I was Derek’s teammate for 3 years on North York Spartacus 1996 we won Ontario cup and multiple tournaments together. Derek was 2 years younger than us but 1 thing I will tell you is he’s been special player. He went on trial for cska Moscow when we were younger and played oysl. We didn’t have cpl or league 1 Ontario until we were much older and tfc over a lot of us unless you knew someone it was a lot of politics. For anyone from the ages of 94-1998 a lot of us were over looked and didn’t have proper chances due to what was available to our age group at the time.
The North American soccer structure, particularly in Canada and the United States, faces several challenges that hinder the development of talent and the overall growth of the sport. A significant issue is the "pay-to-play" model, where families must invest substantial amounts of money for their children to participate in high-performance leagues. This model often limits access to talented players from less affluent backgrounds, potentially overlooking skilled individuals who cannot afford the fees.
In Ontario, for example, there are two key youth leagues: the Ontario Player Development League (OPDL) and the Imodel league. The OPDL is considered the high-performance league, and players not participating in it are often overlooked by the provincial selection committee, regardless of their technical or athletic abilities. This creates a barrier for many youth players aspiring to play at a national level, as participation in the OPDL is seen as a prerequisite for national recognition.
Despite the emphasis on the OPDL, the selection for boys' teams in the U15 to U20 age groups shows that many players are not from the OPDL but rather from Toronto FC (TFC) or overseas. This indicates that even within the OPDL, players may not receive the opportunities they seek. Consequently, many talented players in both the OPDL and Imodel leagues remain unrecognized, highlighting inefficiencies in the current system.
The broader North American soccer structure is characterized by a lack of promotion and relegation, which is typical in European soccer systems. This closed system, driven by business transactions rather than competitive merit, limits the movement of teams and players and may stifle competitive development. Additionally, legal challenges faced by Major League Soccer (MLS) and U.S. Soccer, such as antitrust lawsuits, further complicate the landscape and may impact the league's future and its ability to foster a competitive environment.
7 Comments
This is so cool to see… He's going to get minutes there to, like Alistair at Celtic… Best wishes to Cornelius…
Does he speak french?
Kone Cornelius connection will be next level under De Zerbi
MLS is a farm league. Unserious
I was Derek’s teammate for 3 years on North York Spartacus 1996 we won Ontario cup and multiple tournaments together. Derek was 2 years younger than us but 1 thing I will tell you is he’s been special player. He went on trial for cska Moscow when we were younger and played oysl. We didn’t have cpl or league 1 Ontario until we were much older and tfc over a lot of us unless you knew someone it was a lot of politics. For anyone from the ages of 94-1998 a lot of us were over looked and didn’t have proper chances due to what was available to our age group at the time.
Itsssss MATCH NIGHT!
The North American soccer structure, particularly in Canada and the United States, faces several challenges that hinder the development of talent and the overall growth of the sport. A significant issue is the "pay-to-play" model, where families must invest substantial amounts of money for their children to participate in high-performance leagues. This model often limits access to talented players from less affluent backgrounds, potentially overlooking skilled individuals who cannot afford the fees.
In Ontario, for example, there are two key youth leagues: the Ontario Player Development League (OPDL) and the Imodel league. The OPDL is considered the high-performance league, and players not participating in it are often overlooked by the provincial selection committee, regardless of their technical or athletic abilities. This creates a barrier for many youth players aspiring to play at a national level, as participation in the OPDL is seen as a prerequisite for national recognition.
Despite the emphasis on the OPDL, the selection for boys' teams in the U15 to U20 age groups shows that many players are not from the OPDL but rather from Toronto FC (TFC) or overseas. This indicates that even within the OPDL, players may not receive the opportunities they seek. Consequently, many talented players in both the OPDL and Imodel leagues remain unrecognized, highlighting inefficiencies in the current system.
The broader North American soccer structure is characterized by a lack of promotion and relegation, which is typical in European soccer systems. This closed system, driven by business transactions rather than competitive merit, limits the movement of teams and players and may stifle competitive development. Additionally, legal challenges faced by Major League Soccer (MLS) and U.S. Soccer, such as antitrust lawsuits, further complicate the landscape and may impact the league's future and its ability to foster a competitive environment.