Soccer in Canada | Canada Hosting the 2026 World Cup

[elly63]

Unless it's a hoax, looks like Cyle Larin has signed with La Liga's Getafe FC

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by elly63

Have to say I'm disappointed

too bad it's not Celtic!

[elly63]

Originally Posted by EnvisionSaintJohn

too bad it's not Celtic!

Too bad it's not Cremonese. He'll be playing against lesser players, in a lesser league and not being as busy. Unfortunate

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by elly63

Too bad it's not Cremonese. He'll be playing against lesser players, in a lesser league and not being as busy. Unfortunate

What's really unfortunate is that Celtic and Rangers can't just join the EPL system like the Welsh teams. (they could still field a Celtic B and Ranger B squad to compete in the SPL)

But I agree, it's too bad he's not going to a much better league in Serie A.

While Celtic is the side I support... the Scottish Premier League is a joke... but hey, at least they have relegation and promotion... unlike the CPL

[elly63]

Pro/Rel that nobody in Canada wants, owners or fans.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by elly63

Pro/Rel that nobody in Canada wants, owners or fans.

I'd say speak for yourself, and not in absolutes. If The Canadian Premier League had a system of relegation and promotion, it would be extremely interesting for the fans, and make following the Canadian Premier League and the league below it a lot more interesting for fans, Canada wide, than the current system. There's only 8 teams in the CPL today... think about a point down the road where there's 20 teams in the top flight and 20 teams in the division below. Do you seriously not think that type of situation would be more exciting than the Americanized format the Canadian Premier League follows today?

Not sure why you're so convinced it's better we keep such a North American model for professional soccer in Canada, and not follow the European model, or South American model... you know... regions that have actually won the World Cup and can be said to have true, footballing culture. Shouldn't we want professional soccer in Canada to be structured more like the leagues under the British Football Association, and less like the leagues under the United States Soccer Federation?

Heck, I think I think we have a golden opportunity to get under Trump's skin before the World Cup and send out our Minister of Sport to have a press conference where we announce, "Canada is going to start calling it football, not soccer" in honour of Canada hosting the 2026 World Cup of Football.

The rest of the world hates that we call it soccer, and I kind of hate it too. Honestly, there's no reason we can't call it football, and call American and Canadian football something else... no reason other than we've been completely culturally dominated by the United States, that is...

The Australians have no problem calling their game "Australian Rules Football", just like the Irish have no problem calling their game "Gaelic Football". Yet, I've seen you on here before, Elly, get offended by the use of the term "Canadian football". Would it be less offensive if we called it "Canadian Rules Football?" 🏈

Personally, I think it would be great if we as Canadians could stop using such a painfully American term for the most popular sport in the world, and embrace the term football ⚽️. Changing the name of the Canadian Soccer Association to the Canadian Football Association would be a damn good start to get the Canadian people to stop calling it soccer and start calling it football.

The rest of the world would take Canada a lot more seriously as a footballing nation, if we stopped calling it soccer. I think we should ride this wave of anti-Americanism to the fullest extent, especially if it means Canada will be taken more seriously by the rest of the footballing world.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

The next logical step to making Canada a more serious footballing nation would be a "CANEXIT" from the MLS... where the Toronto Football Club, Vancouver Whitecaps, and Club de Foot Montréal all sold their franchises to American buyers, retained their team identities/branding, and joined the Canadian Premier League as the Big 3!

Instead of it being rare for any of the Canadian teams to make it to the MLS finals, Toronto FC, Montreal FC, and the Vancouver Whitecaps would perennially be the favourites to win the league, which wouldn't have playoffs, like the CPL and MLS both have today, but rather be decided by league standings, like a proper league should. Moreover, unlike Scotland which doesn't have many large cities after Glasgow and Edinburgh, Canada has around 15 metro areas with around 500,000 people, a long with three legitimate metropolises in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, which could each support at least 2 or even 3 clubs in the top flight, along with multiple clubs in the lower divisions.

