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78-788: The professional club was founded by the Erin Mills Soccer Club. Erin Mills SC was founded in 1972 and operates as a youth soccer club. The club is commonly known by the name Erin Mills Eagles . During the championship match of the 2010 CSL season, the former president of the league, Dominic Di Gironimo , announced that four expansion teams would begin play in 2011: Ottawa , Kitchener , Pickering ( Pickering Power ), and Erin Mills in Mississauga . On January 3, 2011,

156-757: A Major League Soccer expansion franchise which began play in 2011 under the name Vancouver Whitecaps FC . In addition to its men's side the Whitecaps also field a women's team in the USL W-League , two developmental teams ( Vancouver Whitecaps Residency , in the USL Premier Development League , and the Whitecaps FC Prospects , in the Pacific Coast Soccer League ), and four youth teams in

234-470: A chairman . Originally new a franchisee were given the status of a playing member, and were placed on a probation for a period of three years before they were granted shareholder status as a member club with equity ownership. In 2011, the ownership structure of the league was reformed into an incorporated body as the CSL Association Inc in order to bring about a slow process of equalization to

312-608: A 2–1 victory over the Puerto Rico Islanders . Charles Gbeke scored twice with his head in the second half to help secure the title. In 2009, they placed 7th in the league and were eliminated in the final by the Montreal Impact on a 6–3 aggregate. In November 2009 the Whitecaps, along with several other teams, announced their intent to leave the USL First Division to become the co-founders of

390-565: A 2–1 victory. Throughout the season, Mississauga secured a postseason berth by finishing seventh in the overall standings. Their opponents in the quarterfinals of the playoffs were Toronto Croatia , where Mississauga lost the series by a score of 8–1 on goals on aggregate. The following season the Eagles roster was radically different than from the previous year, due to many players going overseas to play in Europe. Assistant coach Alex Szczotka handled

468-668: A 5–3 aggregate victory for Colorado. Vancouver played in the CSL from its inception in 1987 until the league folded in 1992, and then moved over to the APSL in 1993 which was later absorbed into the USL hierarchy of leagues in 1997 becoming the A-League , later renamed the USL . In 2001, the team began to use the old Vancouver Whitecaps moniker (signifying both the 'white caps' of the nearby mountains, and

546-464: A compete youth structure within the CSL infrastructure with member clubs operating their academy teams in CAF. Shortly following the completion of the 2010 season, De Gironimo announced his resignation from the league citing irreconcilable differences. Additional achievements under De Gironimo term was the sponsorship agreement made with Givova which granted the company the naming rights to the league, and to

624-522: A feeder system to the top tier. In 2008, a Reserve Division was formed to build a developmental structure within the CSL and provide clubs with a larger player pool, sufficient playing time for injured players to recover, and a developmental platform for novice players to transition to the professional ranks. On May 12, 2009, the CSL received conditional approval for membership with the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA). This paved

702-602: A higher level. Another effort conducted by the league was in 2003 with the opening of their domestic cup, the Open Canada Cup , to all Canadian professional and amateur clubs to provide a potential candidate for the CONCACAF Champions' Cup . The previous time a Canadian club competed in the Champions' Cup was in the 1976 CONCACAF Champions' Cup , represented by Toronto Italia in the predecessor league to

780-812: A loss. Also in 1988 the Vancouver 86ers and Calgary Kickers played six friendly matches each against the Western Soccer Alliance in the month of May. In 1990, the Vancouver 86ers captured the North American Club Championship after defeating the Maryland Bays 3–2 in the final played in Burnaby. The game was played between the champions of the Canadian Soccer League and the champions of

858-578: A new North American Soccer League , which was to begin play in 2010. On January 7, 2010, the USSF announced that neither the USL nor the NASL would be permitted to have a second division league, and the USSF would administer a league where the NASL and USL are conferences within the league. On November 24, 2009, it was announced that Paul Barber , the former executive director of Tottenham Hotspur , will become

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936-530: A professional soccer team was again launched in Vancouver. The club was initially going to be named Vancouver United, but that name was rejected for sounding too British. The name Vancouver 86ers was chosen instead to commemorate the founding of the city of Vancouver in 1886, the founding of the team in 1986, the Expo 86 hosted by Vancouver that year, the Canadian national team's first World Cup qualification, and

