A change in attitude from TFC management about CPL

[Rocket Robin]

Q & A with TFC's Bill Manning and Tim Bezbatchenko with TFC season seat holders held before yesterday's TFC vs Vancouver game.
46 minutes of audio BUT a possible change of attitude to Can Prem League as an answer to my question at the 36 minute mark.

http://www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com/reports18/18tfc045.htm   

The comments on TFC II playing up in Downsview are not on this audio but I'll have a written transcript (what I can remember when I wrote it down later in the day) at that link in a few days. 

[Gopherbashi]

What did he say though?

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

Will be interesting to see what losing the million pound game does to the Wolfpack in the years ahead. Having them as the anchor tenant at Lamport probably greatly complicates its use for pro soccer.

[Macksam]

18 hours ago, Rocket Robin said:

Q & A with TFC's Bill Manning and Tim Bezbatchenko with TFC season seat holders held before yesterday's TFC vs Vancouver game.
46 minutes of audio BUT a possible change of attitude to Can Prem League as an answer to my question at the 36 minute mark.

http://www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com/reports18/18tfc045.htm   

The comments on TFC II playing up in Downsview are not on this audio but I'll have a written transcript (what I can remember when I wrote it down later in the day) at that link in a few days. 

I wouldn’t look too much into his answer. He used the CPL briefly as a convenient solution as to how the problem of the lack of Canadians playing for TFC could be alleviated in the future.

[Ansem]

3 hours ago, Macksam said:

I wouldn’t look too much into his answer. He used the CPL briefly as a convenient solutin as to how the problem of the lack of Canadians playing for TFC could be alleviated in the future.

CPL is now the best excuse to justify not having Canadians. That's how I understood. Allows them to double down.

[Unnamed Trialist]

Just now, Ansem said:

CPL is now the best excuse to justify not having Canadians. That's how I understood. Allows them to double down.

I am not sure. I somehow suspect that since the CPL launch the Caps have been playing more Canadians, to compensate what could be a bit of buzz in the city about Canadian content. And you might think TFC would also be attuned to that. CPL might make them want to compete on that level and not be exposed to being anti-Canadian AND getting mediocre to poor results. 

I think we've heard some people here saying they will not renew their packages  with TFC, that they'll opt for CPL and the odd MLS game next season, not season tix. I have heard similar in Vancouver, but in my case from more direct sources. So although in numbers we may be talking about very few making that manifest, that has to have an impact of sorts.

Especially if ticket pre sales for next season are going slowly. In Van I think they most definitely were. At TFC I'd imagine the same, since you had some bandwagon buyers after the MLS Cup win and they may not be back. 

All this to say: I do not think that TFC can risk giving up on Canadians because CPL will do the job. York9 is there and Hamilton, and other voices blowing through the trees. And if you are not playing too many Canucks, and the team is not at all stellar, and then if maybe the one Canuck you play regularly is likely the team's player of the year (Oso) people could rightly say: what is the point? Comparably Whitecaps, with the option at least 3 hours away (ferry line up, ferry, ride to Western Victoria and Pacific FC), has a lot more leeway in this regard.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

A lot of TFC fans are generally quite negative about Canadian players being pushed into the first team and are lukewarm about the national team, but that's nothing a player of the calibre of Alphonso Davies emerging from the academy couldn't quickly cure. TFC are making the effort where the academy and USL team are concerned to make that happen.

Think a few seasons of missed playoffs would be the more likely issue to get people looking for an alternative, especially if there was a feeling that MLSE were treating the team like the Maple Leafs by not trying hard enough to win.

[Rocket Robin]

TFC were down to Jonathan Osorio as a starter and two Canadians on the bench Ashtone Morgan and Jay Chapman in Saturday's game.  The Canadians are no longer even making the bench.    

My question was meant to stress that the league will be increasing the salary cap for Mr. GAM and Mr. TAM so teams can get more foreigners.    Notice how it was Wheeler who cut in "Do you want to win? (or play Canadians)".   Also there will be a 'young players fund' of $3 million to pay for young players--U22s (and you can bet that will be for more foreigners).  

