Wait...Bez set up a FFA thing? Or did he just facilitate US people going to it?
From what I can tell he was the one who set up the partnership on behalf of the league, then he ran the program in its first year before he came here. IIRC part of his job at MLS was putting together and managing youth and academy initiatives. This was one of them.
I may be totally off base but that's what what I've read basically says/implies.
I agree there aren't a ton of great Canadian players. However the fact that the Cdn MLS teams also don't have so many Cdn players, and starters, proves nothing. A Canadian player is more likely a risk, and less likely an asset, for the Canadian teams as well. If any Cdn MLS team wants to move a Canadian player for any reason, only the other two Cdn team have the same lack of roster restrictions for those players. It's much less likely that there will be matching interest for a trade or other transaction, if there are only two other teams available, rather than 19. And those other two Cdn teams will know you're desperate to dump that Cdn player, and will bargain accordingly.
Of course the Canadian player pool is much smaller. The US has about ten times the population, and US player development & the national teams (starting at the youth level) are much better. But generally a Canadian player will have less value, and more risk, than a US player of equal skill, due to the restrictions. That impacts the middling squad players, where US Americans will much more likely play all over the league for years, at average salaries, than Canadians. It affects young players that are just starting & developing as well. And long term it also can affect the "star" players, as some of those young players, and some of those middling players, end up developing and improving over the years.
Kelly (while usually an insufferable individual) has an interesting article on the globe and Mail site. It basically says we'll qualify for the wc and achieve things when we actually develop some sense of urgency. Until then, we're dead in the water.
After watching the last two cycles i can't say I disagree.
We have gone a fair distance backwards, for the moment only I hope. The Honduras debacle aside, the 2008-2012 CMNT, the won the got jobbed in the Gold Cup, that team was much better than the current group. If Hume hadn't had his career wrecked by that head injury... if JDG2 had played here... I think that earlier team could play Costa Rica and Honduras as equals, they had a real shot at WC qualification.
This current team never gave me that feeling.
Re Canadians in MLS, I don't think it matters. We have always had guys from equivalent leagues in Scotland, Romania, whatever. Atiba has played most (all?) of his career outside MLS but in secondary leagues.
The special difference-maker players are at academies in Europe, and we somehow need to be part of those kids development/thinking now. I hope somebody has that 10 year view. I doubt it.
Last edited by ensco; 09-15-2016 at 07:21 AM.
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
Montagliani is on the FAN 590 with Jeff Blair.
“Years have gone by and I’ve finally learned to accept myself for who I am: a beggar for good football.
I go about the world, hand outstretched, and in the stadiums I plead: ‘A pretty move, for the love of God.’
And when good football happens, I give thanks for the miracle and I don’t give a damn which team or country performs it.”
-Eduardo Galeano
Talks about Floro and looking for a replacement, nothing about the MLS domestic issue.
Says we're better than we were last time around with players like Larin, Hoilet joining, but says were still not good enough for world cup.
I will post the file when it uploads, its the 10AM segment for the Jeff Blair show.
Robbo doing a Floro next season
Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/ProvinceWeber/status/776528180647571456
Orlando sells out its 18K of season tickets for its new stadium next season. 25 500 capacity.
Interesting when you look at the pics. Bascially take the rake from the upper tier on the East side of BMO and use that in the supporter's end.
Hmm....
Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/TotalMLS/status/778283133514895360
lol Altidore's free kick is losing to Larin's average strike by 83% to 17% in goal of the week voting. That's some grade A ballot-stuffing from Orlando fans.
TFC make partnership with FC London as a satellite team. This is in addition to their other satellite team Windsor TFC. Good news for development.
Interesting... considering that the Whitecaps have already put an academy in place in London. I guess TFC is trying to protect their turf?
FWIW, Devos posted something a couple of years ago indicating that player development in London can be a bit of a macho shit show with one club insisting on keeping score from age 4.
On another note, no TFC people in the top 24 under 24 thing the league puts out.
Canadian Messi as #1 is kinda cool
However, Doyle makes a good point
Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/MLSAnalyst/status/778996239941578753
Toronto FC,#CMNT & #CWNT, Scotland, Heart of Midlothian FC, Tottenham Hotspur FC
"The Harder the Struggle, The Greater the Reward" - @OsoJ92AWAY DAYS - CHICAGO August 2017, MONTREAL March 2018
Gerard 'Tata' Martino named new Atlanta United coach.
Big name, should be interesting to see how he works out.
“Years have gone by and I’ve finally learned to accept myself for who I am: a beggar for good football.
I go about the world, hand outstretched, and in the stadiums I plead: ‘A pretty move, for the love of God.’
And when good football happens, I give thanks for the miracle and I don’t give a damn which team or country performs it.”
-Eduardo Galeano
Haven't they already signed a DP? Figured if you were bringing in a high profile coach you would wait for his input before making major personnel decisions.