1014-591: Is Uroš Stamatović , who has been in charge of Serbian White Eagles originally in 2012 and returned in 2019. There have been 17 head coaches who have won the CSL Championship. In addition, 13 foreign head coaches have secured the CSL championship, with 4 Canadians winning the title. Vancouver Whitecaps (1986%E2%80%932010) The Vancouver Whitecaps were a Canadian professional soccer club based in Vancouver , British Columbia . Founded in 1986,

1092-933: Is a complete list of seasons for the CSL and USL club. For a season-by-season history including the current Vancouver Whitecaps FC MLS franchise, see History of Vancouver Whitecaps FC . For solely MLS results, see List of Vancouver Whitecaps FC seasons . ^ 1. Avg. attendance include statistics from league matches only. ^ 2. Top goalscorer(s) includes all goals scored in League, League Playoffs, Canadian Championship , CONCACAF Champions League , FIFA Club World Cup , and other competitive continental matches. ^ 3. Points and PPG have been adjusted from non-traditional to traditional scoring systems for seasons prior to 2003 to more effectively compare historical team performance across seasons. Canadian Soccer League Canadian Championship USL First Division Rivalry Cups Other For some time,

1170-537: Is no automatic promotion and relegation between the First and Second Division. Club members of the CSL vote to determine which, if any, applications for admission into the league will be permitted. The Canadian Soccer League previously organized a knock-out cup competition known as the Open Canada Cup (formerly known as the Government of Canada Open Cup for sponsorship reasons) each league season. The competition

1248-618: The American Professional Soccer League (APSL). The 86ers however came up short in the first round of the 1992 Professional Cup North American Club Championship. Facing APSL champions Colorado Foxes over two legs, Vancouver suffered a heartbreaking 3–2 defeat in the first leg in Colorado on August 3, 1992, before the Foxes advanced to the final, as a 2–1 second-leg win at Swangard on August 11, 1992, secured

1326-590: The Erin Mills Soccer Club , home of the Erin Mills Eagles , announced that it would be holding open tryouts for the newly revealed CSL expansion club Mississauga Eagles FC . The announcement also revealed the organization would field a CSL Reserve Team and Ontario Soccer League (OSL) senior men's team of the same name. Former CPSL, and Erin Mills Eagles coach Josef Komlodi was appointed the franchise's first head coach. Komlodi acquired

1404-903: The London Lasers , joined the National Soccer League (NSL), the country's oldest and only exclusively Canadian professional league. After the addition of the Winnipeg Fury , the league changed its name to the Canadian National Soccer League (CNSL). Though the CNSL was primarily based in Ontario , it operated as a private league for several years after disputes with the Ontario Soccer Association (OSA). The OSA operated

1482-738: The Ontario Soccer League which was the top senior amateur league in the province, but Ontario was without a sanctioned professional league (as the CNSL was considered an outlaw league by the OSA). As a result, the OSA completed a study titled Image of the Game in 1995/1996, which led to plans of launching the Ontario Professional Soccer League in 1997 as a Division 3 league in the Canadian soccer league system . As

1560-809: The USL First Division by fielding their farm team the Trois-Rivières Attak in the National Division. Toronto FC of the Major League Soccer (MLS), owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment , established a relationship with the CSL in 2008 by entering TFC Academy to the National Division and TFC Academy II to the Reserve Division. As a result, the league became associated with two of Canada's top three professional soccer franchises by providing

1638-754: The United Soccer Leagues First Division championship trophy, defeating the host Rochester Rhinos 3–0 at PAETEC Park, and winning the W-League women's trophy. The men's team also won the Nation's Cup, a new tournament established by their club as a way to feature the Whitecaps playing against international competition. The 2006 Nation's Cup tournament featured the Chinese and Indian U-20 National teams and Championship Welsh club Cardiff City F.C. (the "Bluebirds"). The gradually added

