Five seasons in, the Canadian Premier League is coming off a year that saw greater parity in the standings, an expanded playoff format and a championship game filled with highlight-reel goals.
B次元官网网址淥n the field it was the most competitive season weB次元官网网址檝e ever had,B次元官网网址� said CPL commissioner Mark Noonan. B次元官网网址淕oals were up, discipline was down.B次元官网网址�
And with the new playoff format, which saw five of the leagueB次元官网网址檚 eight franchises involved, B次元官网网址渆very game counted at the end of the season,B次元官网网址� he added.
All five playoff games were decided by one goal with Forge FC winning the championship for the fourth time, defeating regular-season leader Cavalry FC 2-1 after extra time Oct. 28 before an announced crowd of 13,925 at Tim Hortons Field.
Attendance was up almost 20 per cent B次元官网网址� averaging around 4,000 B次元官网网址� with increases in merchandise, food and beverage sales an sponsorship, Noonan said.
B次元官网网址淥ur teams are getting better at what they do off the field,B次元官网网址� he said.
CPL development remains a long game, however.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 not an area on the field or off the field that weB次元官网网址檙e not working on,B次元官网网址� Noonan said.
Noonan says the CPL owners are B次元官网网址減robably $125 million in the holeB次元官网网址� from developing B次元官网网址渁n ecosystem for soccer in Canada that didnB次元官网网址檛 exist.B次元官网网址�
That includes expanding the lower-tier League1 framework from 40 teams in 2019 to 162 and creating a womenB次元官网网址檚 interprovincial championship.
While Noonan expects his league to continue to have operating losses, the hope is franchise value will go up as it expands B次元官网网址渁nd we get better at what we do in terms of selling sponsorship and selling tickets and media and all those sort of things that make the business go.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淏ut weB次元官网网址檙e still a startup B次元官网网址� in our sixth year with two years of pandemic. You have to invest and you have to feed a startup to get it to the point where itB次元官网网址檚 healthy.B次元官网网址�
Expansion is an immediate goal.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 feeling pretty good that weB次元官网网址檒l have two new clubs in 2025 B次元官网网址� Announcements to come,B次元官网网址� said Noonan, adding the league currently has 15 interested groups under non-disclosure agreements, including several in Quebec.
Groups in Saskatchewan, Kelowna, B.C., the Maritimes and Greater Toronto Area are also interested. The league also wants to return to Edmonton.
While venues remain an issue, Noonan says he believes Vancouver FCB次元官网网址檚 and HalifaxB次元官网网址檚 modular facilities are a potential model for new franchises to follow.
B次元官网网址淵ou donB次元官网网址檛 need a half-a-billion-dollar stadium like theyB次元官网网址檙e building in the U.S. right now,B次元官网网址� he said.
At some point, as numbers grow, the league will adopt East and West divisions to ease travel, he added.
The league still faces challenges when it comes to the bottom line.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 getting a little better but weB次元官网网址檙e a long way away from clubs making money,B次元官网网址� said Noonan. B次元官网网址淲hich is expected as part of a young league. The sale of York (United FC) increased the asset value because that was the highest sale that weB次元官网网址檝e had of a franchise.B次元官网网址�
Noonan points to Major League Soccer.
B次元官网网址淚 think if you average all the (MLS) teams together, they still lose money today. But their last franchise (San Diego) went for half-a-billion dollars and they have billion-dollar valuations.B次元官网网址�
York United, the leagueB次元官网网址檚 Toronto-based franchise, changed hands twice in 2023.
Canadian Soccer Business, whose ownership mirrors that of the Canadian Premier League, purchased the team from the Baldassarra family in April. The franchise was then sold to Game Plan Sports Group, led by Mexican brothers Eduardo, Ricardo and Miguel Pasquel.
B次元官网网址淲e needed the right owner,B次元官网网址� said Noonan. B次元官网网址淲e bet on ourselves by taking that franchise back from the original owners. They admitted it wasnB次元官网网址檛 working and we certainly saw that it wasnB次元官网网址檛 working.
B次元官网网址淭his is a great (new ownership) group. They have deep-seated experience and passion for the sport. TheyB次元官网网址檙e well-financed. TheyB次元官网网址檙e making a commitment to move to the market and be here.B次元官网网址�
Noonan also believes the league will benefit from the new ownership groupB次元官网网址檚 ties with major Mexican companies and Liga MX.
B次元官网网址淗aving that connection in Mexico opens up a lot of doors for us,B次元官网网址� he said.
Vancouver FC debuted this season, finishing seventh overall with a 8-15-5 record.
B次元官网网址淭hey got better as the year went on, on and off the field. They probably started earlier than they wanted to because of the situation in Edmonton,B次元官网网址� said Noonan, referencing FC Edmonton which folded in November 2022 after a season being run by the league.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e optimistic,B次元官网网址� he said of the new franchise.
Vancouver also was home to T.J. Tahid, who at 16 years 16 days became the leagueB次元官网网址檚 youngest-ever signing. Tahid joined the team under the leagueB次元官网网址檚 exceptional young player rule, which allows teams to field two exceptional under-18 Canadian players whose salaries do not count against the cap
Tahid went on to make 20 appearances for Vancouver with three goals, becoming the leagueB次元官网网址檚 CPLB次元官网网址檚 youngest goal-scorer on June 2 against Pacific FC.
The forward from Maple Ridge, B.C., was part of the Canadian team at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in November in Indonesia. As was Kevaughn Tavernier, a 17-year-old forward from Brampton, Ont., who signed with Forge under the same rule.
CPL players also moved up the soccer ladder. Former Cavalry FC wingback Mo Farsi, named the CPLB次元官网网址檚 Best CanadianU-21 Player in 2000, won the MLS Cup with the Columbus Crew.
On the labour front, the CPL B次元官网网址渧oluntarily recognizedB次元官网网址� the Professional Footballers Association of Canada as the playersB次元官网网址� bargaining agent in December 2022 and has started the process of collective bargaining.
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
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