It's not a completely done deal, and maybe the mountain of logistical details will prove too high to scale in a few months, but it's virtually certain Ottawa will be joining the Canadian Premier League. With a good chance to play this season, or at least in this season's fall schedule.

That is massive news for Canadian soccer, not only because it's the nation's capital but because of who will own in it. Directly and via a trickle-down effect it will be good for Hamilton's league champion Forge FC and for local soccer in general.

Social media outlets in Canada and, more widely-spread, in Spain are confidently stating that Atl�tico Madrid has bought an Ottawa franchise in the CPL and wants to hit the field this season. The team would be called Atl�tico Ottawa and bear the trademark stripes of the Madrid side, which is the third-most influential in La Liga behind Barcelona and cross-city rivals Real Madrid.

"I can't confirm that," was CPL commissioner David Maclanachan's only comment to The Spectator, and that was anticipated. The league has always held its face cards close to its vest until the full hand has been played. Until there is a formal deal, with a good lease at Ottawa's TD Place, and a concrete 2020 schedule not even a hint of a formal announcement will be coming.

But, have no doubt, Atl�tico Ottawa is coming. And that's huge for the CPL and for league-champion Forge.

An even number of teams will provide a balanced schedule, which means fewer - if any - of the mid-week games here forced by a seven-team loop. That should mean larger single-game crowds and a less rigorous travel schedule, which will improve the quality of play.

It also puts the league into three of the CFL's newest stadia and into five CFL cities overall. Hamilton-Ottawa is a turn-key rivalry because of the short but intense Redblacks-Ticats history and the House of Young can make a lot of that to attract fans from outside the soccer-only sphere.

An Ottawa franchise in the CPL this year or even next, plus two others anticipated for 2021, translates into more than three dozen more jobs for Canadian players. With Hamilton United getting its own men's team this summer to join its women's side in CPL-owned League1 Ontario, there's deep aspirational and motivational value to expansion: a very clear career path for locals to follow, which should keep younger players in the game longer.

The Ottawa team rises from the controversial ashes of Fury FC which Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group folded and essentially sold to Miami interests. But OSEG's enormously popular Jeff Hunt is involved in the new ownership.

The new MO of top European clubs is to promote their brands with a majority, or full, stake in teams in other leagues. Manchester City owns NYC FC of the MLS and Atl�tico Madrid bought at least 50 per cent interest of a Mexican team, renamed it Atl�tico San Luis, and soon had it promoted to the top division. Their track record indicates they'll be sending top soccer people to Ontario.

Spain had already dramatically influenced the future of the CPL with the $200-million, 10-year broadcast deal last spring with Barcelona-based Mediapro which delivered solid game-day productions through its Canadian arm, OneSoccer.

And now this. If the rumoured $9-million expansion purchase price is anywhere close to the truth, CPL franchise value has just tripled within a single year and to have one of the world's top 10 soccer brands in the league raises the bar for prospective owners and betters the chances for long-term survival.

Which is good for everyone in Canadian soccer, including the CPL's founding franchise.

smilton@thespec.com

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