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1716-524: The beer company that sponsored Swangard's beer garden. The name was changed to "The Canterbury Chorus" for the subsequent season, as the beer sponsorship had changed between seasons. To avoid changing names every time the sponsor changed, the group chose the name "The Southsiders". The Vancouver Whitecaps have two historic rivals, the Pacific Northwest Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders . These three teams competed in

1794-497: The "Vancouver" back into their name, changing it officially to "Vancouver Whitecaps FC". The following season, the Whitecaps signed a deal to play an exhibition match against the Los Angeles Galaxy , which featured international David Beckham , and promoted Director of Soccer Operations Bob Lenarduzzi to team president. October 12, 2008, they claimed their second United Soccer Leagues First Division championship with

1872-523: The 2015 annual general meeting of team owners where restrictions on import players were lifted, and a working relationship was formed with the American Soccer League (ASL) in order to assist in areas of competition and business. A television agreement was made with Ethnic Channels Group, and beIN Sports in order to broadcast their television program, and revived their sponsorship deal with Givova in 2016. Affiliations were formed with

1950-484: The 2015 season potentially had illegal and suspicious betting activity. All 12 teams were alleged to have played in a "suspicious" game on at least three occasions. On February 2, 2016, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) announced investigations in the alleged match fixing in the CSL. As a result, the CSL cooperated with RCMP investigations and took measures to monitor all matches during

2028-505: The 2016 season. There are currently six clubs in the Canadian Soccer League. Traditionally, during the course of a league season teams usually played a balanced schedule of 18 or 22 games from April/May through October/November with the top eight ranked teams advancing to the playoffs. As of recent seasons a balanced schedule of 10 to 14 games has been played. Each match sees the winning team awarded three points , or in

2106-581: The 86 people who contributed $ 500 each to fund the new team as the West Coast Soccer Society. The 86ers played in the Canadian Soccer League (CSL). Led by player/head coach Bob Lenarduzzi and his assistant Alan Errington , the 86ers were triumphant in their inaugural CSL match, as they defeated Edmonton Brick Men 4–2 in front of 7,646 fans at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby , BC, on June 7, 1987. The 86ers went on to finish second in

2184-551: The CPSL. The league continued its selective, cautionary approach to team expansion, but witnessed a major expansion run in 2001 beyond the GTA and Ontario border to include Quebec and Ottawa franchises. The following season, it expanded to 14 clubs to include a Hamilton and another Toronto territory. Due to the increase of teams, CPSL management split the league into two conferences: Eastern and Western. After firmly establishing

2262-564: The CSA were unreasonable and coercive. The sport arbitrator forced them to reinstate sanctioning to the CSL until the next season in order for the CSA to fairly implement the Easton Report. A notable admission was made by CSA president Victor Montagliani during the SDRCC hearing, where he stated that the decision to de-sanction the CSL was not made on any alleged grounds of match fixing in

2340-508: The CSL Championship. Other major sponsorships included Days Inns – Canada , and a record broadcasting agreement with Rogers TV, which provided additional match coverage to the provinces of Ontario, New Brunswick , and Newfoundland and Labrador . Finally, the addition of the Montreal Impact Academy as the second MLS academy club to join the league. Former CPSL president and CSA financial director Vince Ursini returned to

2418-631: The CSL First Division with a single table structure. While the Reserve Division expanded beyond the GTA boundary, and was reorganized in 2011 into the Second Division. Where it continued its traditional support role as a reserve, and entry level division for clubs with limited financial resources to meet the standards for a First Division club. A working relationship was struck with newly formed Canadian Academy of Futbol (CAF), which cemented

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2496-409: The CSL began its operation as a private league for the first time since the 1997 season in its predecessor league. They joined the newly formed Soccer Federation of Canada (SFC), which provided the private soccer entity the services of administration of players, non-playing personnel, match officials and insurance, which they no longer have any affiliation with now. Significant changes were made at

2574-458: The CSL but strictly on the decision made by the CSA board of directors to adopt a new soccer structure in Canada. On February 28, 2014, the CSA officially expelled the CSL from its membership, citing violations of rules and regulations. After failing to specify which rule violations were made and without providing a formal hearing the CSL in response filed litigation against the CSA. As a result,

