CPL General

[Cheeta]

4 hours ago, Kent said:

To clarify, I am not against 2-leg finals. 

....

Not a fan.  Nope. I'll live with it but if I had a vote in the matter I'd vote may.

[Ansem]

 

[toontownman]

I'm all for transparency and showing the process. On the other hand it seems a bit weird. I'd rather they were announcing this structure while also announcing the appointment. 

Makes me feel they were caught off guard by clanachan departing, which all reports suggest was in in works a while. Best case scenario they would have announced his successor the same time he announced his departure. Been a long while to replace which makes it look like it's been hard to fill.

[Ansem]

Not enough transparency 

Too much of it...

Some are impossible to please

[toontownman]

They said I always come to work overdressed, so I came to work naked the next day. Now everyone is upset. I don't get it. 

Like I said, I have no problem with transparency. I didn't call for it either. Only thing I find weird here is how long the position is taking to replace and how it is now suddenly taking place in public. 

It's no different to finding a manager I guess.

[wallflower]

Can anyone supply a link for CPL regulations? things like roster freeze and transfer window deadlines.

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

 

 

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

 

[Kent]

Real question. Who is Marty Thompson? What was his role?

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

Wrote a lot of their website content.

[Aird25]

53 minutes ago, Kent said:

Real question. Who is Marty Thompson? What was his role?

One of the main content producers for CPL. Weekly videos with KJ and Charlie

[Cblake]

I am curious has a CPL paid a transfer fee? I see today that L10 side Electric City FC paid a transfer fee to OKC of USL Championship for defender Zachary Ellis-Hayden. The Kitchen native has been in USL Championship 2016 with a few teams including OKC and OCB. You have to think he would have had some CPL interest. ECFC has been really ambitious in their leadup to their first season. Have been really impressed with  them as they do have an eye towards CPL down the line.

[Ansem]

5 hours ago, Cblake said:

I am curious has a CPL paid a transfer fee? I see today that L10 side Electric City FC paid a transfer fee to OKC of USL Championship for defender Zachary Ellis-Hayden. The Kitchen native has been in USL Championship 2016 with a few teams including OKC and OCB. You have to think he would have had some CPL interest. ECFC has been really ambitious in their leadup to their first season. Have been really impressed with  them as they do have an eye towards CPL down the line.

Winning L1O and hosting a CPL or MLS side in the Canadian Championship is a great way to boost your fanbase early on

[Cblake]

2 minutes ago, Ansem said:

Winning L1O and hosting a CPL or MLS side in the Canadian Championship is a great way to boost your fanbase early on

In and around Peterborough I am  impressed with what ECFC has done so far. Has had great media exposure, been selling merchandise, banners are on lamp posts in and around town. Pub nights and now player signings. I have never really seen this approach in L1O before. They are very ambitious and are spending some real money. Looking forward to this upcoming season. Depending on the stadium, could they outdraw say York United? Maybe, we shall see. 

[Tigers]

On 2/4/2022 at 1:30 PM, ted said:

One-off finals are just the way it is done for all cup competitions. If we lived in a more compact country I'd want to see semis in a neutral venue but this is a fine compromise.

Single final I get, should have been clearer it was the 2 leg semifinal part that I found odd. 

On 2/4/2022 at 8:32 PM, Kent said:

There's this soccer competition that uses 2 legs for the playoff rounds but then only a one game final. What's it called... what's it called? It's on the tip of my tongue. Oh right, it's called the UEFA Champions League. Anyone know if that competition does OK in terms of ratings and prestige?

I don't know, CPL is the only soccer I follow at all.

[MM3/MM2/MM]

I have been impressed by the number of players CPL has been able to retain for 3 to 4 years.  I know some may see this as a negative that CPL should not be a for life league but solely a development league.  I see the need for both, long-term players bring fan identification, their experience help in the development of young players, some of whom will move up (hopefully for decent transfer fees), down or stay.   A good filtering system for Canadian talent.

To get a feel of the CPL retention rate I looked at the 50 players identified by a CPL panel as the best players in the league.

So far in the offseason:

Remained with their 2021 team:   34

Changed teams within CPL: 5

End of Loan :3

Moved to other leagues: 5    (3 moved up, 2 lateral or down)

Free Agents: 3  (some may still sign with another CPL team) Ricci, Awuah, Cisse

Edited February 17, 2022 by MM3/MM2/MM

[Ivan]

During last night's broadcast, Jenkins said that Cisse had signed in Morocco.

[Kingston]

3 hours ago, MM3/MM2/MM said:

So far in the offseason:

Remained with their 2021 team:   34

Changed teams within CPL: 5

End of Loan :3

Moved to other leagues: 5    (3 moved up, 2 lateral or down)

Free Agents: 3  (some may still sign with another CPL team) Ricci, Awuah, Cisse

Thanks for doing this.  I'm going to assume "end of loan" means a move up back to their home team, since most loans are downward.

I get your point about retention having benefits for the league and I agree.  That said, for what is meant to be a development league, I'm surprised and a bit disappointed that only 6 of the top 50 players managed to move up.  That's only 12% of the league's best players and 3% of all the players managing to move along the pipeline.  When you consider we've also seen players dropping down to the CPL from higher leagues, that's not yet a great talent pipeline.

[MM3/MM2/MM]

14 minutes ago, Kingston said:

Thanks for doing this.  I'm going to assume "end of loan" means a move up back to their home team, since most loans are downward.

