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Originally Posted by Nehkara
I think for a long time it was hard for Canadian players because there was no true professional league for them to play in in this country, but with the expansion of the MLS into Canada, this is changing.
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Like I have said before, the problem was/is the fact that Canada simply didn't/doesn't have enough professional-quality players. We may produce players that can cut it in the top professional leagues in Europe but we don't have enough consistency in the development system. As such, that is where the focus needs to be placed. Professional teams might
eventually help with developing young talent but in order to ensure their future they cannot focus on that during their infancy (see: Toronto FC). Additionally, Canada only has the potential for supporting the MLS in the three cities. What happens to the rest?
For the above reasons, Canada needs to develop a player development system that it can roll out nation-wide. We need to spend money on coaching the coaches, teaching them how to teach and develop players. Canada has the raw input materials (i.e. an abundance of youth players), we simply need the machinery to properly transform the raw materials into high-quality outputs. Amateur, semi-pro, and professional leagues will be a part of this but there is so much more (e.g. knowledge management and skill development).
Anyway, to answer your question. We could qualify but we'd be better off in the long-term if we made long-term plans instead of focusing on short-term success.