Ottawa Apply for USL

With approval of the Ottawa City council the City of Ottawa is applying for a USL-1 franchise. The plan will be to use a new stadium at Lansdowne Park.

If this bid is accepted by the USL (and with the success of Canadian franchises in the league how could it not be) it will be a major victory for Canadian soccer. It opens up a whole new market of possible soccer franchises in Ottawa. Now that cities with the population of Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal had teams it was time to look at the next level down. With Ottawa looking at a USL team is means that Edmonton and Calgary, cities with similar populations, may be the next to come.

The Canadian franchises of Vancouver and Montreal really have kept the struggling USL-1 League healthy for several years. With Vancouver already awarded an MLS spot and Montreal looking like they will be soon to follow the USL will be hoping to expand further into Canada, hopefully tapping into previously unexplored soccer markets. Soccer has taken a huge boost in Vancouver ever since Vancouver was awarded a franchise, and USL-1 attendances have risen in anticipation of MLS. Montreal and Toronto both have solid followings, with the results being seen in increased Canadian attendances at national team games (for those about to bring up the Honduras game at Saputo, compare the Canadian contingent there to the one at the friendly in Montreal against Jamaica two years previous). This is the time to tap into these new markets.

If Ottawa is awarded a team the benefits for Ontario soccer may be astronomical. One of the main bonuses may come from an new academy. With Toronto starting up an academy and Ottawa possibly soon to follow there will no longer be any excuse for any top players in Southern Ontario not to get the best training available. Once these academies start to grow and send through there first real "batch" of players the results may be evident on the national team.

Finally on a completely separate point that may come to nothing, it could be very interesting to see a USL franchise right outside the CSA office's back door.

Here's to the best of luck for Ottawa.