CPL General

[Obinna]

 

53 minutes ago, Kadenge said:

Can you play RB?

Cap him now!

[matty]

I've never really seen anything hinting Alex Bunbury is the manager of Hamilton from any source. Did that just pop up as a rumour on here? He seems pretty committed to his youth academies in Guyana

[Blackjack15]

I like the open trials in 7 cities, it’s a pretty exceptional idea as it gives players a chance to showcase themselves 

Would be astonishing to have each CPL Team sign just one player from these Identification Camps

Anyhow what i don’t like is that the “Pay to play”

*The $200 registration Fee*

Look I understand the costs but couldn’t they get a sponsor? 

This means that kids from let’s say more humble backgrounds won’t sign up most likely 

[Admin]

3 hours ago, Keegan said:

But then again... George Pakos and more recently Ryan Telfer came out of literally nowhere.  And these guys won’t be making CMNT or MLS, just CPL.. so it’s really not far fetched to think that each team could scoop up a guy.

York -> League 1 -> TFC II ->TFC  isn't really out of nowhere is it?

At none of those times would I see him  paying for a team trial at a public park. 

 

[Admin]

Oh, it would be really funny if they got some famous player to show up for a trial and say he didn't make the cut as a publicity stunt.

 

 

[BenFisk'sBiggestFan]

24 minutes ago, Blackjack15 said:

I like the open trials in 7 cities, it’s a pretty exceptional idea as it gives players a chance to showcase themselves 

Would be astonishing to have each CPL Team sign just one player from these Identification Camps

Anyhow what i don’t like is that the “Pay to play”

*The $200 registration Fee*

Look I understand the costs but couldn’t they get a sponsor? 

This means that kids from let’s say more humble backgrounds won’t sign up most likely 

You need a registration fee just to weed out the non serious players. Otherwise you will get the 16 year olds who play div 5 soccer showing up. To many people makes it hard to scout. 

With a fee, you will still get the not great players showing up. But you will get way less of them and way more serious players.

Heck the fee even deterred me from going. I probably would if it was free, but I can't pay 200 knowing I have no chance.

Edited August 27, 2018 by BenFisk'sBiggestFan

[Admin]

The fee weeds out  a lot of people but leaves you with the serious, and the seriously crazy. 

Woodbridge Messi is out there, delivering pizza.  All he has to do is show up....

[KW519]

2 minutes ago, admin said:

The fee weeds out  a lot of people but leaves you with the serious, and the seriously crazy. 

Woodbridge Messi is out there, delivering pizza.  All he has to do is show up....

Big facts!

[Admin]

8 minutes ago, KW519 said:

Big facts!

After doing this for 20 years My Cousin Vinney isn't a movie to me, it's someone's relative who they play pick up soccer with on weekends and is better than every player on team Canada. 

[Keegan]

2 hours ago, admin said:

York -> League 1 -> TFC II ->TFC  isn't really out of nowhere is it?

At none of those times would I see him  paying for a team trial at a public park. 

 

Well I’d imagine these trials will attract university and league 1 level players, no?

I think the real gems may be the 16-21 year olds who never cut an academy and they may get one of these coaches seeing potential.  We overlook players all the time.. just think, no one knew who a guy like Di Chiara was and next week he’s playing in a top 10 European league. 

I really don’t think it’s far fetched if you have 7 tryouts with a good turnout you end up with 7+ guys. 

[Obinna]

I think some people are underestimating how many good players are in this country.

Take Calgary for instance. There are a lot of good amateur players in this city.

I recently watched a few PDL games and honestly, the standard wasn't much higher than what you see in cusa's premier division. Foothills FC run a premier team in cusa, and Sergio Camargo, Jackson Farmar, and others have played there inbetween PDL matches.

Same situation in Edmonton..

FC Edmonton had their reserves compete in the edsa premier division (edmonton's cusa equivalent). Sure, they won the division, but the fact the club had them compete there says something. 

