The new partnership with MLS is creating professional opportunities for young Canadian players, and some have already seen them pay off.
When Major League Soccer signed a deal with the United Soccer League, it was to allow players a bridge between the academy and professional level. Instead of a reserve league, like elsewhere in the world Major League Soccer's second teams would play in a lower division in the pyramid.
It is going to take a much larger sample size to know if this structure is effective, but the early results are positive. MLS teams have been able to use the league to get their fringe players some minutes at a professional level, while giving their promising prospects a place to develop.