Vs Statement on Canadians in MLS?

[narduch]

It feels like we've sold our souls as Canadian national team fans for the sake of being part of a top level professional league.

While I agree the teams need to be competitive, the current quota is a joke.

Besides, EVERY soccer league in the world has quotas limiting foreigners. But the 3 Canadian MLS teams are an anomaly in how badly they discriminate against players from their own country. Its sad.

[Mr.Impact]

Didn't stop Inter Milan from fielding 11 foreigners and winning the 2010 UEFA champions league.

[Gordon]

Didn't stop Inter Milan from fielding 11 foreigners and winning the 2010 UEFA champions league.

Seria A restricts foreign players to 3 on the field. Where you are confused is by the EU labour mobility laws that defines EU nationals as domestics. Sort of like what occurs in MLS except, it does not advantage only one nationality. ie if things were equivalent in MLS, Canadians would be domestic in the US. Obviously not the case here.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

US Labor law is the key obstacle on that rather than MLS. The original plan was for an 28 man roster with 4 senior internationals, 3 youth internationals and 3 additional Americans. That meant 18 out of 28 Canadian. Canadian domestic players of sufficient quality with a willingness to play in MLS were not there in sufficient numbers to make that work so changes had to be made. The huge investment that is being made in youth academy systems by the three MLS teams will hopefully transform the situation over the next decade.

[Mr.Impact]

Seria A restricts foreign players to 3 on the field. Where you are confused is by the EU labour mobility laws that defines EU nationals as domestics. Sort of like what occurs in MLS except, it does not advantage only one nationality. ie if things were equivalent in MLS, Canadians would be domestic in the US. Obviously not the case here.

I guess the rule doesn't apply to champions league because Inter Milan had 3 Brazilians, 4 from Argentina, and one player from Cameroon. in there starting 11.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_UE...s_League_Final

Unless some of the South American players hold EU passports, which again is just away around the rules.

At the end of the day, the biggest loser in this case is Italian football, and they paid the price at the 2010 World Cup. Draw your own conclusion as to what MLS could be doing to Canadian Football.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

In the absence of MLS expansion there would be no D1 soccer being played in Canada and there would be significantly fewer CMNT players playing in North America as opposed to obscure leagues in Europe.

[youllneverwalkalone]

In the absence of MLS expansion there would be no D1 soccer being played in Canada and there would be significantly fewer CMNT players playing in North America as opposed to obscure leagues in Europe.

In the absense of Canada, there would be signficantly less MLS revenue and intangibles like supporter culture which the league is currently building it's brand upon.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

What does that have to do with what I wrote or the subject matter of this thread?

[youllneverwalkalone]

What does that have to do with what I wrote or the subject matter of this thread?

I started the thread. I'm well aware of the subject matter. The question at hand is whether Canadian soccer supporters, who contribute significantly to MLS revenues, have a voice on the issues of Canadian content in the league.

We've addressed these issues:

1. Canadian quota for MLS (league issue, low quota supported by the Canadian clubs, not likely to change for now)
2. Canadian quota for Vs Cup (CSA issue, could change)
3. Removing international status for Canadians in the US: labour law, yes, but Garber indicated an exemption is available if warranted but doesn't currently think the current half dozen Canadians on US teams is enough; bit of a chicken and the egg there.

You're saying that we should be content because without MLS, the dozen or so Canadians on Canadian MLS squads would not have jobs. My counter point is that we pay for those jobs, whether it be directly or indirectly. Do we get a fair return?

I'm not disagreeing with your point, I'm just asking a follow-up question.

In my view, MLS is in a tough spot because the clubs are lobbying so hard to keep the quota low (when I say clubs, I mean Lenarduzzi, because TFC could obviously live with 6 or even 8,9,10). Perhaps it's because of this economic contribution that the league has allowed the Canadian clubs to have an "advantage." But for the long-term, I think tough love would work better. Quotas have helped the USMNT no doubt about it. I'd like to see the quota increase to 6 and I'd like to see these players be eligible for the MNT.

[maccaliam]

But for the long-term, I think tough love would work better. Quotas have helped the USMNT no doubt about it. I'd like to see the quota increase to 6 and I'd like to see these players be eligible for the MNT.

I would love for the number to be pushed to six, even if it was put in place that this will only be the case starting in 2015 and thus allowing clubs who may say it is presently impossible to actively work towards it. I have a feeling the labour laws would prevent only eligible MNT players being counted as domestics but i would be more than happy to be proven wrong.