How to set Canadian soccer on fire

In the short term, we are fixed. The MLS season will resume in the various markets of the league. On the other hand, in Canada, we will play between us. The Impact should therefore have six games against Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps in the coming weeks.

For Canadian soccer, this is a good thing. To see each other so much, the different clubs of the country will exacerbate the feeling of rivalry that inhabits them. It will be an opportunity to build solid rivalries and even to elevate them a little more in our imagination.

In my opinion, the Canadian Association is from a marketing point of view very happy with this decision of the Garber circuit.

For Canadian players from each of the three clubs, these matches will add extra motivation. With their performance and commitment, they will be able to help the popularity of the sport north of the border. To be an inspiration to the young people who watch them is what every professional athlete should aspire to.

In short, it is a sensible decision by the MLS to have the Canadian teams play among themselves in this first (or second?) Phase of the return to play. But did she really have a choice under the circumstances?

For the rest of things

After this very Canadian phase, things are likely to get complicated for MLS. If we anticipate, it would be surprising if Canadian clubs could host home games against their American rivals. If we take the example of major league baseball and the Toronto Blue Jays, we will have to find an alternative solution.

This new phase will be as much an organizational as a financial challenge for the Impact. Will it be necessary to move to the United States to complete the regular season? At this point, it seems like this is the only way out.

If exile were to prove necessary, the character of Bleu-blanc-noir would be put to the test. After Orlando, how do you deal with another period of isolation? Would families travel with the rest of the club? Would the players agree to stay away from home for several weeks or even months?

When a team has to come together for a long time, group life depends a lot on the results. If she wins, it is easier to rub shoulders with teammates seven days a week, 24 hours a day. In Orlando, at the Impact, performances were inconsistent to say the least. It won’t be easy to manage if it happens again in October.

A surprise finale

Tonight, the resumption tournament will see its outcome with a Portland-Orlando final that nobody had planned. If we can learn from the last month in MLS, it’s that the season is and will be, to say the least, unpredictable from a sporting point of view. The competition is more open than ever and almost all teams can dream of top honors.

In addition, in the unusual circumstances we know, the league has decided to expand to 18 the number of teams that will qualify for the next playoffs.

If I were Thierry Henry, this is the message I would send to my players. Anything is possible this season. The Impact is still in the game and the players still have the opportunity to achieve something special and overthrow the various fans and analysts of the Garber circuit. It’s up to them.