2652-622: The CSL during the 2024 season: This is a list of all Championship finals played so far. The final was called Rogers Cup from 1998 to 2009. Since 2010 it has been called the Givova Cup due to sponsorship change. Notes on name changes: Since the inception of the Canadian Soccer League it has contributed in the development and supply of head coaches to the Canadian soccer system. The league as it did in its predecessor league managed to attract many prominent head coaches from abroad to provide

2730-580: The CSL was granted full membership in the CSA as a Division 3 sanctioned professional league in the Canadian soccer structure. Meanwhile, the CSL commissioner was awarded a seat on the CSA Professional Soccer Committee to further the planned expansion of the league to a fully national league with regional divisions under the CSL banner. The league was restructured by merging the International and National divisions to form

2808-401: The Canadian National Soccer League. The new league was meant to provide opportunities for the development of players, coaches, and referees. The intention of the alliance was to form regional divisions across the nation under the CPSL banner with each divisional champion competing in a playoff format for the championship . After the demise of the Canadian Soccer League (CSL) in 1992, Canada

2886-453: The Canadian Soccer League expired after the 2012 season, and was renewed in 2016. As well as sponsorship for the league itself, the CSL had a number of official partners and suppliers. These partners include companies involved in food and beverage , sports-wear and equipment . Thirty-nine teams have played in the Canadian Soccer League from its inception in 1998, up to and including the 2018 season . The following six clubs contested in

2964-634: The Chief Executive Operations director of the Caps. Whitecaps played a 30-match regular season, with 15 home games and a 15 games away in the United States Soccer Federation Division 2 Professional League . In May 2008, the Whitecaps announced plans to move to BC Place stadium once renovations were completed. Following the announcement, MLS commissioner Don Garber commented "there is no doubt

3042-454: The City of Vancouver and the ownership group of the Whitecaps were considering the idea to build the team a soccer-specific stadium called Whitecaps Waterfront Stadium . The new stadium was to be built over the railway tracks east of Waterfront Station on Burrard Inlet. This 16,000-seat stadium would have replaced Swangard Stadium as the home field for the USL 's Vancouver Whitecaps. There

3120-452: The OPSL teams: Glen Shields , Mississauga Eagles , Toronto Olympians , and York Region Shooters . In the initial years of the CPSL, the on-field performance was dominated by Toronto Olympians and Ottawa Wizards , who had the financial support from corporations such as Coffee Time , and Oz Optics Ltd. While St. Catharines, and Toronto Croatia – two well established former CNSL clubs – were

3198-571: The OSA failed to bring their project to fruition, they reached an agreement with the CNSL and formed an alliance to launch the Canadian Professional Soccer League (CPSL), beginning with an Ontario division in 1998. The CPSL would serve as a link between the provincial senior leagues to the USL A-League / USISL clubs, and provide opportunities for the development of youth players and referees. The intention of

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3276-781: The Ontario Youth Soccer Association in order to establish a YSA Division to house the CSL Academy teams, and with the Canadian Corporate Soccer League in developing a structure of competition for the city's corporate clubs in Toronto. While reports of alleged match fixing continued with a report released on October 14, 2015, by the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) claiming that 42% of matches in

3354-473: The SeaBus terminal, a short distance northwest of the previous site. With the Whitecaps moving up to MLS, the franchise has signed to initially play at Empire Field , and then BC Place Stadium from 2011 to at least 2015. It was hoped that the new facility would be completed by the 2016 MLS season. Due to the hurdles of getting the new stadium approved, the project has been abandoned with the team committed to playing at BC Place Stadium . The Whitecaps' mascot

3432-408: The Soccer Federation of Canada (SFC). As of 2024 , it consists of six teams, all located in Ontario. The season usually runs from May to October, with most games played on the weekend followed by a playoff format to determine the overall champion. The league was formed in 1998 as the Canadian Professional Soccer League ( CPSL ) by an alliance forged by the Ontario Soccer Association (OSA) with

3510-471: The USL Super Y-League ( Coastal WFC, Mountain WFC, Surrey WFC and Okanagan WFC ) ranging in age from U13 to U17 for both boys and girls. The team was previously known as the Vancouver 86ers of both the Canadian Soccer League , American Professional Soccer League (APSL), and later the A-League . The club later played in two later versions of the second tier A-League known as the USL-1 and USSF Division 2 Professional League in North America. In 1986,

