2019 Cavalry FC season thread

[browna]

Is it wrong for me that every change (and we are sure to see much more this offseason, the nature of a first year league in some regard) to some aspect of the league rules or scheduling or processes, that I’m looking at from why it was created or modified to impact Forge positively, first and foremost?

With Forge’s racist assistant coach, did they think the likelihood of them signing foreign players goes down, so they should limit everyone else as well?

I half kid, but really, what’s the reasoning for trotting this out now? I don’t recall any team having a bunch of older international players at the expense of Canadian ones. Or did an expansion team or another current team plan to revamp a roster for next year with a bunch of ex pro foreign players?

They have the minutes rule already for young players, so that should solve that.

[Thunderball]

Originally Posted by browna

Is it wrong for me that every change (and we are sure to see much more this offseason, the nature of a first year league in some regard) to some aspect of the league rules or scheduling or processes, that I’m looking at from why it was created or modified to impact Forge positively, first and foremost?

With Forge’s racist assistant coach, did they think the likelihood of them signing foreign players goes down, so they should limit everyone else as well?

I half kid, but really, what’s the reasoning for trotting this out now? I don’t recall any team having a bunch of older international players at the expense of Canadian ones. Or did an expansion team or another current team plan to revamp a roster for next year with a bunch of ex pro foreign players?

They have the minutes rule already for young players, so that should solve that.

Valour went foreign heavy, but they weren't particularly bad or good. Really not sure what is motivating this either. I'm hoping they are just tossing ideas around, realize this one is stupid, and move on.

[browna]

On a hunch, hopped over to the Ottawa Fury page and they currently have more than 3 O27 internationals on the roster (as well as some very young looking (I thought female) teens).

Though you’d think that the CPL would want Ottawa on board, it’s clear that Ottawa doesn’t want part of it, and the CSA unsurpsingly ducked out for a month long piss when this was debated with Concacaf last year (having the Fury owner on the CSA board aided in that absence).

Thus, maybe the CPL will make this rule (or have been told to make this rule) to save face for all involved, as Ottawa can shrug shoulders and say it’s not able to get down to the roster restrictions of the CPL. Concacaf will then have reason to leave this issue alone this year (after getting the obligatory brown envelope from the CSA).

[Thunderball]

Either way, CanPL has a good thing going... they better not ruin it with some stupid rules to be a development league.

[browna]

Originally Posted by Thunderball

Either way, CanPL has a good thing going... they better not ruin it with some stupid rules to be a development league.

Agreed. Tin hat alert, but hear me out.

To that end, I can’t imagine the Whitecaps were happy losing to a startup club, but with their other PR problems this year, they had bigger fish to fry.

But I can see Joey Saputo livid if he got upstaged in this country by a second tier team such as the Cavs, who were a couple kicks away from legit advancing, with the game play, skill and ability not that far off his Impact side. Hell, if we had Jordan Brown not get hurt between the two legs, he may have scored in the second leg like he did the first. Saputo fired his coach a couple games after they advanced, and they went on to best TFC in the final with the same roster they squeaked by us with. But it could’ve easily been much different.

So, is it inconceivable, that the Saputo and the Impact (and or Whitecaps or TFC), couldve marched to the CSA and/or directly to the CanPL and nicely suggest that rules put in place for next year so that their teams don’t upstage Canada’s “real” and more prominent MLS soccer teams?

If you work in the higher offices for the CanPL, is your next step up job with the CSA (flush with cash, a cushy job in an administrative role, and 7 years away from prestige of a WC) or an MLS team?

I’d say probably....does anyone really think that enough people in the CanPL would thus push back hard against the CSA and/or an MLS team if they were given suggestions to make league changes to make them less powerful then the MLS teams? When, if you agree to makes changes, you’d be doing the MLS team or CSA a favour, that would be remembered when the next position comes up at the CSA?

A rule like this would be a start to help neuter the CanPL teams from assembling a squad that would cause further embarrassment to the three Canadian MLS clubs, their fans, and their perceived standing as the dominant teams in this country, as well as their standing within the top tier MLS.

TV as well, as an example...my guess is the CanPL finals may get more views on CBC then the majority of regular season Impact games on TSN, just because more people have CBC in this country and may stumble across it the next couple Saturday afternoons along with some of the basic advertising CBC is doing for it. It’s a few year off, but if there is surge in general interest league popularity over the years, especially if the Cavs or Valour or Pacific etc are neck and neck with MLS teams each year in the Canadian Championship, and league games are shown more and more on CBC and other networks that everyone can more easily access, that would degrade the brand that three existing MLS teams have set up, if CanPL games are shown more frequently.

It’s aways off from MLS teams being threatened quite like that yet, but as much as they would say it’s good for soccer in this country to have all these teams, it’s not in their best business interest to have teams from this “ secondary” league match up with them stride for stride and beat them in any given CC match each season...now, or in the future...and rules like this would ensure that is less likely to happen.

[Thunderball]

Originally Posted by browna

Agreed. Tin hat alert, but hear me out.

To that end, I can’t imagine the Whitecaps were happy losing to a startup club, but with their other PR problems this year, they had bigger fish to fry.

