Hamilton & Ottawa formally apply for NASL

[bettermirror]

http://www.metronews.ca/toronto/blog/post/589838

Great news. Especially with Edmonton joining, Victoria wanting to, and surely Calgary not far behind. I am guessing Winnipeg and/or Maritimes/Quebec will get in ASAP too.

[Richard]

Interesting that the two Ottawa groups and Hamilton are all seeking NASL franchises, not USL-1. What does that say about the future of USL-1?

[jpg75]

I'm not sure USL-1 will even exist next season.

[masster]

http://www.metronews.ca/toronto/comm...but-plan-first

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

I'd be more confident about these NASL expansion franchises if the ownership groups had plans to build soccer specific stadia similar to that of the Charleston Battery with capacity in the 5 to 10k range. The track record of making things work in NFL, CFL or college football stadia is not good although the shared ownership in Hamilton definitely helps. Hope it works, however. The gap between MLS youth academy level and MLS needs to be filled with something more substantial than either PDL or local leagues like the CSL and PCSL. That could maybe viewed as the equivalent of class A baseball or the ECHL in development terms , while what's really needed is the equivalent of AAA and the AHL.

[Macksam]

I'd be more confident about these NASL expansion franchises if the ownership groups had plans to build soccer specific stadia similar to that of the Charleston Battery with capacity in the 5 to 10k range. The track record of making things work in NFL, CFL or college football stadia is not good although the shared ownership in Hamilton definitely helps. Hope it works, however. The gap between MLS youth academy level and MLS needs to be filled with something more substantial than either PDL or local leagues like the CSL and PCSL. That could maybe viewed as the equivalent of class A baseball or the ECHL in development terms , while what's really needed is the equivalent of AAA and the AHL.

I think as the CSL improves, it can be that stepping stone.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

I can remember 20 years of talk of expanding from coast to coast and moving to the next level from the CSL and its predecessors. Anyone else remember some of the weird and wonderful claims that used to be made on Toronto Italia telecasts on Rogers TV 20 years ago? There was a diminutive guy with a beard, who Ben Knight sometimes used to interview at half-time, who would drone on and on about how the NSL having teams in Montreal was only the beginning for the NSL and how the NSL represented the future for Canadian soccer and would eventually spread from coast to coast. Used to think "pass me some of whatever he's been smoking" as I watched that and still find myself often thinking similar thoughts when I read CSL press releases in the present day. Stuff like Los Angeles Galaxy 1 Puerto Rico 4 (yes I know the Islanders are in the USL rather than the NASL camp) this season after knocking out TFC at the same stage last year is the reason why I see the NASL as soccer's answer to AAA baseball in the years ahead (i.e. a league very close in quality to MLS from which players can be expected to step right into the starting lineup at MLS level as the finished article in terms of being a pro player).

[TFCRegina]

I can remember 20 years of talk of expanding from coast to coast and moving to the next level from the CSL and its predecessors. Anyone else remember some of the weird and wonderful claims that used to be made on Toronto Italia telecasts on Rogers TV 20 years ago? There was a diminutive guy with a beard, who Ben Knight sometimes used to interview at half-time, who would drone on and on about how the NSL having teams in Montreal was only the beginning for the NSL and how the NSL represented the future for Canadian soccer and would eventually spread from coast to coast. Used to think "pass me some of whatever he's been smoking" as I watched that and still find myself often thinking similar thoughts when I read CSL press releases in the present day. Stuff like Los Angeles Galaxy 1 Puerto Rico 4 (yes I know the Islanders are in the USL rather than the NASL camp) this season after knocking out TFC at the same stage last year is the reason why I see the NASL as soccer's answer to AAA baseball in the years ahead (i.e. a league very close in quality to MLS from which players can be expected to step right into the starting lineup at MLS level as the finished article in terms of being a pro player).

If you have nothing nice to say about the CSL, don't say anything at all. Thanks.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

^^That's kind of the problem with Canadian soccer sometimes. People saying nothing negative when something completely delusional is proposed by the powers that be with the consequence being that the whole cycle of underachievement bordering on outright failure repeats itself decade after decade.

If we have 3 MLS teams and half-a-dozen or so NASL teams ten years from now (something like Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Ottawa and Quebec City) courtesy of USSF rather than CSA sanctioned leagues, Canadian pro soccer will be in really good shape and the issue that may lumber over the horizon at the FIFA level will be whether there should be a standalone Canadian Soccer League based on telling the MLS and NASL franchises to leave the USSF sanctioned leagues to form a new national league under the auspices of the CSA.

Getting a league like the NASL to work after many of the strongest USL-D1 markets (other than Rochester) have left for MLS is not going to be easy, however, so getting to that point could take a very long time.

[TFCRegina]

^^That's kind of the problem with Canadian soccer sometimes. People saying nothing negative when something completely delusional is proposed by the powers that be with the consequence being that the whole cycle of underachievement bordering on outright failure repeats itself decade after decade.

If we have 3 MLS teams and half-a-dozen or so NASL teams ten years from now (something like Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Ottawa and Quebec City) courtesy of USSF rather than CSA sanctioned leagues, Canadian pro soccer will be in really good shape and the issue that may lumber over the horizon at the FIFA level will be whether there should be a standalone Canadian Soccer League based on telling the MLS and NASL franchises to leave the USSF sanctioned leagues to form a new national league under the auspices of the CSA.

Getting a league like the NASL to work after many of the strongest USL-D1 markets (other than Rochester) have left for MLS is not going to be easy, however, so getting to that point could take a very long time.

Nobody is saying you need to not have the NASL/MLS. I'm not in favour of a national Canadian league. I'm in favour of a semi-professional third tier, which is exactly what the CSL is. There's nothing wrong with having a third tier.

In Europe, much of the development happens in the lower leagues and players make the jump up to higher divisions. We need that block in place between the professional and amateur levels.

Bashing the CSL for being a niche league which performs a niche role doesn't help Canadian soccer one bit. The CSL is what it is, but it's also where we have two academy programs and it has the potential to be a strong developmental league.