The recent developments of both MLS/USL Pro Reserve League agreement & the piece courtesy of Ben Rycroft on the Canadian Soccer Association severing ties with the Canadian Soccer League brings about many questions. One of which highlights something that I’ve brought up in other articles in the past, which is the need for a focus on North American interests when it comes to player development within Major League Soccer via a structured and streamlined MLS Reserve League.
When speaking about the CSA/CSL article, one of the main concerns is what will happen to Toronto FC and Montreal Impact Academies, both for the short term and long term? As the article points out, participation in an unsanctioned league which the CSL would be if they choose to continue without CSA approval would deem players ineligible to participate in a sanctioned league like MLS.
There has been a release from the CSL noting the CSA has not severed ties, however, there has been no official statement from the CSA which only serves to muddy this issue. However, until then, add to this the fact that the MLS/USL Pro agreement, as currently set up, only consists of a home and home series between affiliated clubs and up to four players being loaned from MLS to USL Pro. In the immediate future this isn’t a fruitful option for Canadian clubs, but is more geared toward clubs like Orlando City, for example, whom have ambitions of becoming an MLS club in the future getting a chance to learn from a top MLS club like Sporting Kansas City.
All of this brings me to the need for youth development within MLS to target North American interests rather than separating between U.S. and Canada. As the league is well beyond the days of being strictly an American league since its inception in 1996, one of the significant decisions MLS likes to promote as a major positive was its expansion into Canada.
This was not only growing the league's fan base and expanding their markets, but also committing to the development of soccer culture in the country and in turn its young players. This is not to say that USSF and CSA should have a direct influence in how the other nation's players are developed, but solely in the instance of forming a reserve league that will give young players within MLS more playing time, while all being self contained, rather than involving North American lower leagues.
In my opinion there is a need for both soccer associations to share resources and come together in order to improve the development structure within MLS. Currently the 9-10 match schedule has the feeling of being an afterthought and doesn’t aid in the development of Canadian or American players, which in turn hurts the respective national teams (admittedly hurting Canada much more than the US).
In a perfect world both countries would eye Mexico as the ideal model to follow. However, when it comes to CONCACAF, and specifically the development and cultivation of young players, they are playing chess while the rest are playing tic-tac-toe, to the point that most Mexican players are deciding to stay in Liga MX rather than move abroad.
The days of Major League Soccer holding solely American interests should be a thing of the past. In the areas of developing and cultivating young players at this level, this is in the best interest of all involved for the MLS Reserve League to be a major focus for not only the clubs and countries, but ultimately the players themselves.
|