A New Canadian Soccer League

Major League Soccer as an Ally?

  I have been asked to explain why I state that Major League Soccer should considered an ally instead of an enemy to a new league. If I may quote directly:

I'm a bit confused as to your comment that MLS would be a good ally. Anyone who follows the A-League knows that MLS is a selfish league who is only out to benefit themselves. In fact you state that Canadian players would benefit from their experience in a new league and might make the MLS. ... for the most part the MLS shuns Canadian talent, instead preferring to play less talented foreign players from countries that have a large immigrant population in MLS cities.

  I guess it would more accurate to say I see them as no threat to our league with some possibility of common ground.
  Since we would not compete with them in a business sense (unlike the A-League if they were to remain in Canada) the MLS would have no interest in attacking a new CSL or trying to undermine our marketing efforts.
  At the same time, they are already using some Canadian players and the recent rule changes will allow for even more Canadians to play and not be considered "foreign". Thus, since they will probably always have more money to spend, they might be able to pay a few of our players better salaries than CSL teams which is good for the player and good for the national team. Not great for the CSL but not crippling either.
  What might then be good for the league is the transfer fees that could be involved and the chance for some cross border friendlies which could only help in terms of quality of play and in extra games to bring in revenue.
  The CSL might also benefit from the work they have been doing to try to market their league. The MLS plays in a society similar to our own and they probably have a few things they could teach us about trying to market soccer in a "non-soccer" country.
  Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying they would actively assist a new CSL but they could at least be "used" in a positive manner.