If Canada ever wants to win a World Cup one day, we should be thinking about ways to change the way we approach the beautiful game at the league level... and stop being so American when it comes to what we will hopefully one day refer to as, "the sport formerly known as soccer".

[elly63]

Originally Posted by EnvisionSaintJohn

Heck, I think I think we have a golden opportunity to get under Trump's skin before the World Cup and send out our Minister of Sport to have a press conference where we announce, "Canada is going to start calling it football, not soccer" in honour of Canada hosting the 2026 World Cup of Football.

So this is why you are polluting this thread with the Euro nonsense. If the fans and owners of the CPL had wanted pro/rel they would have implemented it on startup.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by EnvisionSaintJohn

Yet, I've seen you on here before, Elly, get offended by the use of the term "Canadian football".

The offense was you not being knowledgeable and calling it American football. It has its own codified rules and is called Canadian football.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by elly63

Unless it's a hoax, looks like Cyle Larin has signed with La Liga's Getafe FC

I know there was a reason I prefaced that statement, I didn't trust the source, but this one I do trust. Might be a loan to buy option, we'll have to wait for the final details.

[elly63]

In a surprising last minute move, Theo Bair has moved from Ligue 1 Auxerre to Lausanne in Switzerland on a loan with an option to purchase.

Edit: Theo has also just been invited for the upcoming friendlies with Romania and Wales replacing Cyle Larin who has been just transferred to Feyenoord and his wife is having a baby.

[elly63]

Canada vs Wales coming up at 2 pm Eastern on TSN 1 and 4

[logan5]

So Canada beats Wales 1-0, a pretty decent squad. This is the first time in 100 years Canada has beaten 2 UEFA teams in a row, and they did it in Europe.

Not sure if Wales put their best team out there, but still a big accomplishment by Canada.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by logan5

So Canada beats Wales 1-0, a pretty decent squad. This is the first time in 100 years Canada has beaten 2 UEFA teams in a row, and they did it in Europe.

Not sure if Wales put their best team out there, but still a big accomplishment by Canada.

Let's not get into who played who's best, we were missing several starters as well.

Frankly, I didn't think Wales was very good and we shoulda murdered them. We were the better team and blew several opportunities (aside from hitting two posts)

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[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by elly63

Let's not get into who played who's best, we were missing several starters as well.

Frankly, I didn't think Wales was very good and we shoulda murdered them. We were the better team and blew several opportunities (aside from hitting two posts)

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I'll never not think that "player escorts" are weird. lol

[elly63]

Originally Posted by EnvisionSaintJohn

I'll never not think that "player escorts" are weird. lol

If you mean having kids go out on the field with the players that might be the only thing we've ever agreed on.

For FIFA (who along with the IOC) are two of the most corrupt organizations in the world to parade around children in the guise of "fair play" is morally reprehensible considering their organizational histories.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by EnvisionSaintJohn

I'll never not think that "player escorts" are weird. lol

Getting off corrupt FIFA, it's also weird when the "kid" is almost as big as the player. You used to see that with former Canadian player Diana Matheson.

[jonny24]

@EnvisionSaintJohn, is that satire? Or are you genuinely that horny to copy Euro-style soccer?

I don't feel like arguing everything you said point by point, but I'll just make two points that I'm sure you already know.

1. The term soccer was invented by the British, in Britain.

2. As you were so close to pointing out, "football" ALWAYS means "the locally dominant form of football". In NA that means gridiron football, in Britain that means soccer, in New Zealand "footy" means rugby, and in Aus "footy" means either rugby league or Aussie rules, again depending where you are as it's regional.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by jonny24

@EnvisionSaintJohn, is that satire? Or are you genuinely that horny to copy Euro-style soccer?

We've just beaten two European teams "at their own game", not sure why he wants us to copy them.

[elly63]

Friendlies 2025

October 10 Australia (Montreal)
October 14 Colombia (Harrison NJ
November 13 Ecuador (Toronto)
November 18 Venezuela (Ft Lauderdale FL)