Mississauga Mississauga Soccer Stadium | ?m | ?s | City of Mississauga

[SaugeenJunction]

The population of Pawtucket is 75k people. Mississauga has at least 700k. We’re talking a 10x difference. Or how about other places our size have cfl, nhl, mlb teams. But here we’re talking about a minor minor sports team. I think that’s a mistake.

Again we are also taking not only about what we’re building but where we are building. This land is a limited resource.

FYI the CPL is considered by FIFA to be the same level as the MLS. The CPL is Canada's top-tier men's soccer league, and the MLS is the USA's top tier sports league (we just happen to have 3 Canadian teams in that league). CPL teams have played MLS teams on numerous occasions and have won numerous times (Can Champs for example). The league is young, but will grow as soccer is Canada's #1 sport by participation.

I know not many people here have been to Halifax before, but going to a HFX Wanderers game will sell you on the league's vision. About 7,000 attendees every game for their downtown stadium with zero parking and a blast.

 

[just east of the creek]

FYI the CPL is considered by FIFA to be the same level as the MLS. The CPL is Canada's top-tier men's soccer league, and the MLS is the USA's top tier sports league (we just happen to have 3 Canadian teams in that league). CPL teams have played MLS teams on numerous occasions and have won numerous times (Can Champs for example). The league is young, but will grow as soccer is Canada's #1 sport by participation.

I know not many people here have been to Halifax before, but going to a HFX Wanderers game will sell you on the league's vision. About 7,000 attendees every game for their downtown stadium with zero parking and a blast.

I disagree.Regardless of what FIFA in their political wisdom thinks, CPL will not approach the consistent quality of MLS, and CPL players will move along as they gain scouted attention, as they do now. The overall records of the matches played between the two leagues will depend on the quality of the players fielded for each match, and as on any league, certain players will be rested, and others may play in matches that do. It have a direct impact on league standings. You see upsets in contests such as FA matches, you will see the same here.

Regardless of the league, attendance can be strong for either. And if we support footie in this country, as we do junior hockey and others, they should be. People may shrug at 7,000 paid attendance for a game, but depending on the league, team and venue, that can be a great crowd supporting a strong program.

 

[Tim MacDonald]

Current view of the site on November 23rd

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

I disagree.Regardless of what FIFA in their political wisdom thinks, CPL will not approach the consistent quality of MLS, and CPL players will move along as they gain scouted attention, as they do now. The overall records of the matches played between the two leagues will depend on the quality of the players fielded for each match, and as on any league, certain players will be rested, and others may play in matches that do. It have a direct impact on league standings. You see upsets in contests such as FA matches, you will see the same here.

Regardless of the league, attendance can be strong for either. And if we support footie in this country, as we do junior hockey and others, they should be. People may shrug at 7,000 paid attendance for a game, but depending on the league, team and venue, that can be a great crowd supporting a strong program.

The CPL is by definition the Tier 1 league in Canada. There are no ifs, buts, or whatevers about it.

The level may not reach that of MLS, but what it does offer is way more places for professional minutes to be played in Canada, whereas before players were slipping through the cracks due to lack of places to gain playing time and develop. The three MLS clubs cannot do it all for Canada. Additionally, it is 8 more organizations for coaching, scouting, and administrative talents to find employment in the sport in Canada, which I believe will lead to the creation of an overall ecosystem for soccer in this country. I think ultimately, the CPL being the top-tier professional league in the country will result it in finding an equilibrium level below MLS but above the USL and MLS NextPro, which are regarded as Tier 3 in the United States. Basically, above lower division and reserve league soccer, but still a development-oriented league that will export talent to the MLS primarily.

Relevant to this board, the expansion of the CPL can also be an opportunity for real estate development, community development, and TOD outcomes in cities across the country. There is a very healthy track record of MLS and USL accomplishing this in the United States and Canada already.

Last relevant point here but soccer is much more of a farebox revenue oriented sport. Most teams can stay afloat and even be income-generating (depending on efficiency of the organization) by having a healthy attendance in the 5-10k range. I think CPL has showed in some markets that it can get there (Halifax, Ottawa, Hamilton, Calgary). The York United experiment was an abject failure at community organization, but I have always believed a well-marketed team in Mississauga or Scarborough (and probably other parts of the GTHA) would surprise everyone and easily reach >10k attendance.