CSA approves Calgary bid to join PDL; now, on to the next step By Steven Sandor Posted on March 6, 2014 5 0 914 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter The Canadian Soccer Association has voted to sanction Calgary Foothills, if it becomes a member of the PDL in 2015. The decision paves the way for Calgary Foothills to officially make an expansion bid to the United Soccer Leagues, which administers the PDL. The PDL is an elite league focused on prepping U-23 players for pro careers. As it stands, the Victoria Highlanders, WSA Winnipeg and Vancouver Whitecaps U-23 are the only Western Canadian members of PDL at the moment. Tommy Wheeldon Jr., the technical director of the Foothills club, told The 11 that the next step is getting all the paperwork to USL, and that should be done by the end of this week. The club has already hosted trials, and is planning to play a series of friendlies this season as it prepares to join PDL. Wheeldon has said that he hopes the Foothills team can line up friendlies with the Seattle Sounders and Whitecaps’ U-23 sides, as well as FC Edmonton’s reserve team. If the franchise is approved, it will be interesting to see where it is slotted. Calgary will represent a long road trip for any of the clubs in the Northwest Division, which are mainly located near the Pacific coast, on the other side of the Rockies. The Heartland Division features teams in the same time zone as Calgary (Real Colorado Foxes) and fellow Canadian teams in Winnipeg and Thunder Bay. But, with most of the team’s located across the American bread basket, in places like Des Moines, St. Louis and Kansas City, Calgary would very much be an outpost team, as well.
