some canadian guys writing about soccer

As reported by Rollins (who else?) this morning, it seems as though Canada will have a fourth fully professional soccer team in 2011, the NASL’s Edmonton Drillers. Now, this has yet to be “officially” confirmed (though I don’t doubt the validity of Duane’s sources), and There’s the tricky issue of what, exactly, will become of the NASL in 2011 (will it continue to function alongside the USL under the USSF Division II banner, or break away on its own?) And will the league attain sanctioning by the USSF, without which its member teams would be ineligible to compete in the CONCACAF Champions League (the endgame for the winner of the Voyageurs Cup)?

For now, let’s defer all of those questions. There was much talk of revamping the format of the Voyageurs Cup after the debacle in the closing game of last year’s tourney, wherein the Whitecaps were deprived of the crown by a listless, disinterested Montreal B-squad allowing Toronto FC to thump six goals past them. But as I said on an episode of It’s Called Football last week, there’s really only so much you can do with a tournament that only has three teams involved. With four, the possibilities are much wider.

Here are some ideas for how the 2011 Voyageurs Cup might look, and feel free to add your own.

Current format, just plunk on a fourth squad. So, each team plays home-and-away against every other team, with the leader in points at the end of the round robin being declared the champion. Total games played by each team: 6.

Current format with a championship game. Many people (myself included) were advocating this system even with the current three-team structure, but we won’t see it this year. But as has been said, having a one-off championship game — between the two top teams from the home-and-away round-robin — helps build recognition and relevance for the tournament in the minds of casual fans. The only issue could be schedule congestion if you’re adding a fourth team, but this is something for the logistical minds at the various leagues to sort out. Total games played by each team: minimum 6, maximum 7.

Regional and national home-and-away. Go with me for a second here. To cut down on travel time and build regional rivalries, we cut straight to a west/east semi-final two-leg setup. Vancouver plays Edmonton in a home-and-away aggregate-goals series, while Toronto and Montreal do the same. Winners of each face off in another home-and-away for the Voyageurs Cup. Less schedule congestion, and there’s the “championship showdown” aspect… though a team could go years without ever meeting a Canadian rival. Total games played by each team: minimum 2, maximum 4.

Round-robin total goals aggregate. You want a way to build excitement (if by “excitement” you mean “goals scored”)? Have a home-and-away round-robin, as in the first two setups, but eliminate the relevance of wins and losses… standings determined only by total goals scored. This way, no team is ever eliminated until they play their last game. Edmonton could lose its first five contests, but a 16-0 victory in their final matchup could still clinch them the trophy!

Just give the trophy to Toronto FC. This seems to be the natural order of things, in the minds of some Reds supporters.

If the new Edmonton team — and its affiliation with the MLS Whitecaps — does pan out, this is truly a great day for Canadian soccer. Having four fully pro teams is getting us dangerously close to what former Canada head coach Tony Waiters identified as the key to the country’s success — a true domestic league. Yes, I’m getting way ahead of myself, but when you’re a Canadian soccer fan, you grasp at whatever optimism you can spot.