In this article Zachary Lerman analyses why the Canadian Premier League is already proving that the MLS needs to up its game…

As a fan of Major League Soccer, I have seen the league grow leaps and bounds over the past few years. With each expansion team seemingly garnering more support and hype than the “1.0 franchises” ever did, and attendances are steadily rising. There is reason for optimism given that domestic soccer can be sustainable in a country where professional soccer has had it’s fair share of trouble in the past. There are however; many problems that I wish MLS would fix.

Now, however; is time to look north at the newly formed Canadian Premier League. I like some American soccer fans am intrigued to see if the young league can grow interest in the domestic game in Canada and create a long term vision for player development and fan engagement that can ultimately rival that of MLS and Liga MX. So far, as a soccer fan I am impressed with what is developing up north. Let me explain why in three different contexts.

1. The league already has an emphasis on developing Canadian talent.

Unlike MLS, a league that markets itself as “the league of choice” in North America and is home to many big name European stars, the CPL is shifting away from this type of short term thinking based on marketing and business metrics.

The CPL is taking it one step further with the creation of other rules that give Canadian players more opportunities. Something the MLS hasn’t ever thought of doing.

Open trials were held across CPL catchment areas.

Some rules for the CPL include a minimum of six Canadian players starting per game, a requirement that 50% + 1 players on team rosters must be Canadian, and a limit on foreign nationals. Additionally, three of the domestic players must be under the age of 21 and play at least a combined 1,000 minutes per season.

Now, the MLS has just started producing young talent and the emphasis on youth development will continue as MLS matures. However; the CPL has put an emphasis on the domestic player from its birth.

This explains why the league according to transfermarkt.co.uk the CPL is currently 28.4% foreigner, unlike the MLS, which is 55.5% foreigner. The CPL also has an average age of 24.6 years old, while MLS current has an average age of 26.1, a difference of almost two years.

2. The CPL commissioner is open to “pro-rel” in the future.

Under Don Garber’s reign, MLS has expanded significantly in terms of the number of teams and soccer specific stadia. Domestic soccer at least in division one has shown for the first time in a long time that it can be stable and sustainable given proper investment and the right ownership groups who understand the city they are representing.

The CPL has used MLS’s marketing strategies thus far, creating clubs from scratch that represent the city or geographic area. For example, the Forge of Hamilton represent the steel mills of the city while the Cavalry of Calgary represent the city’s love for horses and the rugged cowboy culture of Alberta. The branding and unity of the league is very similar to that of MLS.

However, there are already differences between the two leagues. Unlike Don Garber, who continues to avoid the topic of “pro-rel” in the near future, CPL commissioner David Clanachan mentioned he would like to see pro-rel in the near future once the league has expanded to around 20 teams by 2026.

When it comes to expansion Clanachan said that he would avoid MLS markets last year, but now that sentiment seems to be changing. Recently it was announced that later this month that two new CPL teams would be announced from Quebec City and the Montreal/Laval area.

The CPL is also currently in conversations with other owners to expand to Ottawa, regardless of whether the USL side Ottawa Fury decides to join the CPL or not. Clanachan has also even hinted at expanding the larger Vancouver area in the future. The CPL is showing that it is not afraid to enter MLS markets or at least the suburbs of these markets and that the one pro team, one city expansion model of MLS isn’t the only way to go.

Lastly, the CPL has already partnered with League 1 Ontario (the league below the CPL). MLS has done the same with USL. Though Clanachan is already thinking about pro-rel as a possibility, unlike Garber who often deflects or says that he will get to it at a later date once the league is done expanding.

3. The stadiums/facilities currently in use are organic and can be expanded in the future as the league grows.

With York9 Football Club building a new stadium, Pacific FC, Edmonton, and Halifax expanding their temporary stadiums, the league is doing something that MLS has never really thought of doing.

Instead of building giant soccer palaces like that many new MLS teams, the CPL is going a different route. Halifax, Pacific FC, Edmonton, and Calgary are all currently in makeshift small stadia with room to expand in the future. The most interesting of the four being Cavalry FC, whose ground is on a horse jumping venue known as Spruce Meadows. Forge FC (Hamilton) and Valour FC (Winnipeg) are the only teams in giant Canadian Football League facilities at the moment.

Cavalry FC’s Spruce Meadows stadium is built on a horse jumping venue.

The CPL is being really creative thus far with where they put their teams and is open to expansion and change in the future if need be. For all teams, their ultimate goal should be to have a permanent stadium of their own, the likes of which York9 FC is building at the moment. Though this will take time as any new stadium projects do. Either way these temporary venues are organic and near the population centre of the many Canadian cities.

The attendances might be small, but the league is young. With room for expansion at temporary venues and the possibility of building permanent venues in the near future, the CPL is already more forward thinking in this respect than MLS who has built many soccer specific palaces in the suburbs of cities, where lack of access to population centers and public transportation is one of the key issues in why some MLS franchises have drawn few large crowds in recent seasons (i.e. New York Red Bulls, Chicago Fire, Colorado Rapids, etc.).

Do you agree with Zachary’s opinion? Is the MLS already falling behind the CPL? As always, let us in the comments below or on social media @OverTheBarFB on Twitter and on Facebook at: Over The Bar Football Blog

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