The University of Victoria athletic department is hailing the announcement of an entry draft for U Sports soccer players by the fledgling professional Canadian Premier League.
The inaugural draft will be held Nov. 12.
“We want to give our players as many avenues as possible,” said UVic Vikes head coach Bruce Wilson.
Wilson pointed to Vikes rookie sensation Mateo Ventura, the Reynolds Secondary graduate who has nine goals, as the kind of player who would benefit greatly with pro exposure. Wilson also said Vikes star Isaac Koch would have been a top-12 pick in the inaugural CPL-U Sports draft if a season-ending injury had not put him on the shelf until next summer.
“It shows there is something besides the MLS to shoot for,” said Wilson.
A unique aspect of the agreement is that a CPL-U Sports development contract will allow players to retain their university eligibility if they appear in CPL training camps or games. It also guarantees the U Sports players will be returned to their university teams in late August before the start of the university season.
The CPL schedule will run from April to October. Pacific FC, which will play at a revamped Westhills Stadium in Langford, has been announced as one of seven charter franchises for the inaugural CPL season in 2019.
“The opportunity for our players to be exposed to that level is tremendously important,” said James Keogh, UVic associate director of sport.
“The potential impact the CPL will have on Canadian soccer is huge.”
U Sports is labelling this a landmark in soccer development.
“We are excited to provide our men’s soccer players with the opportunity to pursue the next stage of their careers at home through the CPL-U Sports draft,” said Graham Brown, president and CEO of U Sports.
The CPL said it wants to pursue all potential sources of player talent and labelled the agreement “ground-breaking.”
“We knew giving the top university players in our country an opportunity to play professionally, while still continuing to maintain their education and U Sports status, was important,” said CPL commissioner David Clanachan, in a statement.
“This allows us to continue our journey to create a pathway for our homegrown players to have the opportunity to play professionally in Canada.”
Wilson, who captained Canada in its lone World Cup appearance in 1986, said the CPL might even aid Canada in getting back to the big dance.
“It will help Canadian soccer without a doubt and be a real benefit to the national team and will be another source of players for the national coach [John Herdman],” said Wilson.
Herdman concurred: “The CPL will be a springboard for Canadian players who have not quite made it into the MLS or who don’t have a European passport.”