3588-432: The Western Division standings that year before bowing out to inaugural league champions Calgary Kickers in the playoff semifinals. From 1988 to 1991, the 86ers won four straight CSL Championships, as well and five consecutive CSL regular-season first-place finishes from 1988 to 1992. In 1988–1989, the team, coached by Bob Lenarduzzi , set a North American professional sports record by playing 46 consecutive games without

3666-525: The Whitecaps ownership team. Vancouver's bid was officially submitted on October 15, 2008, along with bids from six other cities. Whitecaps representatives Greg Kerfoot and Jeff Mallett met with MLS officials on November 21, 2008, to go over their bid. Don Garber, who was previously involved in National Football League expansion, described the bid presentation as, "one of the best I've ever seen." Garber and MLS president Mark Abbott were in Vancouver on December 7, 2008, to tour BC Place Stadium and learn about

3744-423: The allegations of match fixing the CSL issued a statement stating that the league would continue to conduct the necessary steps in order to prevent any future tampering of matches. Prior to the 2013 season , the CSA informed the CSL that the league would no longer be sanctioned. CBC reported that the CSA's decision was partially based on their inability to handle the match fixing issue. The CSA later announced that

3822-466: The case of a draw, the teams receive one point each. No points are awarded for a loss. At the end of each season, the club with the most points is crowned the regular season champion. The playoffs operate as a knockout tournament with single-match legs where the winner of the final is crowned CSL champion . Fourteen clubs have won the CSL Championship including Toronto Croatia (6 titles), York Region Shooters , and FC Continentals (3 titles each). There

3900-400: The champion. The Open Canada Cup eventually expanded to include professional and amateur teams from Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia. A notable addition was the Toronto Lynx of the USL First Division at the time the nations top tier division joining the tournament in 2006. In 2008, the CSL increased the prize money to $ 25,000, but shortly after the creation of the Canadian Championship

3978-430: The competition was disbanded. Since the establishment of the Canadian Championship, no CSL teams have participated in the tournament which determines the Canadian entry into the continental competition. The Canadian Soccer League is owned by its member clubs and managed by a board of directors made up of directors from each member club. The board of directors sets out the policy to oversee league operations and selects

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4056-399: The decision was made in order to implement the James Easton Report (Rethink Management Group Report) for the adoption of a new professional soccer structure. The CSL protested the de-sanctioning and appealed to the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC). The sport arbitrator ruled that the CSA had the right to de-sanction the CSL, but ruled that the immediate decisions conducted by

4134-421: The downtown and Gastown areas, particularly since the soccer team tended to attract a family-oriented audience. On July 11, 2006, Vancouver City Council voted unanimously to proceed with the stadium project, so long as the Whitecaps could meet certain conditions regarding land use. On January 22, 2007, the Whitecaps filed a new proposal shifting the proposed site for the stadium project to the current location of

4212-663: The experience needed in the development of coaching. Notable head coaches have included Rudolf Belin , Miroslav Buljan , Manuel Gomes , Rasim Kara , Ivan Markovic , Mladen Pralija , Dragoslav Šekularac , and Ihor Yavorskyi . While at the same time provide the opportunities to produce and develop head coaches as Bijan Azizi , Jason Bent , Jim Brennan , Nikola Budalic , Hubert Busby Jr. , Rafael Carbajal , Danny Dichio , Marc Dos Santos , Philippe Eullaffroy , Dejan Gluščević , Carmine Isacco , Goran Miscevic , Darren Tilley , and Duncan Wilde , who have gone on to higher endeavors. The league's longest-serving head coach

4290-446: The governing body in 2008. The outcome of the reforms witnessed a 50% increase in match attendance particularly in the GTA with the ethnic based teams attracting the most attention. Fan support would continue to increase for several seasons, with the Serbian White Eagles FC and Trois-Rivières Attak averaging the most. Media coverage was further increased after an arrangement made with Toronto Community News , which provided coverage to