This is not even factoring the AMSL, which is the provincial challenge cup league in Alberta.

Technically, that is the highest level of amateur soccer in the province, as it qualifies you for nationals, but there isn't much of a difference between it and the premier divisions of cusa and edsa. The only real difference, i suspect, is commitment, since AMSL players are willing to travel to play amateur soccer.

My point is, it's kinda silly to write off these tryouts as a publicity stunt, while simultaneously penciling in PDL Foothills players for spots on Cavalry FC (for example). 

Surely there will be some gems uncovered in these tryouts. We are going to see a lot of high level amateurs try their luck, I think, and you're foolish if you don't think CPL teams aren't going to punt on a few dozen and snap them up for cheap. 

Edited August 28, 2018 by Obinna

[Admin]

I'm not saying there are not good players in this country. 

I just don't think many will be found with these tryouts though it is certainly possible and more likely than the tfc incarnation of this.

 

 

[KW519]

@Obinna you're right about hidden gems. When I was in Fort Mac our mens league team had 5 players on a 12 man squad offered a trial by the Eddies based on 5v5 indoor play. We're talking Fort Crack here....imagine how many other gems there are in big cities across the country, that for whatever reason had to put football on hold, or just never had the proper exposure. I expect a few fairytale stories to come out of these trials.

[Admin]

I hope so, it would be great.

We also don't know how these are structured.

I think most are thinking of the lark the tfc one was.

[Blackjack15]

Back in 2012/2013 FC Edmonton held a combine and it was really interesting how all these amateurs, college (CIS & ACAC) plus few journeymen players were present over a few days having a scrimmage vs the Reserve team 

If I recall correctly the only player that got a contract was this Canadian-Italian Massimo Mirabelli from Ontario playing in the 3rd division of Finland at the time 

So if It’s anything like this I would consider it a success 

[Cheeta]

I'm going to be a bit cynical about it all.  Do think it's an absolutely necessary exercise to be sure but really, finding those diamonds in the rough will be down to the franchises scouting the local talent on something of a more longer term basis. Which of course they can. 

As has been mentioned, and I expect this is true of every urban centre in Canada, there is talent out there that for a variety of reasons is still playing the game at an amateur level and shouldn't be.  Doesn't mean these more mature players have any great up side.  Actually doubt that, but there are players of no small amount of quality who under the right circumstances may be encouraged to give it a go for a few more years while making a bit of money and having a bit of fun doing it to-boot.   

The CPL needs to get that talent into this league at the hop.  For quality of play, for the economy of the league, AND of course to challenge the younger up and comers (with their higher up-side) who will hopefully be the future of this league. 

Just my opinion.   A couple-three locals going pro would sure go a long ways to helping each teams roster if they're willing to make the commitment. 

  

[Obinna]

42 minutes ago, admin said:

I'm not saying there are not good players in this country. 

I just don't think many will be found with these tryouts though it is certainly possible and more likely than the tfc incarnation of this.

 

 

Why?

[Obinna]

4 minutes ago, Cheeta said:

I'm going to be a bit cynical about it all.  Do think it's an absolutely necessary exercise to be sure but really, finding those diamonds in the rough will be down to the franchises scouting the local talent on something of a more longer term basis. Which of course they can. 

As has been mentioned, and I expect this is true of every urban centre in Canada, there is talent out there that for a variety of reasons is still playing the game at an amateur level and shouldn't be.  Doesn't mean these more mature players have any great up side.  Actually doubt that, but there are players of no small amount of quality who under the right circumstances may be encouraged to give it a go for a few more years while making a bit of money and having a bit of fun doing it to-boot.   

The CPL needs to get that talent into this league at the hop.  For quality of play, for the economy of the league, AND of course to challenge the younger up and comers (with their higher up-side) who will hopefully be the future of this league. 

Just my opinion.   A couple-three locals going pro would sure go a long ways to helping each teams roster if they're willing to make the commitment. 

