Toronto FC signs first player

[Deuce]

Originally Posted by Stucki

Newfoundland and Labrador are part of Canada.

There isn't a tradition with these countries like there is with the US and Canada.

OK My geography skills are not that great... Newfoundland and Labrador are region in Canada...
but the rest of the countries i listed are technically part of North America.

Traditionally US citizens only see themselves as Americans and because the rest of the continent are North "Americans" as well why not deem the entire continent "Domestic".

Europe recognises each european player as a european and therefore is considered a domestic player. (They still recognise their country but it does not matter in European leagues)
Granted players from other continents are not restricted by more than immigration policy by any league in Europe.

I understand MLS clearly defines domestic players so that the league can foster the development of USA players.

My point in a nutshell...
I agree the term domestic needs to be broadened, but I think they should not stop with Canada.

[knowwonnose]

Originally Posted by Deuce

OK My geography skills are not that great... Newfoundland and Labrador are region in Canada...
but the rest of the countries i listed are technically part of North America.

Traditionally US citizens only see themselves as Americans and because the rest of the continent are North "Americans" as well why not deem the entire continent "Domestic".

Europe recognises each european player as a european and therefore is considered a domestic player. (They still recognise their country but it does not matter in European leagues)
Granted players from other continents are not restricted by more than immigration policy by any league in Europe.

I understand MLS clearly defines domestic players so that the league can foster the development of USA players.

My point in a nutshell...
I agree the term domestic needs to be broadened, but I think they should not stop with Canada.

That opens the door for Mexico at least, or one could streght it to include all geographic North America, including Central America. I agree that they need to broaden the domestic definition, but it could be tricky. Are Puerto Ricoans American? They have some US citizenship rights.

[Deuce]

Originally Posted by knowwonnose

That opens the door for Mexico at least, or one could streght it to include all geographic North America, including Central America. I agree that they need to broaden the domestic definition, but it could be tricky. Are Puerto Ricoans American? They have some US citizenship rights.

It has long been joked that Puerto Rico is the 51st State... So why not Puerto Rico?
I personally don't see anything wrong with considering all of geographical North America as Domestic. That includes "Central" America which is technically North America Which extends south to the Panama Canal.

[Stucki]

Originally Posted by Deuce

It has long been joked that Puerto Rico is the 51st State... So why not Puerto Rico?
I personally don't see anything wrong with considering all of geographical North America as Domestic. That includes "Central" America which is technically North America Which extends south to the Panama Canal.

Central American countries have their own leagues. None of those countries have a tradition of sharing professional leagues like the US and Canada do. This isn't a North American argument, this is a Can-Am argument.

The NASL had franchises in both countries as do the NHL, MLB and NBA. The USL also operates in both countries.

You can't apply that to the rest of North America.

[Deuce]

Originally Posted by Stucki

Central American countries have their own leagues. None of those countries have a tradition of sharing professional leagues like the US and Canada do. This isn't a North American argument, this is a Can-Am argument.

The NASL had franchises in both countries as do the NHL, MLB and NBA. The USL also operates in both countries.

You can't apply that to the rest of North America.

Well there is a first time for everything... why not make the Worlds game the model for the rest to follow?

[SoccerPrime]

Originally Posted by prk166

I don't think anything been finalized but I last I heard those 3 American SIs were American only with them have 3 or 4 "normal" SIs on top of that so the team could have 7 Americans, 6, 2, or none. But like I said, I don't believe they've finalized that yet.

Yes this is what I heard as well.
4 "normal" SIs (meaning anyone non-Canadian) and then TFC would have an additional 3 SIs that can be ONLY US players. So in theory, TFC could have 7 American SIs, but why in the world would they do that? I think between MoJo's recruiting skills and the fact that this is Canada's first MLS team, I think they can draw some solid Euro or So. American players.

Also, TFC, as an expansion team, would have 5 Youth International picks. Thus out of the 28 roster spots, up to 12 players could be non-Canucks.



BTW here is a pic of MoJo and Brennan

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by Deuce

Europe recognises each european player as a european and therefore is considered a domestic player. (They still recognise their country but it does not matter in European leagues)
Granted players from other continents are not restricted by more than immigration policy by any league in Europe.

Europe is also only a hop, skip, and a jump from turning their nations into states/provinces and speaking a common language. They already share a single currency. So why not share some soccer players?

But, back to (BLAME!) Canada: I think that if Mo and FC Toronto's owners/operators do a good job, they will be very competitive next year. They have much better access to Canadian players than any other MLS team thanks to the domestic/non-domestic rules, and good for them. FC Toronto may become the little Canadian national team, as some have stated here. It will be interesting to see how long DeRo stays in Houston, and how many other Canucks take flight for the north. I'm interested in 2 things: first, the FC Toronto jerseys; and second, how the rest of MLS will cope with FC Toronto.

[SoccerPrime]

Watching the LA/Houston game was interesting.
We had 4 very good Canucks out there. Jazic, DeRo, Serioux and Onstad.

[Deuce]

Originally Posted by Burninator

Europe is also only a hop, skip, and a jump from turning their nations into states/provinces and speaking a common language. They already share a single currency. So why not share some soccer players?

Actually not all countries in Europe have adopted the Euro... Denmark, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia Have not adopted the Euro as it's national currency.

One of the reasons (not the only reason) that these thirteen nations have not adopted the Euro is that they do not want to become the "United States" of Europe as some scholars and pundits have accused the EU of attempting to establish.

A UK Euro has even been minted. They are for sale on the internet and are unofficial.

Another reason is that many nations do not want to give up their native tongue... so it will be a lot longer than a hop-skip and a jump away from assimilating all of Europe and becoming a Borg super state.

I digress...

The league will be better served by broadening it's definition of "domestic".

[I_Believe_In_Kreis]

I think the league should consider any player from any country where there is an MLS team to be domestic. Any other player should be an international. So as of next year, Canadians should be able to play for a US side as domestics. Americans should be able to play for Toronto as domestics as well. But Costa Ricans (for example) should be internationals because there is no MLS team there. Again, just my opinion.