Out of the Ashes

 

Prediction:

Inevitably, all three Canadian MLS clubs will fold. It's not a matter of "if", it's a matter of "when", as I see it. The writing is on the wall. Or rather; the headstone is at the stone carver as we speak, and it's mostly due to the discrepency between the Canadian and the American dollar. Impossible to survive financially when your income is in Canadian dollars and your expenses are to be pain in American dollars. But it's not all bad, if you think about it. "One man's death is another man's breath", so let it burn and out of the ashes, a field of beautiful flowers will grow.

Build something truly and beautifully Canadian. Actually, it's already been build, so I should say "expand on something truly and beautifully Canadian" and stop prostituting yourself to America. Here is what I envision:

Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. Out of MLS - into CPL. Huge boost to the beautiful game in Canada and it makes perfect sense, contrary to being in the MLS. It would be a rocket engine for the CPL. But let me focus on the Vancouver team in the following, as this is where I've been since I arrived in Canada in 1993 and nobody is more fiercly and proudly Canadian than I.

The Whitecaps. Eternal mediocricy (at best), since they first joined the MLS, so I quickly gave up my season tickets. The one good year they did have, on their death bed, is not enough to save them, according to Head Honcho Schuster and I'm not willing to sink more of my very hard to come by, very limited disposable income dollars into an already sinking ship. And no "tax payer $" should be forthcoming.

So, into the CPL, back to a beautifully fixed up and upgraded (20.000 capacity with plenty of wheelchair access) Swangard Stadium. Let's call it "The New Swan".

And this idea conceived in a mental institution about a third kick at  the can of a stadium by the PNE? You never learn, do you? Whitecaps belong at "The New Swan" and then...we build a brand-new...world class (!!!) soccer specific stadium ("Beaver Park"? 😅) in the only place that makes sense: BC (primarily, but not only, for climate reasons), and the only location that makes sense: Garden City Lands in RIchmond. Location, access, size. Everything is lying right there, as we speak, waiting for you. 50.000 seat capacity (min.) and everything, every amenity, that a modern day, world class stadium requires. Canada's new, world class soccer facility...and yes, we still got the Whitecaps and the CPL is easily as competetive as Liga MX. Gosh, I love this country to pieces!!!