Alex D]

If all of the CFL are indeed taking an ownership stake in the league then one would assume Ottawa will be joining at launch or shortly there after. They did get an exit clause from the USL so they don't have to stay the 3 year minimum. 

[matty]