Expanded rosters for homegrowns

[Rheo]

Buried in the article, http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/thegoalkeeper/Union-sign-midfielder-Adam-Najem-from-New-York-Red-Bulls-academy.html

Although MLS headquarters hasn't announced this yet, multiple sources confirmed that a new rule will soon be announced that allows teams to expand their rosters to 30 players if two of those players are homegrown.

Those two players must occupy reserve player slots on the roster, which means the minimum salary requirements are lower than for regular roster slots.

Expect the official division of roster slots this year to be as follows: 20 senior roster slots that count toward the salary cap; three supplemental roster slots at the senior pay scale that don't count toward the cap; and six reserve slots.

 

[Ruffian]

In previous years I would have said that this is great for young Canadians, but it seems more and more Canadian MLS clubs' home-growns will be more and more non-Canadians. Players like Ben Spencer, Ayo Akinola and now even potentially Tabla.

[dyslexic nam]

The more of these things I see - homegrown rules, Canadian DPs, Canadian GA players as domestics - without the simple, basic concession of treating us as domestics in our shared league, the more I am getting fed up with Garber and MLS.  It is such an easy issue to fix.  A simple change in policy would make things right.  Instead, we get all sorts of half-assed efforts that can be interpreted as having an ulterior motive in the context of plans for CPL and in the absence of a common sense rule on Canadian domestics.  

Maybe be I am giving this issue undue attention, but for some reason it is increasingly aggravating me - to the point when I am thinking about abandoning MLS.  The league isn't pushing for it, and the Canadian teams aren't either.  The CSA seems to want it, but they won't take any kind of strong reciprocal action (re US players on Canadian teams) and thus are part of the issue.

In an ideal world, I would follow MLS and CPL to fully support Canadian soccer.  But if the status quo prevails, I don't see myself sticking with MLS once CPL is up and running.  If they want to structure it as merely an American League with some restrictive Canadian presence, then they will get the level of loyalty from me that their approach warrants - which is to say, not much.

Maybe I just need more sleep.  But fuck Garber.

[BCM]

Spencer wouldn't count as a TFC homegrown since he wasn't an academy player. He simply signed a professional contract with TFC II...

[Bison44]

Wasnt Spencer at RSL and Chivas academy with Vanney many moons ago?  

[Soccerpro]

I don't see the big deal with this announcement. Are players #30 and #31 likely to ever see the field? 

Lots of young guys on the first team get sent down to the USL teams never to set foot in an MLS game - ie Richie Laryea in Orlando last season.

[Ruffian]

10 hours ago, Soccerpro said:

I don't see the big deal with this announcement. Are players #30 and #31 likely to ever see the field? 

Lots of young guys on the first team get sent down to the USL teams never to set foot in an MLS game - ie Richie Laryea in Orlando last season.

It might have affected TFC this past year when Raheem Edwards was brought to the first team on a short term agreement. Maybe they want to give teams flexibility in times like these without having to manufacture rules on the spot... but that doesn't sound like MLS.

[Obinna]

On Friday, February 10, 2017 at 8:59 AM, dyslexic nam said:

The more of these things I see - homegrown rules, Canadian DPs, Canadian GA players as domestics - without the simple, basic concession of treating us as domestics in our shared league, the more I am getting fed up with Garber and MLS.  It is such an easy issue to fix.  A simple change in policy would make things right.  Instead, we get all sorts of half-assed efforts that can be interpreted as having an ulterior motive in the context of plans for CPL and in the absence of a common sense rule on Canadian domestics.  

Maybe be I am giving this issue undue attention, but for some reason it is increasingly aggravating me - to the point when I am thinking about abandoning MLS.  The league isn't pushing for it, and the Canadian teams aren't either.  The CSA seems to want it, but they won't take any kind of strong reciprocal action (re US players on Canadian teams) and thus are part of the issue.

In an ideal world, I would follow MLS and CPL to fully support Canadian soccer.  But if the status quo prevails, I don't see myself sticking with MLS once CPL is up and running.  If they want to structure it as merely an American League with some restrictive Canadian presence, then they will get the level of loyalty from me that their approach warrants - which is to say, not much.

Maybe I just need more sleep.  But fuck Garber.

Perhaps what I'm about to say will be unpopular, but here goes:

I can't see myself choosing the CPL over MLS.

Yes it's an American League, yes we are being jerked around, but as long as it's the highest quality of domestic football for Canadian players, that's where my interests will be.

Now let me be clear, the only reason I follow MLS the way I do is because of the Canadian content, but it's not just Canadian content I am after, it is Canadian NT talent I want to watch, evaluate, track, etc. This is a big passion of mine.

