The Canadian Soccer League embarked upon a new path on November 18 in what was described as the beginning of an era and just two weeks later announce a first major step in its new direction by reaching agreement to forge a working relationship with American Professional Soccer (APS), a newly-formed league with teams in the northeastern United States.

APS, which is at an early stage of development with plans to kickoff in 2014, is driven in part by a longstanding position that the U.S. needs to develop a deeper professional soccer system to accommodate the increasing number of young , talented players.  The lack of an adequate professional soccer structure relative to the number of players throughout the U.S. was expressed by FIFA president Sepp Blatter in 2011.

Blatter made a similar comment when visiting Canada in 2001, saying “Canada needs to do more with its professional soccer,” while explaining a country’s strength on the world stage is related to its domestic professional soccer structure.

Agreement was reached at a meeting in Toronto for the CSL and APS to strike a close working relationship in areas of competition and business. “We can derive considerable benefit by working closely with APS, a new league which has aspirations and a vision for soccer on this continent similar to that of our league,” said CSL chairman Vincent Ursini in making the announcement.

Matthew Driver, APS chief executive officer and Michael Wheeler, legal counsel, attended the Toronto meeting which included owners of CSL teams.

Talks were wide-ranging and covered the extent to which both leagues can enter into an arrangement for games to be played both sides of the border. A cross-border women’s semi-professional league and youth academy competition will be explored. Marketing ideas, with emphasis placed on member teams being profitable – elusive for most professional clubs in North America – was also discussed.

“We look forward to working with the Canadian Soccer League to develop synergies that will help both of our leagues to improve performance on and off the field,” said Driver, a native of Scotland with high level coaching experience including New England Revolution in Major League Soccer, together with a strong marketing background in corporate business and team ownership.

Vincent Ursini, chairman of the board and president of the CSL told an enthusiastic meeting of team owners November 18 following agreement to become a founding member of the newly-formed Soccer Federation of Canada with the prospect of a new league structure to more easily accommodate prospective teams and eventually women’s pro soccer: “This begins a new era for the Canadian Soccer League and for semi-professional soccer in Canada and we are excited at the prospect of working within the framework of the SFC, to do our part to strengthen soccer in Canada and provide many players with a higher level opportunity in which to play and further develop – an opportunity they may not otherwise get,” he said.

Applications, together with policies and procedures for the new CSL Second Division will be available as of Monday, December 9, 2013. Interested teams and newly formed groups should contact the CSL for further information at 905 564-2297 (toll free 1 888 216-9913) or email to info@canadiansoccerleague.ca.

more achievable pro standards

The Canadian Soccer League has accepted membership in the newly-formed Soccer Federation of Canada (SFC) and as a first step after removing itself from the Canadian Soccer Association and provincial soccer jurisdiction is prepared to make it easier for teams and new groups to step into professional soccer for the first time.

A newly structured CSL Second Division will provide an environment with ready-achievable semi-professional standards in which teams will have an opportunity to experience first entry pro soccer while playing in a highly competitive environment. The CSL Second Division was earlier approved for reserve teams only.

The CSL intends to introduce promotion and relegation between its two main divisions, a system rarely used in North America. Also, for new teams that apply for CSL First Division entry, they will have the option of playing their initial year in the Second Division, a first step that allows clubs to become accustomed to the disciplines and rigors of professional soccer.

The CSL First Division is considered in Canada’s professional pyramid the next level below the top flight Toronto FC, Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps of Major League Soccer (MLS) and FC Edmonton of the North American Soccer League (NASL). Both of these leagues are U.S.-based.

The new Second Division will provide a member team with the opportunity to develop infrastructure, the team’s player base and also develop a close relationship with the immediate community – including the local soccer community. The CSL team can be a focal point in the community for the development of young players considering an eventual higher level professional soccer career in North America or overseas.

The CSL will continue with its highly successful Reserve Division, which will drop down to a third level for an anticipated three divisions in 2014.

The CSL for some years has been disappointed by the number of Canadian women’s teams entering the United States to play first level women’s professional soccer and considers a Canadian women’s professional league long overdue. The CSL will now structure such a league and will be making an announcement in the near future.

At a recent league meeting, CSL club owners agreed the Canadian Soccer League should be a founding member of the newly-formed Soccer Federation of Canada (SFC), which provides
private soccer entities, leagues and clubs in Canada with the necessary guidance and services needed to grow and develop within the Canadian soccer community.

SFC members will draw on the federation for the appropriate administration of players, non-playing personnel, including coaches, match officials and various peripheral needs such as insurance. The SFC will also provide non-intrusive oversight while encouraging its member leagues and clubs to be independently structured for local conditions within an affordable business plan.

CSL president Vincent Ursini commented following the championship final and the well-attended awards banquet at the Sheraton Hotel, Niagara Falls on Saturday night that the most successful clubs this season entered the league very recently. He further noted the six-month long season has been one of the CSL’s most successful in recent years, all of which gives impetus to carry out plans to further expand and strengthen the league for the 2014 season and beyond.

“We will certainly accommodate more organizations that meet the requirements and want to step up to professional soccer and we know from discussions over a long period of time now that a new CSL Second Division will be an ideal entry point for some,” said Ursini.

Ursini joined the forerunner CPSL in 1998 and headed the organization until 2005 when elected to be the financial director of the Canadian Soccer Association. He was re-appointed the CSL’s Chairman of the Board in 2011.

“The CSL has been a prominent member of Canada’s soccer community for a long time now and has generally delayed plans to enhance its competition in deference to the wishes of others. But that is changing and the CSL is moving forward to be stronger, with progressive steps that will be positive for the league and for Canadian soccer,” he said.