TRM

Thanks for the link I hadn't seen that one. I still don't see how they will place 41 teams in a tournament in just 3 windows. They will still be basing a lot on current FIFA rankings. "final announcement in February" - So I guess we'll find out then.

It can be very slippery. You also forgot some players will just say no thanks due to personal issues that may not be injury related. In the end it will come down to squad rotation for the MNT which will test our depth and we aren't that deep (yet but we are improving). It will have to be a 3 way negotiation type of setup with MNT coach, team & player deciding which games they play in. More squad rotation would help us grow eventually but may cost us some games in the short term. I can see this helping Mexico because they will field a lot of U23 players against the weaker teams. They are deep enough to do that without concern. That will prep their next generation.

That is for "seeding into their leagues" so they sound like they already have league members decided. To do that would require some use of the FIFA ranking. If our prelim opponents are Mexico & USA etc then we are in the top and if it is El Salvador & Nicaragua then we are in D2. Or more entertainingly those games could determine the PRO/REL aspect. Honduras, T&T would play Curacao & Canada to see who gets to be in D1/2. I think we are better than 10th as well but you and I don't have a say in it sadly. No it is good. You are bringing it back on topic

If they are naming it BCFC I think that is a good idea. Make your self as different from the MLS team as possible. No mention of Vancouver in the name.

And they are now on try #3 (affiliation with very limited minutes) I've never said that. If fact I said the teams would develop them but that this is a great opportunity Which none of the 3 MLS teams have and I predict affiliation will reduce the minutes drastically. I wouldn't be so sure. A cost sharing approach could work out better than spending a million a year on the USL teams did so the clubs might be open to the idea.

Because that was where our 18-22 year old MLS players were getting the vast majority of their playing time and now that is gone. I think we actually agree on this point. Scary and kind of weird feeling. All 3 MLS clubs have tried a reserve team, a USL team and now a USL affiliate. The first 2 were abandoned and I don't view the third as viable so the 3 MLS teams will probably try something else next. The 3 MLS teams recognise the importance of games for this group and were so positive that the USL would fill the gap but have now reverted to minimal "contractual obligations" with MLS to at least have an affiliate. I don't know which is worse. Waiting for CPL or waiting for the MLS teams to get their second team figured out.

Ain't it fun to fill quiet time with speculation? Exactly. So let me take a stab at this. 41 teams. 8 in the top group and we are currently 10th so that puts us in tier2 with a group of probably 14 teams. That would leave 19 of the super small teams in tier3. That could be 26 games over 2 years or 13 a year. Here are the teams that would be in tier2 (9th to 22cd) : Curaçao, Canada, El Salvador, St. Kitts and Nevis, Nicaragua, Suriname, Guatemala, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Barbados, Belize, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Puerto Rico. If we can't field a mostly U23 team against at least the bottom half of those and win then we have bigger problems than I thought. I'm not sure how many spots will go through pro/rel but probably 2 with maybe a playoff for a third.

Glad you'd like to see Hammy get more minutes, so would I. And this "functional U21/23 program" is available when and where? It isn't and there isn't anything other than USL affiliation which, given the results of Montreal+Ottawa, I think we both agree won't cut it. The MLS clubs second try at reserve teams is over so we just wait for "third time's the charm"?

Because there is a Gold Cup every year? WCQ every year? They will be basing qualification on results the announcement says so we field our U23s and bring in the big guns when we need to qualify. I don't know why you frame this as a Whitecaps issue. In case you missed it there is a fellow named Hamilton who could really use this too. So for the players who haven't taken the spot on their MLS team there will be no USL for 2 possibly 3 of the MLS teams next year, no CPL but there is a CLoN league starting in September 2018 and we shouldn't consider using it in this fashion? Pray tell what is your alternative to getting more high level playing time for the 18-22 group?

There also was mention of relegation in one of the articles I read. That would put us in the "more games" group. The CONCACAF announcement article has it. http://www.concacaf.com/article/concacaf-league-of-nations-confirmed

Which is at least double what we are doing currently for the U23s. This is a great chance to get more serious playing time for those players who haven't taken a starting 11 spot. It is up to CONCACAF to not schedule CLoN league games during its own Gold Cup tournament. I'd hope they'd be smart enough to do that.

If true then the CSA should be trying to get us into the on with the most games. If it is by current CONCACAF standings (we are 10th) we would be in the 16 team group. Why would you expect it to be that split? Geography?

This link "http://www.concacaf.com/article/concacaf-league-of-nations-confirmed" says 41 teams into 3 leagues so 13/14 teams a league. Home and home and there are 25 or so games that could potentially played. My bad to forget the link to the Belize comment. It is here: "https://www.socceramerica.com/publications/article/75736/concacafs-new-league-of-nations-will-shake-up-us.html"

Too many games for our top players. They mentioned Belize going from less than 14 to 15-30 games a year so this is a full on league. Soccer is already demanding on players especially those starting in the top leagues. Maybe 2-3 like the Olympic regulations. MLS players who are coming back from injury and need the playing time to get back to the starting 11 on their clubs, etc. Keep them for the special tournaments, Gold Cup & WCQ (which will be more games WHEN we make the hex next time!!) and select friendlies to get ready for those competitions which would fit into the CLoN schedule.

Lets use this to provide more games for the MLS U23 players. First getting them used to CONCACAF conditions would be great. Second it would give them more playing time. Third they also get to play year round including the winter off season!! That means they come into MLS preseason camps game ready giving them a leg up on their competition (at least initially). Fourth it would be 100% Canadians unlike USL, NASL, etc, and being an official match it would cap tie all the youth who played.. I think this is a great balance. The teams pay and train the players and the CSA provides games for those who haven't taken a starting spot yet. Travel and expenses would be covered by the CSA.