You can also bet if the Americans have trouble qualifying in the next WC cycle, MLS will be obliged to increase the quota of American players on American teams and snap it will be done!  

I will say TFC has never been cheap in financing their Academy system.  It's just they are not obliged to force them into the main team.  With some of my personal questions I asked after the group broke up I continued with Manning, he did say when he came to TFC he was shocked to find the Academy system was devoid of "93s to 97s" but he heard of all the turmoil through those early years.   Now wouldn't you know as soon as the game started the first Vancouver goal was scored by Niagara Falls Ontario's own Russell Teibert at the 3 minute mark who was born in 1992 and was with the TFCA in 2008.   

 

[Ansem]

Winning will keep ensuring their success. Losing will hurt their success. (Montreal attendance inconsistency can happen in Toronto too). Let's not forget that in nearly 10 years they only had like 2 or 3 consecutive competitive seasons...they've been crap the rest of the time...which doesn't help getting casuals on the bandwagon permanently.

So TFC will always want to win no matter what it takes and who plays on the pitch. I actually don't think (for better or for worse) they care about the nationality of a player... it's about "can we win or not" with that guy. 

As for York 9 & Hamilton, I expect these 2 to spend the most/try to win at all cost. Pacific FC, Halifax somewhat have the luxury of being Conservative and field 90% Canadians if they want as they are virtually unopposed in the summer, something CFL cities, a Surrey and Laval team wouldn't have the luxury to afford.

York 9 and Hamilton are very aware of where they are and who's the big team here. Winning a Championship, going to CCL and/or being very competitive is the best way to grow their brand and win share of the market.

TFC flat out spending to get the best squad is their best chance at solidifying their soccer footprint, that's why the whole "Canadian" angle doesn't really register with them. The danger is being mediocre AND playing little to no Canadians... This is where it might start to hurt them if you have a fun competitive Hamilton and York 9 team with one of them winning the cup WITH Canadians. 

This is a unique situation of two D1 league from 2 different countries (please dont bring up Wales...as the history and cultural background is night and day with Canada-US)

[DoyleG]

We should take into consideration that TFC seemed to be riding high and were a goal away from playing the likes of Real Madid.....six months ago.

SIX MONTHS AGO

Now TFC is out of the playoffs as the bench strength wasn't as deep as people thought. Winning the CCL helps alleviate the issues but now you have fans getting tired as winning the title might not matter much, especially if TFC can't repeat even a good performance in the CONCACAF CL.

The emergence of a new league would certainly worry the MLS clubs as younger players now have a viable option to further their careers than playing for TFC II or whatever the Caps and Impact can provide. Ottawa certainly has to have this worry themselves as the non-local talent is considering their options.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

...which begs the question why did Ottawa steer clear and why is TFC not using TFC II to keep Lamport under their thumb in soccer terms? Actions speak louder than words sometimes. If CanPL are pursuing a relatively low budget approach and are not going to be spending silly amounts of money on player salaries, it's like having an ECHL team close by. A minor irritant on ticket sales that is potentially helpful for the sport in development pathway terms rather than the WHA style existential threat that some people on here crave.

[Cblake]

13 hours ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

...which begs the question why did Ottawa steer clear and why is TFC not using TFC II to keep Lamport under their thumb in soccer terms? Actions speak louder than words sometimes. If CanPL are pursuing a relatively low budget approach and are not going to be spending silly amounts of money on player salaries, it's like having an ECHL team close by. A minor irritant on ticket sales that is potentially helpful for the sport in development pathway terms rather than the WHA style existential threat that some people on here crave.

Lamport sees alot of community/rec use. That got in the way of TFCII playing their entire 2018 schedule there and why when a game vs. Ottawa was moved there it had to be played at 6 pm. At this moment Bill Manning and the MLSE braintrust simply do not see the point in putting any effort into the USL. It many ways it like kicking a dead horse, just not worth the effort. It is what it is.