Your local team shouldn’t play second fiddle to an international club.
Everyone in Canada felt the sense of community arise following the Blue Jays’ historic run this season. Whether you watched the games at a local bar or talked them over with colleagues the next day, the sense of national pride was palpable. For North American soccer fans, we can only wish the same could be true.
This Saturday, the Vancouver Whitecaps will take on the No. 3 seed Los Angeles FC in the Major League Soccer (MLS) Western Conference semi-final. While the Whitecaps will play to a sold-out home crowd at BC Place, the hype is nothing like what surrounds hockey, baseball, and basketball in Canada.
The lack of attention’s primarily attributed to the fact that most consider European or Latin American soccer to be of a higher calibre. While the statistics don’t lie—European and South American clubs have consistently dominated global club competitions—it doesn’t mean local soccer isn’t worth supporting.
Though many Canadian fans might have a club team they support abroad, they need to start acknowledging that there’s something deeper and more emotionally felt about cheering for their home country or city. In a world increasingly disconnected and isolated, sports are one of the few remaining vehicles of community and togetherness.
The MLS is one of the fastest-growing sports leagues in North America, making now the perfect time to hop on the bandwagon. Over the past five to 10 years, the MLS has acquired some of the most exciting players of this generation, beginning around 2018, when Zlatan Ibrahomović signed with the LA Galaxy from Manchester United and proceeded to rack up 52 goals across 56 appearances for the club.
Notably, in 2023 Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami FC from Paris Saint-Germain, scoring 45 goals in 53 appearances for Miami. Messi led the team to their first major trophy, the 2023 Leagues Cup, which qualified the team for the CONCACAF championship for the first time ever.
Suiting up for the Whitecaps against LAFC this weekend will be German superstar, Thomas Müller, who signed with the club in August. Since coming over from FC Bayern Munich, Müller has scored eight goals in nine matches and been a standout for the team during their historic season.
But Müller isn’t the only exciting player taking the field this weekend. American Forward Bryan White leads the team in scoring with 16 goals this season, just one goal away from cracking his per-season scoring record. Another exciting player to watch is Sebastian Berhalter, a young midfielder who’s been setting up the team’s attack all season.
On the LAFC side of things, players to watch will be forwards Denis Bouanga and Olivier Giroud, as well as their goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
The MLS is growing faster than ever, making it critically important to support professional soccer in Canada. Increased support for professional soccer in Canada could impact the U Sports environment, where teams receive significantly less funding than their American counterparts.
An uptick in viewership and investment for professional teams in Canada would allow the game to grow at every level. I grew up at a time when so many young girls joined soccer because of Cristine Sinclair and the success of the Canadian Women’s national team. I can only imagine how much bigger the game could get.
So, in the name of growing the Canadian game and having a good time, I encourage everyone to tune into the Western Conference semi-final this Saturday at 9:30 PM EST. Even if you’re more of a Champions League fan, the MLS offers a sense of community and local pride that can’t be found with teams overseas.
Tags
Canada, Club soccer, Local sports, MLS, North America, soccer
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