  

And this is a function of Canada's severely underdeveloped professional system.

I have no way to prove it, but my theory is that the top end amateur talent in Canada is a higher level than it ought to be because there are little to no professional options.

[Rocket Robin]

But a registration fee didn't get rid of the goof offs/media types like Cathal Kelly from (at the time) the Toronto Star just so he could write a humorous story.  Actually come to think of it that won't happen again as there's so few media types around anymore.   The Toronto Star doesn't have a soccer reporter (she moved over to cover the Blue Jays earlier this season so now there's three baseball reporters).  The Star uses Neil Davidson stories (he's Canada's best in my opinion).  

When TFC did it the year after the mood had turned more sympathetic to the trialists with tales of some South American spending his life savings on an airline ticket and being cut.  TFC didn't try a third year.  

The 'winner' of the something like almost 1000 trialists was Jamaal Smith from York University (somewhat foreshadowing Ryan Telfer) who received some short trial and was cut.  He continued to play in the CPSL.  I saw his younger brother Jelani Smith this weekend playing for Sigma FC.  

my take on the tryouts in December 2006 are at:  http://www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com/reports07/06tfc018.htm

that link leads into some of those newspaper stories (which by source would have disappeared many years ago but I captured them for immortality).  

 

 

 

[Blackjack15]

The goal of these open tryouts is so a handful of players can earn a Training Camp Invite 

 

Edited August 28, 2018 by Thomas

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

6 hours ago, Obinna said:

...I recently watched a few PDL games and honestly, the standard wasn't much higher than what you see in cusa's premier division. Foothills FC run a premier team in cusa, and Sergio Camargo, Jackson Farmar, and others have played there inbetween PDL matches...

It's long been the case that the supposedly higher status leagues really aren't any better than the top elite amateur clubs in the larger cities when low budgets are involved as is the case with PDL or the latter day match-fixing CSL before it lost its sanctioning, but that's not so likely to be the case when there is a 750k (or higher, time will tell) salary cap. The red flag that tells you this is mainly about publicity (no harm in that) is that they only plan to do it in the seven cities that have been announced. If they were serious about using this to find players Vancouver and Montreal would have sessions as well, and there would be no need for a fee because it would all be invite only based on sending in a CV with contacts within the sport to provide credible recommendations.

Edited August 28, 2018 by BringBackTheBlizzard

[Blackdude]

2 minutes ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

It's long been the case that the supposedly higher status leagues really aren't any better than the top elite amateur clubs in the larger cities when low budgets are involved as is the case with PDL or the latter day match-fixing CSL, but that's not so likely to be the case when there is a 750k (or higher, time will tell) salary cap. The red flag that tells you this is mainly about publicity (no harm in that obviously) is that they only plan to do it in the seven cities that have been announced. If they were serious about using this to find players Vancouver and Montreal would have sessions as well, and there would be no need for a fee because it would all be invite only based on sending in a CV with contacts within the sport to provide recommendations.

Montreal does have one though. 

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

Notice that now I read the article again. Guess they wanted to avoid the optics of having nothing happening in Quebec. Still no Vancouver (which isn't exactly next door to Victoria in transport terms) and it also begs the question of why Edmonton are not bothering with it.

[deschamp86]

3 hours ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

Notice that now I read the article again. Guess they wanted to avoid the optics of having nothing happening in Quebec. Still no Vancouver (which isn't exactly next door to Victoria in transport terms) and it also begs the question of why Edmonton are not bothering with it.

My guess is Paulus probably feels he has a pretty good idea of what is available in the Edmonton area

[top cheese]

MLS teams go through this exercise it rarely accomplishes anything of substance

But for CPL it might work there's likely a few experienced players around that would take the opportunity to get some exposure. Plus the Challenge Trophy leagues in some provinces have a number of ex pros or high level players who have been out of the pro game for awhile and might seize the opportunity to get an invite to camp. I think of a team like Edmonton Scottish