I get your point about retention having benefits for the league and I agree.  That said, for what is meant to be a development league, I'm surprised and a bit disappointed that only 6 of the top 50 players managed to move up.  That's only 12% of the league's best players and 3% of all the players managing to move along the pipeline.  When you consider we've also seen players dropping down to the CPL from higher leagues, that's not yet a great talent pipeline.

CPL has basically been in existence for 2.25 seasons, it will take time, I think those #s will see an uptick in coming seasons, especially with the number of young players on multi-year deals, we should see more money transfers.

[toontownman]

Depends on the definition of "Development" and the implications of the CPL on the game in Canada. CPL is all about the pathways in my opinion, for players, staff, employees etc. whether they are going up, down or just reaching their potential. In the down case it keeps players playing, passing on experience to younger players that are developing up and also acts as a potential rebound, or thats what Tabla hopes. Bustos has been unlucky not to move back up. 

As @MM3/MM2/MMsays, the league is still in its infancy. That MLS clubs are starting to pick CPL players over their own academy players and more and more academy players are migrating to the CPL are good signs for the future.

[Kingston]

44 minutes ago, toontownman said:

Depends on the definition of "Development" and the implications of the CPL on the game in Canada. CPL is all about the pathways in my opinion, for players, staff, employees etc. whether they are going up, down or just reaching their potential. In the down case it keeps players playing, passing on experience to younger players that are developing up and also acts as a potential rebound, or thats what Tabla hopes. Bustos has been unlucky not to move back up. 

As @MM3/MM2/MMsays, the league is still in its infancy. That MLS clubs are starting to pick CPL players over their own academy players and more and more academy players are migrating to the CPL are good signs for the future.

By development, I mean what you are calling pathways - that players can improve and move to the highest level they can.

As for the implications of the CPL, I think the biggest one is providing that first pro contract.  Until recently, that was only available in Canada by breaking into one of just three MLS team systems.  So you had to be one of a very few guys who could land a contract with TFCII or as a (probably bench) player on one of the first teams.  Now a "textbook" player pathway would be something like local club - L1O - CPL - MLS - Europe with, of course, different variations possible.  That's pretty good.  They key now will be getting each of those dashes to represent the movement of as large a number of properly prepared players each year as possible.

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

14 minutes ago, Kingston said:

...Until recently, that was only available in Canada by breaking into one of just three MLS team systems...

As far back as a decade or so ago there was also the Ottawa Fury and FCE in the NASL at USSF D2 level and there almost certainly would have been more teams like that in the USL at USSF D3 level as well but for the CSA's moratorium. A lot of possible progress was sacrificed for close to a decade to pave the way for CanPL.

A lot more was anticipated from it on player development for the national team and on a level of player salaries that would end the need for young Canadian players to sign for clubs like UT Arad, Hamarkameratene, Sligo Rovers and JK Narva Trans as opposed to playing at home in Canada than we have seen so far.

[Kingston]

26 minutes ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

As far back as a decade or so ago there was also the Ottawa Fury and FCE in the NASL at USSF D2 level and there almost certainly would have been more teams like that in the USL at USSF D3 level as well but for the CSA's moratorium. A lot of possible progress was sacrificed for close to a decade to pave the way for CanPL.

I'm new to this board, but not to following Canadian soccer.  When the whole Fury saga went down, I argued strongly (elsewhere) for the CSA to bring the Fury in rather than force them in or close them down.  Obviously this didn't apply to Edmonton who joined willingly.

When the entire CPL was first proposed, I questioned whether it was the way to go or whether we'd be better off with a number of teams in a US D2 league.  There are certainly pros and cons for both sides and I assume they were discussed on this board at the time.

Today, we can discuss whether the CPL should have been (or be) so opposed to hosting MLS reserve teams.  (Why is hosting TFCII in some form so unthinkable but Atletico Ottawa is completely reasonable?)  We can also discuss whether the CSA should be giving two of our future CCL spots directly to CPL teams, how best to structure the Canadian Championship, and a bunch of other items.

You aren't wrong that some possible progress was sacrificed and we could have gone in one of a number of different directions.  Sometimes there isn't an obvious best option, however, and you just have to pick one and run with it.  The CPL is the one we have right now, so I hope it succeeds.

26 minutes ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

A lot more was anticipated from it on player development for the national team and on a level of player salaries that would end the need for young Canadian players to sign for clubs like UT Arad, Hamarkameratene, Sligo Rovers and JK Narva Trans as opposed to playing at home in Canada than we have seen so far.

I think the key phrase in your observations is "than we have seen so far".  When MLS arrived in Canada, I was certain we'd see an almost immediate boost to the national team player pool.  In reality, it took a long time to get where we are now, where the majority of our NT played or plays in MLS.  And even now most of us who follow them still want to see our three MLS teams developing their young Canadians forward more aggressively.

The CPL is starting farther down the global soccer pyramid.  Anyone who expects to see CPL players on our NT any time soon is going to be disappointed.*  It is going to take years for the young guys entering the league now to get sorted, for the cream to move up the ranks, and to eventually produce players truly worthy of the NT.  How long was it before Ashtone Morgan wasn't the best player our three MLS teams had had a hand in?

* I realize there were a couple of token CPL player call ups as filler against island minnow teams at one point, but I think we all recognize those for the PR exercise they were.  They certainly stopped when the games got real.  

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

Hopefully CanPL can find a way to do something like this at some point:

 

[Ozzie_the_parrot]