4368-411: The head coach responsibilities for the 2012 season, while Komlodi served as technical director. Joey Melo was appointed the team captain for the season. Mississauga failed to achieve their previous year success by failing to clinch the final playoff berth. In 2013 the Canadian Soccer Association de-sanctioned the CSL, and as a result Erin Mills Soccer Club decided to withdraw the Mississauga Eagles from

4446-402: The hopes of forming a Canadian first and second division domestic league. Meanwhile, the CPSL continued in its original mission of providing opportunities to players to a higher platform by striking an agreement with the Toronto Lynx of the USL A-League. The player agreement deal provided the Lynx access to use any CPSL talent upon request, which provided the players the opportunity to play at

4524-402: The league and its member clubs. Rogers TV made additional broadcasting commitments to expand their media coverage to a full season. Several milestones were made in the Open Canada Cup tournament with the participation of the Toronto Lynx in 2006, and the expansion of the tournament to include teams from British Columbia in 2007. The CSL began an affiliation in 2007 with the Montreal Impact of

4602-412: The league earned major sponsorship deals from Primus Canada , and the Government of Canada , which served as the sole sponsor for the CPSL Rookie of the Year Award. In 2001, the CSA originally initiated a task force named the Canadian United Soccer League (CUSL), which formed a working partnership with the CPSL and the Canadian franchises in the USL A-League to forge a unified professional structure in

4680-418: The league was to form regional divisions under the CPSL banner, with each divisional champion competing in a playoff format for the championship. Michael Di Biase , the CNSL president, would serve as the commissioner and OSA administrator Bill Spiers was named league chairman. The founding members included four CNSL clubs London City , North York Astros , St. Catharines Wolves , Toronto Croatia , and four of

4758-421: The league within the Ontario soccer structure, Ursini resigned from his position in order to fully delegate his time to his OSA obligations, and to seek election to the CSA board of directors. Former CPSL management consultant Cary Kaplan with previous experience as president of the Hamilton Bulldogs in the American Hockey League was named his successor in the capacity of a commissioner . One of his first acts

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4836-430: The league. Canadian Soccer League The Canadian Soccer League ( CSL ; French : Ligue canadienne de soccer — LCS ) is a semi-professional league for Canadian soccer clubs primarily located in the province of Ontario , and claims the history of the Canadian National Soccer League (CNSL). It is a non-FIFA league previously sanctioned by the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA), but now affiliated with

4914-439: The likes of Canadian internationals Andrew Ornoch , Dave Simpson . He also signed notable Erin Mills alumni Igor Pisanjuk , Joey Melo , Joevannie Peart , David Guzman, Gabe Gala , and CSL veteran Thierry Mangwa-Batomen. The club's home venue was located at Hershey Field , and Dave Simpson served as the team captain. The club made its CSL debut on May 8, 2011, in a match against TFC Academy , where Mississauga came out with

4992-479: The market for professional soccer exists in Vancouver, as we saw last November when nearly 50,000 fans attended the exhibition match between the Los Angeles Galaxy and the Whitecaps". On July 24, 2008, the MLS announced they were seeking to add two expansion franchises for the 2011 season. One day later, the Whitecaps officially announced that they were pursuing one of the two expansion slots. The Whitecaps also announced that local sports icon Steve Nash will join

5070-416: The name was made to the Canadian Soccer League (CSL), with a new set of rules, regulations, and constitution established. The schedule format was changed including the relationship between the OSA and the Quebec Soccer Federation (QSF) was revised with the CSL by the signing of a "Memorandum of Understanding", which provided the CSL with an increased level of autonomy and eventual operational independence from

5148-441: The organization as the successor to De Gironimo in 2011. The league's membership under Ursini's administration expanded to record amount of 28 teams in 2012 with 16 in the First Division and 12 in the Second Division. Their media coverage was broaden with a television agreement with CogecoTV , and the reintroduction of their weekly television program was picked up by Rogers TV. On September 12, 2012, accounts of alleged match-fixing

5226-406: The prominent challengers in the early years, a change occurred in 2000 within the administration field of the league with Vince Ursini being appointed the president. The league was able to acquire a television deal with Rogers TV , which enabled the launch of its own television program, the CPSL Soccer Show, which garnered the highest ratings of Sunday programs shown on the channel. As a result,

