Canada played in one FIFA World Cup, in Mexico in 1986, failed to score a goal and never returned.
They made their way to Mexico without the resources generated by a domestic professional league — players.
Over the decades, that sporting model was exposed as flawed and risky.
A thriving men’s domestic league has long been identified as the missing link that would bring about a return to the World Cup.
The latest attempt begins this weekend, when the Canadian Premier League (CPL) kicks off with the stated objective of developing talent.
“This is what lights the fire,” CPL commissioner David Clanachan said. “In Canada we have a great youth programs, we do extremely well until the kids get to the under-16, then they drop off quite quickly.”
“There is nothing there for them to reach for. Now the bridge finally gets built right through,” he added.
The CPL, which has seven teams spread across four time zones, was to launch yesterday with Hamilton Forge hosting York 9, which includes Emilio Estevez Tsai.
Tsai, 20, whose parents are from Taiwan, was signed in February by the team, whose head coach has called him “a little hidden gem.”
Victoria-based Pacific FC are to open their season with a 5,000km road trip to face the HFX Wanderers in Halifax, Nova Scotia, today.
The regular season is to run from April to October, consist of two separate tournaments — the spring season and the fall season — and is to culminate in the CPL Championship between the two winners.
The idea of a professional domestic league is not new.
In the afterglow of Canada’s World Cup breakthrough, the Canadian Soccer League was born the following year and ceased operation five years later.
The sport thrives at the grassroots level and the nation’s three MLS franchises are well supported.
Canada’s women have won medals at the past two Olympics and have consistently been rated World Cup contenders, as they will be again this year in France.
The nation hosted a hugely successful Women’s World Cup in 2015, the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2007 and is to cohost the 2026 World Cup with Mexico and the US.
However, the men’s program has never quite got it right.
More than three decades of bungling have generated plenty of big talk, but little in the way of results.
“I get asked why not 30 years ago, and the answer is the country wasn’t ready for it,” Clanachan said. “The country is ready for it now, just because of the growth in the global game.
“The world is a lot smaller, there is a much greater appetite, immigration is what is driving this country’s growth and everybody that comes here understands the game of football, but they don’t understand baseball or hockey,” he added.
The expectation is that the CPL would this time be built on a solid foundation.
The league is to operate under a salary cap, but Clanachan does not talk about it, saying only that salaries are in line with other more-established leagues.
The initial franchise fee for the first seven teams was set at C$3 million (US$2.23 million), while the MLS has set expansion at US$200 million.
There are 18 cities or regions interested in getting on board, but for now the league would remain focused on establishing itself, Clanachan said.
“I’ve said all along, 14 to 16 teams makes us the right size for a Premier League for a country of our size and population,” Clanachan said.
In his former job as chairman of Restaurant Brands International, Clanachan helped build Tim Hortons, a coffee and doughnut chain, into an iconic brand that has become part of the Canadian identity.
The idea is to turn the CPL into something similar, a truly Canadian product that would resonate with fans.
Rosters are to be 20 to 23 players, with a minimum 51 percent being Canadian. Three must be younger than 21 and combined they must get 1,000 game-time minutes per season.
“In Canada and the US, we should be better than what we are on the global stage,” Clanachan said. “Part of that is how we approach the game and I think things are starting to change here.”
Additional reporting by Jason Pan
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