/christophers-website-6418/images/CPT103405967_hd-u6ad8.jpeg)
Players, Clubs, and Fans all have a Chance to Benefit from the Competition
/christophers-website-6418/11-i88f0.png)
For most amateurs or semi-professional English football players, playing in an FA Cup match against a top division club might be the pinnacle of their career. The magic of the FA Cup, with all of its historic upsets, last-minute winners, and tightly contested finals has made it a truly iconic competition across world football. Since its creation in 1871, almost every other nation in the world has copied the tournament in their home country, including Canada.
Ever since 2008, Canada Soccer has organized the Canadian Championship, an annual tournament to decide the best Canadian football team of that year, similar to the likes of the FA Cup in England. The winner is awarded the Voyageurs Cup and a place in the CONCACAF Champions League, an international tournament in North and Central America that is equivalent to the UEFA Champions League in Europe. It’s safe to say that for Canadian clubs, there is quite a lot to play for.
From 2018 to 2019, the competition underwent a drastic change following the foundation of the Canadian Premier League, the newest top-tier football league in Canada. Canada Soccer decided that CPL clubs automatically qualified for the tournament and also included the League1 Ontario and Première Ligue de soccer du Québec champions. Within a year, the tournament expanded from 5 clubs to 13 clubs, greatly increasing the competitiveness of the Canadian Championship.
With every professional club in Canada and the champions of both Canadian semi-pro leagues participating, the changes give lots of new opportunities to clubs and players. New clubs in the CPL, L1O, and PLSQ now have the chance to become well-known and gain a fanbase by competing against some of the biggest clubs in Canada. For example, Guelph United FC, which was founded in 2021 and remarkably won the League1 Ontario playoffs in the same year, will become the first L1O club to host a CPL team. Even more exciting, a victory against HFX Wanderers would mean that Toronto FC would visit Alumni Stadium in Guelph for the quarter-finals, a match that would undoubtedly be the highlight of the club’s short history.
Similar to clubs, players can also make a name for themselves by putting in impressive performances against the best teams. This is similar to how the FA Cup often gives top English clubs a chance to scout young talent in the bottom leagues. Notable players such as Joe Hart and Jamie Vardy have been noticed while playing for non-league clubs in England and have gone on to have extremely successful careers in European football.
Although the competition is designed for clubs and players to showcase their abilities, it also serves as a perfect marketing tool for the sport of football in Canada. With 13 clubs in 6 provinces competing every year, chances are that there is a club near you who are vying to become Canada’s best football team. This was not always the case for the tournament, which had only 3 clubs in the competition as recently as 2011.
The growth of Canadian football cannot be denied and it can be credited to competitions such as the Canadian Championship expanding to new cities and provinces, and giving fans more opportunities to support their local clubs. It’s fantastic to see the sport growing so much within a short period and without the support of millions of football fans in Canada, none of this would be possible.
The 2022 Canadian Championship kicks off May 10 with preliminary matchups involving clubs from every professional and semi-professional league in Canada.
Published: March 18, 2022 - Issue 30 of The Sport Marketeer