The CPL is a great development for us, which I am absolutely thrilled about, but how many NT players are going to be playing in this league? Two or three maximum? 

For me, it will probably be like watching the CHL. Nothing wrong with that and great for watching up and coming talent (I'm sure a lot of current and former Canadian youth internationals will play CPL).

However, if I were to choose between watching Jonathan Osorio, Tosaint Ricketts, Jay Chapman, Jordan Hamilton, Russell Teibert, Cyle Larin, Will Johnson, David Edgar, Marcel Dejong, Maxim Tissot, Tesho Akindele, Alphonso Davies every week, OR someone like Chris Manella or Dylan Carriero, I am going to choose the former every time. It's just much more relevant to my interest in the CanMNT.

[shermanator]

24 minutes ago, Obinna said:

Perhaps what I'm about to say will be unpopular, but here goes:

I can't see myself choosing the CPL over MLS.

Yes it's an American League, yes we are being jerked around, but as long as it's the highest quality of domestic football for Canadian players, that's where my interests will be.

Now let me be clear, the only reason I follow MLS the way I do is because of the Canadian content, but it's not just Canadian content I am after, it is Canadian NT talent I want to watch, evaluate, track, etc. This is a big passion of mine.

The CPL is a great development for us, which I am absolutely thrilled about, but how many NT players are going to be playing in this league? Two or three maximum? 

For me, it will probably be like watching the CHL. Nothing wrong with that and great for watching up and coming talent (I'm sure a lot of current and former Canadian youth internationals will play CPL).

However, if I were to choose between watching Jonathan Osorio, Tosaint Ricketts, Jay Chapman, Jordan Hamilton, Russell Teibert, Cyle Larin, Will Johnson, David Edgar, Marcel Dejong, Maxim Tissot, Tesho Akindele, Alphonso Davies every week, OR someone like Chris Manella or Dylan Carriero, I am going to choose the former every time. It's just much more relevant to my interest in the CanMNT.

I'm curious as to whether the ability to see a game live would influence this decision? I'm guessing it doesn't?

As to the MLS players you listed, how many of these players can you really watch every game? Unless you have MLS live, you won't get to see Johnson, Larin and Akindele much. Of the rest of the bunch, Osorio is really the only consistent starter, with everyone else getting spot starts and sub appearances.

[Obinna]

42 minutes ago, shermanator said:

I'm curious as to whether the ability to see a game live would influence this decision? I'm guessing it doesn't?

As to the MLS players you listed, how many of these players can you really watch every game? Unless you have MLS live, you won't get to see Johnson, Larin and Akindele much. Of the rest of the bunch, Osorio is really the only consistent starter, with everyone else getting spot starts and sub appearances.

That's a great question.

This is only my personal opinion, but watching an AMSL game is far more interesting than a PDL game. Any competiton that qualifies teams for the Challenge Cup is interesting (for me).

I have watched the Challenge Cup live 3 times - St. John's 2002, 2008 & Calgary 2015 (plus several other editions online). I have friends and ex-teammates from Newfoundland who play in the Challenge Cup every year. In addition, there are typically a few players that I have played against at some national youth tournament as a teenager. I have also played on a few teams that were involved with qualifying (unsuccessfully) as well.

Clubs like Calgary Callies, Edmonton Scottish, Green & Gold, Halifax Dunbrack, Dartmouth Untied, Holy Cross Crusaders, St. Lawrence Laurentians, HUSA Alumni etc. are teams I have been following even as a youth player.

When you consider all of that history and all of that emotional attachment, there is no way a PDL game can ever compare (for me). I am not familiar with the players on Calgary Foothills (as an example), much less the players on some American U-23 squad. Perhaps my taste will change as I become more involved in Calgary youth soccer (and perhaps coach), but this is how I feel at the moment.

To tie it all back to the CPL - I make these PDL comments because I am anticipating the level of quality to be somewhere around this level. Perhaps it will be NASL quality (which might possibly be enough to get me out), but even then, if Jonathan Osorio, Jay Chapman and Jordan Hamilton are starting for TFC against Cyle Larin and Will Johnson, AND Calgary CPL (featuring players not even close to the NT) is playing the same time AND I cannot record the TFC game? Well, I am probably staying home to watch it.

As for all the players I listed in MLS, I do everything short of MLS Live to watch their matches. It is almost always via free Internet stream, but I will watch FCD against SJ if Tesho is on the field. As soon as he's off I will probably turn it off. If I am really bored I will turn on a Sounders vs Timbers game just for the atmosphere.

[shermanator]

57 minutes ago, Obinna said:

That's a great question.