5304-415: The proposed renovations, which were scheduled to be completed in time for the 2011 MLS season. Vancouver was officially named an MLS expansion city on March 18, 2009, and joined the league in 2011. They began their inaugural MLS season at Empire Field , a temporary stadium built at the former site of Empire Stadium , and moved into BC Place Stadium when renovations to the stadium were completed. This

5382-539: The status of teams, while compensating the equity owners who had heavily invested in league throughout the years The current chairman is Vincent Ursini, appointed in March 2011, and the league administrator is Pino Jazbec with Stan Adamson as Director of Media. Previously the chairman also had the function of a commissioner with Michael Di Biase, Cary Kaplan, and Domenic Di Gironimo serving in that capacity. The Canadian Soccer League originally sold title sponsorship rights to Givova from 2010 to 2012. The Givova deal with

5460-403: The team played its final year in the second tier of the United States soccer pyramid in the NASL Conference of the USSF Division 2 Professional League coached by Teitur Thordarson . The team played its home games at Swangard Stadium in nearby Burnaby , British Columbia . The team's colours were blue and white. On March 19, 2009, an ownership group led by principal Greg Kerfoot was granted

5538-470: The waves of the Pacific Ocean ). In 2003, the name was again changed, albeit only slightly, to Whitecaps FC, which encompasses the men's, women's, and youth development teams within the organization. At this time, the Whitecaps logo changed slightly in colour (the light teal-green was replaced with a brighter blue) and the word "Vancouver" was dropped from the image. In 2006, the Whitecaps organization won an unprecedented double-championship, claiming both

5616-455: The way for the CSL to create the effective player developmental system needed to provide the missing link between the top provincial amateur level to the MLS/USL on a national level. After 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 years as commissioner, Kaplan resigned following the 2009 season in order to devote more time to his sports marketing company with Domenic Di Gironimo hired as his replacement. In 2010,

5694-421: Was a fair degree of controversy with regards to this location; a Vancouver council session to debate the issue was extended to four nights to allow public input. Detractors viewed the proposed stadium as an incongruous addition to nearby historic Gastown that would block waterfront access and promote piecemeal development of the area. Proponents of the development felt that the stadium would attract new business to

5772-655: Was named Winger. He is a bird who wears a Whitecaps jersey and carries a large drum to encourage the crowd. He often uses signs to get fans in the grandstands to cheer. The Whitecaps have an independent supporters group known as the Southsiders . Founded in 1999, the group is named for their preferred seating area in the south end of Swangard Stadium. The Southsiders, once described as a "rabid supporters group", identify themselves as Canada's oldest supporters association for professional domestic soccer . The group originally called themselves "The Carlsberg Crew," named for

5850-524: Was originally formed in 1998 known as the League Cup, and was exclusively open only to CPSL clubs. In 2003, the CPSL opened the League Cup to all Canadian professional and amateur clubs in order to provide a potential Canadian candidate to the CONCACAF Champions' Cup . The competition was renamed with the Government of Canada as the initial title sponsorship, and the inclusion of a $ 10,000 reward for

5928-529: Was reported by the CBC that a CSL game between the Trois-Rivières Attak and Toronto Croatia held in September 2009 was fixed. The report, which aired on the news program The National , revealed court documents showing that €15,000 ($ 18,000 CDN) in bribes were paid to several players on Toronto Croatia. The game was part of a larger match-fixing scandal in Europe in which six people were convicted. In response to

6006-510: Was the creation of a Women's Canada Cup, as a preliminary tournament launched in the hopes of creating a future professional domestic league for women. In 2006, Kaplan began a series of reforms beginning with the creation of the National and International Division to replace the conference system . The intention of the reforms was to re-kindle the spirit of the CNSL days by promoting ethnic rivalries to increase match attendance. A rebranding of

6084-558: Was without a Division 1 national professional league. The Canadian soccer landscape was fractured into several different foreign and regional senior leagues. When the CSL ceased operations, three of their clubs (the Vancouver Whitecaps , Toronto Blizzard , and Montreal Supra ) joined the American Professional Soccer League , which then was the highest-tier league in the United States. The remaining clubs, except for

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