So, the Fury, though it led all independent USL or MLS teams in terms of minutes played by Canadians in 2018, needs to sing its own praises, too. The club needs to be even louder when it comes to broadcasting the idea that, yes, you can develop local players in a USL environment, as well. 

The Ottawa Fury, at the moment, is homeless.

On Wednesday, the Fury announced that Julian de Guzman has signed a three-year contract extension.

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.

The Ottawa Fury can likely make a long shopping list of Canadians, and on Wednesday the club announced the signings of fullback Maxim Tissot and centre back Nana Attakora.

Of course, when it comes to the Fury, Dos Santos still casts a long shadow. He was the team's first coach, and was the one who led them to the NASL final in 2015. And, it's impossible to look at Popovic without comparing his resume to Dos Santos's.

But, for those talking about a Canadian Premier League start in 2018 — and making the assumption that the Fury would or could be part of that — the most important part of the team's statement is this...  That the players are signed for the "club's second season in USL."

Now that JDG has hung up his boots, we can celebrate a career of a true Canadian great; he was only a boy when he left for France, clawing and scratching to be noticed. It was due to his hard work and dogged determination that the chance to play in the top flights of European football finally came.

After three seasons with the Ottawa Fury, Canadian midfielder Mauro Eustaquio has a new home with FC Edmonton. We trace the player’s career, from Portugal to Leamington to the Alberta capital...

“The moment I stepped on the pitch, it was better than anything, it was better than an orgasm,” de Guzman said to an Ottawa press-conference room filled with laughter.