This is only my personal opinion, but watching an AMSL game is far more interesting than a PDL game. Any competiton that qualifies teams for the Challenge Cup is interesting (for me).

I have watched the Challenge Cup live 3 times - St. John's 2002, 2008 & Calgary 2015 (plus several other editions online). I have friends and ex-teammates from Newfoundland who play in the Challenge Cup every year. In addition, there are typically a few players that I have played against at some national youth tournament as a teenager. I have also played on a few teams that were involved with qualifying (unsuccessfully) as well.

Clubs like Calgary Callies, Edmonton Scottish, Green & Gold, Halifax Dunbrack, Dartmouth Untied, Holy Cross Crusaders, St. Lawrence Laurentians, HUSA Alumni etc. are teams I have been following even as a youth player.

When you consider all of that history and all of that emotional attachment, there is no way a PDL game can ever compare (for me). I am not familiar with the players on Calgary Foothills (as an example), much less the players on some American U-23 squad. Perhaps my taste will change as I become more involved in Calgary youth soccer (and perhaps coach), but this is how I feel at the moment.

To tie it all back to the CPL - I make these PDL comments because I am anticipating the level of quality to be somewhere around this level. Perhaps it will be NASL quality (which might possibly be enough to get me out), but even then, if Jonathan Osorio, Jay Chapman and Jordan Hamilton are starting for TFC against Cyle Larin and Will Johnson, AND Calgary CPL (featuring players not even close to the NT) is playing the same time AND I cannot record the TFC game? Well, I am probably staying home to watch it.

As for all the players I listed in MLS, I do everything short of MLS Live to watch their matches. It is almost always via free Internet stream, but I will watch FCD against SJ if Tesho is on the field. As soon as he's off I will probably turn it off. If I am really bored I will turn on a Sounders vs Timbers game just for the atmosphere.

Fair enough. I guess I hold a completely opposite opinion on this. I think you are writing off a domestic league prematurely here, given that it hasn't been announced, and we don't actually know the level of talent on the pitch. I think it's a big leap to compare a fully professional league to an amateur league of university level players.

I'm also guessing that the supporters culture doesn't actually interest you in any way? That's arguably 95% of the reason for me to go to games / watch parties. In fact, watching the supporters at TFC is what got me interested in the sport to begin with. I don't have any connection to Foothills, yet I'm at every game singing in support of them. And I'm not concerned with the quality of play on the pitch, hell, I'm usually in the beer gardens for a lot of the second half. You can't get that at an AMSL game, although if you are friends with players in that league I can see how the social aspect would be fulfilled there. 

I guess in the end you're a good example of the type of person that a domestic league will have to work to gain support from.

[Obinna]

1 hour ago, shermanator said:

Fair enough. I guess I hold a completely opposite opinion on this. I think you are writing off a domestic league prematurely here, given that it hasn't been announced, and we don't actually know the level of talent on the pitch. I think it's a big leap to compare a fully professional league to an amateur league of university level players.

I'm also guessing that the supporters culture doesn't actually interest you in any way? That's arguably 95% of the reason for me to go to games / watch parties. In fact, watching the supporters at TFC is what got me interested in the sport to begin with. I don't have any connection to Foothills, yet I'm at every game singing in support of them. And I'm not concerned with the quality of play on the pitch, hell, I'm usually in the beer gardens for a lot of the second half. You can't get that at an AMSL game, although if you are friends with players in that league I can see how the social aspect would be fulfilled there. 

I guess in the end you're a good example of the type of person that a domestic league will have to work to gain support from.

To be honest, I have always had mixed feelings about participating in a supporters group. I appreciate the atmosphere supporter groups create, but I see myself as being far too obsessed with the technicalities of the game to sing and chant in a coordinated effort. The exception to that would be a Canada game, where I care about the result much more than any individual or team performance.

It's interesting to see what drives your passion though, and this little discussion shows just how different we can be as fans of Canadian soccer, even within such a niche group as the Voyageurs.

Am I a good example of the type of person a domestic league would have to gain support from? I would put my soccer playing buddies in that category certainly. 95% of them support Man U or Arsenal or Chelsea and couldn't name 5 players in our National Team pool. Five years ago they would scoff at MLS and now they will actually catch a game in Toronto or Vancouver if they are in those cities on vacation. It's only now starting to become almost cool to follow MLS, but for our domestic league, I think anything short of Chinese Super League money will fail in converting these types into fans straight out of the gate. Most people only want to see the stars.

So I actually see myself as being one of the few (in my personal circle) who will embrace the CPL with open arms from the start. That being said, it will still fall behind MLS and possibly any top local footy, depending on what the league will turn out to be (which is still a mystery).