On Saturday night, the YEG4CPL group, supporters who galvanized support for the Eddies to re-launch its professional team in the CanPL, held an event at an Edmonton pub to announce a new name and logo. The River Valley Vanguard was unveiled. New, blue supporters scarves were unveiled. An old soccer shoe was passed around, and supporters put money inside, with funds to go to Free Footie, the soccer program for disadvantaged youth that was once home to Bayern Munich-bound Alphonso Davies.

What had been a relatively smooth launch for the CanPL, with seven teams holding their unveiling events, with nothing but positive reactions from the greater soccer community, feels like a long time ago. The Fury’s decision not to join the league, has rocked the foundations of Canadian soccer.

Mark Goudie, the CEO of Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group, stated Wednesday that the club does not plan to join the Canadian Premier League for the 2019 season.

Do Canadian coaches miss players? Are there great Canadian soccer talents who go undetected?

Silberbauer said the existing relationship with Simpson was a big factor in him taking the job. “It’s important, for sure, that this came from someone you can trust, who you don’t have to background check at all. I know what he’s about, and when he talks, I listen.”

City administration has recommended that Clarke remain a multi-sport venue, with shared usage between FC Edmonton and other minor sports. Roger Jevne, the city's director of community facilities, said that some improvements can be made ahead of the kickoff of the 2019 CanPL season, but there's no way that the stadium can be expanded to 7,000 seats by that time.

So, The 11 reached out to Canadians playing throughout the world to ask them: What would bring them back to Canada to play? How much would they expect to make? What advantages are there in coming back home? What disadvantages are there to coming back home? All the players contacted have significant professional experience, whether it's in USL, NASL, MLS or Europe. 

It’s easy for fans to say “this is a club system, not a franchise system” and want it to be a free-for-all in terms of signing players. But, in year one, you also want teams to start on the same line, and a free-for-all would give some teams massive advantages over the others. Remember that most European leagues didn’t start this way; there were clubs already in place who joined a new, bigger, league. Many of the clubs have histories that predate their respective leagues. So you can't compare the European way to how we start a new Canadian league with so many infant franchises all starting at once.

By Ball's own admission, Clarke "is not visible, it's not inspiring, but it's our home for now and we're working with the city and the other parties to come to an agreement that's good for everyone."

Jim Brennan, as an East York product, a Toronto FC day-one player and former MLS All-Star, is synonymous with soccer in the GTA.