It is essential for the franchise, unveiled as one of eight to 10 to compete in the coast-to-coast domestic men’s soccer league’s debut season, to gain acceptance quickly.

If the CPL entry draws 1,000 fans or less per game, then what? Will lukewarm fan support scuttle the construction of the 12,000- to 15,000-seat stadium the York 9 group seeks to build or have built?

The point of hope is that MLSE has found great success with Toronto FC. A decade or so ago, who would have bet on the popularity of TFC?

Everyone at Thursday’s launch for York 9 said the right things. Pushing the appeal of York Region’s nine municipalities together, despite playing from York University for at least two or three years, is an attempt to create an identity.

“There wasn’t a better place than York Region,” said Brennan. “We want everyone to understand this is a York Region club and that it fits in York Region. The 9 in our name speaks for itself.

“We’ve included everybody, whether it is Vaughan or Keswick,” said Brennan. “It’s your club.”

Where is the connect to entice a family in Sutton to make that drive to York University? Will soccer fans in Newmarket, Stouffville, Markham or Aurora feel the desire to follow a club which, at best, will feature players culled from, well, that point is not yet clear.

The desire is for talent cultivated from York Region’s municipalities.

Finally, how will this calibre play in a market that prefers to watch only the best level possible in any of its sports?

“TFC was in the same position as us 10 years ago,” said Brennan, who became the first captain for the Reds. “TFC raised the bar, but we are not competing with them.”

The first two or three years are going to be difficult playing out of York University. Remember, TFC II was supposed to be getting a stadium built in Vaughan, too, and that never happened.

The York 9 philosophy, repeated many times during the unveiling night, is Canadians helping Canadians progress in the sport.

It may work. It might not.

— John Cudmore is a longtime, award-winning sports reporter. His Cuddy Shark column appears weekly.