I’m not sure if Canadian soccer has ever truly found its way to the light at the end of the tunnel, but 2019 looks like the year that might happen. What I mean by this is there’s always been a negative side to any progress it feels like Canadian soccer is making: MLS coming to Canada but truly not being in the best interest of the game here; CanMNT getting a new manager but his tactics and strategies are antiquated despite his pedigree; CanWNT making a statement of becoming the top national team in the world but continuing to fail the US test; great looking youth prospects but substandard coaching sees yet another youth national team miss its World Cup. I’m not trying to open old wounds, I’m just trying to paint the historical annual picture we’ve all come to know and loathe.

2019 doesn’t feel like previous years. The last few months of 2018 have really set the stage for what I believe is going to be a stellar new year of Canadian soccer progress. We’ve already been treated to three competitive matches in the CONCACAF Nations League Qualifiers where CanMNT looked aggressively vicious in attack. Sure, we have some concerns about our defensive depth, but when you have a front line attack being led by Jr. Hoilett, Lucas Cavallini, Alphonso Davies, Ballou Tabla, Jonathan David, Scotty Arfield, and Liam Millar, just to name only some of the attack-minded depth we now have, we can start to get confident when looking at matches against the larger Central American and Caribbean nations. We have so many great upcoming matches for CanMNT to look forward to as well. First up is the final Nations League qualifying against French Guiana at home in Vancouver. Where it was Mexico who benefitted from the near-perfect playing surface BC Place’s turf provides, now it’ll be us in that position with the Guianese struggling to keep pace. The Gold Cup will give this new attack-minded squad its first real test against those larger CONCACAF nations. I for one cannot wait to see how much offensive pressure we’re able to put Honduras, Jamaica, Panama, Costa Rica, and the yanks under. Phonzie is already getting minutes with Bayern, and has already pulled off some crazy skill in a cup match to boot! Unleash him against this CONCACAF opposition and let the kid eat them alive. Let Cavallini bully his way in front of goal. Let Hoilett break ankles on the wing and send in juicy crosses begging to be finished. Hell he can shoot too (see his goal vs. Jamaica two years ago). Let Tabla dizzy a defender with 8,000 step-overs before frying him to open up space. Let me have a handkerchief to wipe the sweat away I’m gettin a little hot under the collar here! After the Gold Cup we get the debut season of the CONCACAF Nations League. Once again we’ll grouped with the better sides CONCACAF has to offer, all the while playing competitive games instead of meaningless friendlies. It’ll likely mean more high-stakes home matches as well. When is that not a good thing?

CanWNT has the 2019 Women’s World Cup to look forward to. Starting it all off this year are a couple friendlies in Spain where we can hope to see the progress from last year built upon further this year. I’m fine with Heiner-Moeller at the helm. He’s brought some new dynamism to the women we hadn’t seen under Herdman. I still don’t think we can truly challenge for the World Cup, but I think we can continue to pull off some surprises. We’ve got a tough group, but it’s one we can actually top. This is a tournament we could go very deep into if we get our tactics right.

We’ve now got four pro women’s clubs in the country, as Regina’s Queen City United just announced a United Women’s Soccer team in Saskatchewan’s capital. Foothills still operates their UWS club so there will be an instant rivalry there.

In British Columbia, the TSS FC Rovers are joined by EPIC Victoria in the Women’s Premier Soccer League, which may spur a women’s version of the Juan de Fuca Plate currently contested by USL League Two teams TSS FC Rovers & Victoria Highlanders.

The importance of geographical rivalries can’t be overstated – these four clubs will be the key pieces to helping each other continue to exist moving forward. Now there are more options for young Canadian girls aspiring to go pro.

We’re mere months away from the first ever Canadian Premier League matches. What was once a dream of those of us who understood that MLS wasn’t the green pasture needed if Canadian soccer wished to grow healthily has now become a reality.

We.

Get.

Our.

Own.

League.

Just let that sink in again like it did when the league formally announced itself. Every time I think about it I can’t help but feel this astonishing optimism about the future of the men’s game in the country. True, the picture won’t be complete until the same exists for the women’s game, but our men’s game needs the most help right now. We now have seven clubs set to kick off in April. We’re going to have a Canadian Premier League champion, who will get to add the very first star over their badge. We might see that club earn a spot in the CONCACAF League, as it has already been publicly stated the only Champions League spot will be awarded to the Voyageurs Cup champion. There will be a Golden Boot winner. There will be at minimum six Canadians who have to start every match. Those are six more Canadians per club who are getting starting minutes than previous years. The significance of all this is staggering. There will be away days for Canadian soccer fans who previously gave a damn and now for brand new fans of the game who will get to fall in love with the Canadian game because of these experiences. I know I’m missing other major points but find me on Twitter and tell me the number one thing about the league you’re looking forward to that I didn’t mention here. Or if I did mention it, tell me anyway because I’ll talk Canadian soccer with anyone any time for any reason.

Speaking of the Voyageurs Cup, we get an expanded version this year. For the first time ever the Canadian Premier League clubs will join the fray. I love the Voyageurs Cup. It is the number one football-related thing I look forward to every year. Since its revamp in 2008 to a knockout competition, we’ve had some outstanding, memorable moments. Each of us have different moments stuck in our memories that aren’t the major moments either. Like, I remember when Ansu Toure tore TFC apart at Swangard and scored one of the best left-footed finishes I’d seen in years. It wasn’t magnificent or highlight-reel necessarily, but he just owned the pitch for about 30 seconds and showed all of us the gap between clubs wasn’t really all that big. I look forward to that moment in this year’s competition. Perhaps it will be the PLSQ’s AS Blainville who claim the first CanPL scalp? Perhaps a CanPL club takes out Vancouver or Montreal en route to challenging TFC in the semis? I don’t know what the moment will be that will stick with me personally from this year’s competition, but man I can’t wait for it! Plus we all know there’s going to be at least one major talking point about the cup this year. Will FC Edmonton get another Montreal Screwjob? Will the fence collapse again in Laval?

More minor things to look forward to are TFC, Montreal, and the Whitecaps’ MLS seasons, Canucks plying their trade abroad (and hopefully moves to bigger and better opportunities for them), and the growth of our youth national teams. It all plays a part in what I think is the greatest prospective year in Canadian soccer history. We all get to be a part of it. Just sit back and soak it all in.

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Jeff Salisbury Canadian soccer fanatic. Member of The Voyageurs, Bridge City Firm, and prime member of the #FromTheBlackHole podcast. Allez Les Rouges!

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