But I can see Joey Saputo livid if he got upstaged in this country by a second tier team such as the Cavs, who were a couple kicks away from legit advancing, with the game play, skill and ability not that far off his Impact side. Hell, if we had Jordan Brown not get hurt between the two legs, he may have scored in the second leg like he did the first. Saputo fired his coach a couple games after they advanced, and they went on to best TFC in the final with the same roster they squeaked by us with. But it could’ve easily been much different.

So, is it inconceivable, that the Saputo and the Impact (and or Whitecaps or TFC), couldve marched to the CSA and/or directly to the CanPL and nicely suggest that rules put in place for next year so that their teams don’t upstage Canada’s “real” and more prominent MLS soccer teams?

If you work in the higher offices for the CanPL, is your next step up job with the CSA (flush with cash, a cushy job in an administrative role, and 7 years away from prestige of a WC) or an MLS team?

I’d say probably....does anyone really think that enough people in the CanPL would thus push back hard against the CSA and/or an MLS team if they were given suggestions to make league changes to make them less powerful then the MLS teams? When, if you agree to makes changes, you’d be doing the MLS team or CSA a favour, that would be remembered when the next position comes up at the CSA?

A rule like this would be a start to help neuter the CanPL teams from assembling a squad that would cause further embarrassment to the three Canadian MLS clubs, their fans, and their perceived standing as the dominant teams in this country, as well as their standing within the top tier MLS.

TV as well, as an example...my guess is the CanPL finals may get more views on CBC then the majority of regular season Impact games on TSN, just because more people have CBC in this country and may stumble across it the next couple Saturday afternoons along with some of the basic advertising CBC is doing for it.

I can't see the Southerns or Bob Young standing for the neutering of their investments, but other than that, I can certainly see CSA being meddling, incompetent, self-interested idiots.

[shermanator]

The league must be doing a good job if there are conspiracy theories like these being thrown around on. Yeesh...

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by shermanator

The league must be doing a good job if there are conspiracy theories like these being thrown around on. Yeesh...

Not inconceivable for MLS owners of the three Canadian clubs to be in the ear of CSA.

There's corruption at the tippy top of European football. I don't think we are immune.

[TheIronMaiden]

It is supposed to be 5 degrees and partly cloudy Nov 2nd. I can live with that.

[TheIronMaiden]

I don't think the Cpl doing well is in opposition to the MLS doing well. Any soccer news in Canada is good news. The Whitecaps losing is the most press they've had in Alberta ever. Hell, I would never watch one of their matches if it weren't for the fact that they were going to play Cavalry FC. The Cpl is free advertisement.

[Muta]

Anything is better than that last home game against Forge.... that was 15 degrees colder!

[TheIronMaiden]

I saw this on reddit.

For the final leg of the final. Cavalry made the Bigrock Fan Zone which is Sections 103, 104, 105, 106, and 107. Rows 24 and 25. They are selling tickets $25 all in.

[shermanator]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Not inconceivable for MLS owners of the three Canadian clubs to be in the ear of CSA.

There's corruption at the tippy top of European football. I don't think we are immune.

The import thing to remember is, nothing is official yet.

And consider the sources being used. Duane Rollins gets more news wrong than he gets right. Glass City gets more news right than he gets wrong but still gets items wrong. Mahith Gamage has had his Valour press pass revoked.

I'm hearing lots of talk from other supporters groups in the league around this whole situation, but a lot of it is second hand information and not one piece of information is confirmed. And not one person is saying this is the MLS clubs pushing to weaken CPL sides so that they don't lose in the Canadian Championship.

[TheIronMaiden]

Can't help but to be a little nervous about the match tomorrow.

[Kipper is King]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

Can't help but to be a little nervous about the match tomorrow.

Me too! Forge is a good club, and the artificial turf of the gargantuan Tim Hortons Field provides a very different atmosphere than Atco Field. Forge may have a home-field advantage tomorrow.

But that nervousness is all part of a big match. I love the suspenseful feeling.

[Jimmy Stang]

So this thing kicks off at 2pm Mountain now, right? Both CBC and OneSoccer have it in their schedules for 2pm. But the CanPL site, my favourite soccer data places (Soccerway, Forza Football app) all have it for 1:30 still. I thought that maybe CBC would run it on a 30-minute delay, but OneSoccer wouldn't I don't think.

I'm used to the opposite tactic here in North America: leagues and broadcasters give misleading early times so you tune in early, watch some ads, anthems, etc. before things eventually get rolling 15 minutes later.

I'm guessing that (if it is in fact 2pm kickoff) that the CBC negotiated that. And that's awesome.

[Jimmy Stang]

Weather in Hamilton for tomorrow: High of 11. Increasing cloudiness in afternoon. Wind of about 16 km/h. Rain in the evening, but probably not before the match is over. Pretty average, unexciting forecast so weather should not be a factor.

[shermanator]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1187802878217457666

[TheIronMaiden]

Unless one of the teams is Ottawa, we would have to suspect that this expansion will be for 2021 no?

[lazypucker]

I really want the Cavs to beat Forge by like 7 - 1 tomorrow, making next week's home game pretty much a 90-minute party...