And, on Wednesday, the rumours became hard truths when MDS was named the new head coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps. MDS signed a three-year deal, and will get the MLS chance that, well, a lot of Canadian soccer followers will say is long overdue. MDS is only  41, but with his track record, it feels, well, like he's been around forever, doesn't it?

But, and this is a pretty big "but," the Fury announced Tuesday — the day before the U-20 announcement — that Reid, Kinumbe and Bayiha were part of a 15-player purge, as Ottawa's management cleaned house after a disappointing USL season that saw the team finished the playoffs. The three call-ups were all confirmed not to be returning to the Fury for the 2019 season.

After a USL season that saw the Ottawa Fury miss the playoffs and struggle to find the back of the net, the club announced that sweeping changes are being made.

With the USL season complete, Jordan Schweitzer finished atop all Canada-eligible players when it comes to minutes played, with 2984. A total of 74 Canadians played in USL this season. Fourteen of them each played 2,000 minutes or more this season.

It was quite the weekend for players who have formerly worn the “next great hope” belt in Canadian soccer.

With the MLS ad USL seasons winding down, it’s almost impossible to see any other players outpacing Samuel Piette (MLS) and Jordan Schweitzer (USL) as their respective leagues’ leaders in minutes played by Canadians. Both continued to hold commanding leads.

Focusing on the good news: Kyle Bekker scored for NCFC in a 6-1 win over Atlanta United 2; Chris Nanco scored for Bethlehem Steel in a rout of TFCII and Zachary Ellis-Hayden found the net for Fresno, the Whitecaps’ USL affiliate.

It’s hard to try to take a moral high ground against the Fury, when the team is providing the playing opportunities that it does for Canadian players. And this weekend’s win is an example of why the Fury/USL/CanPL question isn’t so black and white.

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.

Wright got the start for the Revs and rewarded the club for its faith.