Is it time for the CSA to impose playing time requirements on the MLS clubs?

[One American]

The MLS clubs today each started one Canadian. Talks with MLS about counting Canadians as domestics are going nowhere. There's a glut of Canadians bubbling just under the level but either are not getting their chance or get their chance, do reasonably well, and then get relegated back to the bench or watching players from other nations get brought in.

The deal to bring MLS to Canada was supposed to benefit MLS, the clubs and the CSA. It's pretty clear which partner is getting the short end of the stick in the relationship. It's time for the CSA to stop being pushovers and get their end of the bargain. 

People will say it's not fair to the teams. But frankly they've brought it upon themselves. The CSA didn't force Vancouver to trade for Giles Barnes. The CSA didnt' force Toronto to sign Armando Cooper after Jay Chapman played well. Nobody went out and signed Andrew Jacobson to keep a bunch of Canadian midfielders in the youth system. 

And no, I don't think just mandating roster spots is enough. Not with teams that have shown themselves to not be square dealers in the matter.  I think they should take the number of minutes of Canadian playing time and number of Canadian starts by the top club. And then double it. Maybe triple it. 

If the clubs don't like it, tough. 

[deschamp86]

I think that they should be required to have more Canadians personally, slowly phase out Americans as domestics for the Canadian teams.

 

I feel like giving playing time without earning it though will lead to complacency

[shermanator]

No. While I would personally love to see this happen, I don't think that it's something that will ever happen.

MLS has shown it gives zero fucks about developing Canadian talent, and it's time for the CSA to focus their energy on a league that puts the interest of Canadian talent first. It is time for the CSA to create a domestic league where they would have the ability to build in requirements for Canadians on the roster as well as Canadians in the starting lineup.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

^^^Think the comment immediately above is patently absurd given the time, finances and effort poured into the academy programs that now dominate when rosters for youth level national teams are announced.

Beyond that playing time requirements are OK with a developmental team and should continue with the USL reserve teams, but at MLS level it has to be earned on merit, so it would not be reasonable to impose that.

[shermanator]

Surprise, BBTB entered the thread to defend MLS.

I'm referencing MLS itself, not the Canadian clubs within the league. The league, and the USSF which controls the league, does not care about the development of Canadian soccer, period, regardless of how much lip service Garber gives on the issue.

Say the CSA does want to force Canadian playing time. What's MLS going to say, other than "NO"? And then what? The CSA goes nuclear and threatens to pull sanctioning? Is that really to the benefit of Canadian players? I don't think so.

[Gian-Luca]

Playing time requirements would be nearly impossible to enforce and would probably lead to a backlash by the public against Canadian players even if you could enforce such a rule. Let's see what change is supposedly going to be implemented for next year. After that, the CSA should work to get the roster requirements up to 6 players instead of the measly 3 that it currently is.

[TRM]

The pros and cons of various systems have been debated and statistics are available. Russia and some other leagues have guaranteed playing time for Russian players and other leagues like Germany have requirements for development and being on the first team roster but no guarantee of playing time. That has to be taken by the player.

I side with the German approach. If they can't take and hold a MLS position then how are they going to make our MNT better? They all get chances but most have not shown they have what it takes.

 

[Kent]

Personally, as long as there is something to work towards re: CPL, I don't care much about domestic player rules in MLS. If/when CPL is up and running, MLS will be just another foreign league in my eyes (albeit, with the added bonus of 3 clubs that are trying to contribute to player development with their academies). Players that would be good enough to play in MLS that aren't getting a chance can then come to CPL and potentially raise the level of play there.

If CPL doesn't get off the ground, CSA should raise the Canadian player quota in MLS, and I would be happy enough with phasing in a bit of playing time requirements too.

[shermanator]

I think the only step that the CSA should (and probably already has) pursue is to make Canadians domestic league wide.

It won't force Canadians onto clubs that don't want them. It won't force Canadians who have signed onto the pitch. But it will mean that those Canadians which are truly good enough to get signed and get on the pitch won't have the glass ceiling that currently exists for 85% of the current clubs.

Then if Canadians truly aren't good enough, then they won't get signed or won't play. It's that simple.

[canucklefan]

3 hours ago, TRM said:

The pros and cons of various systems have been debated and statistics are available. Russia and some other leagues have guaranteed playing time for Russian players and other leagues like Germany have requirements for development and being on the first team roster but no guarantee of playing time. That has to be taken by the player.

I side with the German approach. If they can't take and hold a MLS position then how are they going to make our MNT better? They all get chances but most have not shown they have what it takes.

 

What if I found that Aruba First division doesn't require playing time for development on their first team roster and then I found that Brazilian Serie A guarantees playing to Brazilians. Can I conclude that guaranteed playing time can give the chance to win 5 times the WC? Obviously not. The success of a nation doesn't depend on guaranteed first team playing time alone, or not, but the conclusion of the quoted post hints otherwise. 

 

[One American]

I'll fully say it's not an ideal solution. It could cause complacency. It could cause fan backlash. It could also cause players to get their chance and run with it. And nobody is saying that any single player has to be the one to get the playing time.

 

Most of all, whatever problems might arise, they're  a better set of problems than the current set. 

[maccaliam]

MLS (for all but 3 clubs) has an American domestic requirement, meaning American players are given/handed/gifted playing time. Americans don't "earn" their time or roster spots, they are given them. 

 

[Cheeta]

3 hours ago, One American said:

I'll fully say it's not an ideal solution. It could cause complacency. It could cause fan backlash. It could also cause players to get their chance and run with it. And nobody is saying that any single player has to be the one to get the playing time.

 

Most of all, whatever problems might arise, they're  a better set of problems than the current set. 

Agreed on all points.

The general idea however it's implemented is sound, but as always the devil is in the details.  I subscribe to the KISS principle.  Dictate domestic roster positions and the minutes will follow.

I feel that the watering down of domestic positions in MLS (for example) was largely a financial consideration as much as anything, that is to say the MLS clubs didn't like paying a premium for Canadians of a certain quality which could be got on the cheap from elsewhere.

You could say that was as much a result of the oddity of MLS salary cap rules as anything but I really don't care.  If Saputo and Kerfoot and MLSE didn't consider the quality of local labour before signing multi million dollar cheques to buy franchises in a foreign league, and handicaped the development of a Canadian league in the process, I fail to see how that's the CSA's problem going forward.

 

   

[yothat]

yes.. unsanction mls in canada