HEALEY: Could CanPL, Liga MX play pre-season invitational tournaments? It almost happened
Cover photo courtesy: Hannah Wellon / Cavalry FC.
Although not retirement aged, Canadian Premier League clubs have spent a lot of time down south this winter.
Most opted to host part of their pre-season camp in Mexico, with Forge FC, York United, Atlético Ottawa and Cavalry FC making the trek to warmer climes this off-season – the latest in a series of moves connecting the CPL to Mexico.
Cavalry started this particular trend in 2022, and travelled to Mexico again this year. In the time between their trips, Mexican ownership group Game Plan Sports completed the purchase of York United, giving the Pasquel brothers a front-row seat to the growing world of Canadian football. Forge also faced off against Mexican giants Chivas de Guadalajara in two exciting Concacaf Champions Cup matches, including a sweltering trip to the Estadio Akron. Mix in a smattering of signings – be it Vancouver's José Navarro or Forge's Daniel Parra, on loan from FC Monterrey – and suddenly, it seems there's going to be a lot more Spanish spoken across the league in season six.
The CPL and Liga MX are invariably tied as a result of Concacaf competition. But, the exchange of culture and ideas has been growing outside of that tie. There seems to be opportunity on both sides, as Canadian clubs seek warmer weather and competition, and Mexican investors eye the potential riches of an untapped football market.
But beyond player signings and a new ownership group, clubs on either side of the continent are also edging closer to what could be a unique pre-season invitational, the latest string in a complicated web of football relationships.
It's so close, in fact, it almost happened this year.
What Mexico offers
Cavalry head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. has long favoured Mexico as a training destination. Following the conclusion of the CPL's inaugural season, Wheeldon immediately began planning a trip that promised top facilities, fierce competition, and, most crucially, good weather ahead of their looming 2020 campaign: He landed on Mexico.
"It's funny because myself, Martin Nash — who was an assistant at that time — and Leon Hapgood, we talked about destinations where we could go to get that CONCACAF feel," Wheeldon explained, via The Wanderers Notebook. "Mexico's different. They've been a powerhouse — everyone there lives and breathes football."
Cavalry FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. gives a thumps up before his side squared off against Celaya FC in Mexico. (Credit: Hannah Wellon / Cavalry FC).
Cavalry locked in their trip in what would be a CPL club's first visit, but for a lockdown interruption to their plans. They wouldn't make it down until 2022, validating Wheeldon's initial idea.
"It was exactly that: The facilities, the people and the competition was great," he said.
Once Cavalry learned of their draw against MLS side Orlando City for Champions Cup, Wheeldon wasted no time in booking another training camp to Mexico, leaving Canada for Santiago de Querétaro on March 18. Over a 10-day span, Cavalry played friendlies against Inter de Querétaro FC, Celaya FC and Gallos Blancos de Querétaro.
The competition in Mexico, be it a Liga MX squad or one in the second division, is not something readily available to Canadian clubs, especially in January or February. In particular, Wheeldon said his squad had limited options as they prepared for Orlando City.
"You lack competition. We're playing against university sides who are out of season and it's not the best preparation," he said, adding the only CPL club ready to play at that time was Forge. "It's about getting quality competition and facilities because of the (cold) weather up here."
Forge flew down to Santiago de Querétaro on January 16 for a week to prepare for their clash against Chivas. York United and Atlético Ottawa also followed suit in March.
For their part, Atlético Ottawa CEO Fernando López said he wanted to collaborate with another club in the Atlético family, Liga MX side Atlético San Luis.
"We wanted to bring another view of the Atlético universe and what we have to offer to the team," López said in March.
Previously, Atlético Ottawa had traveled to Spain for their last four pre-season camps but opted to cut out the longer travel times while finding competitive friendlies. Given the Atlético San Luis link, it wouldn't surprise anyone if the club again heads to Mexico next year, especially if they get off to a hot start.
'A win-win'
Ricardo Pasquel and his brothers were announced as York United's new owners in December. Since then, they've been busy building the foundation for what they hope to be a trophy winning club.
During an interview with The Wanderers Notebook, Ricardo, who is the club's GM and president, said working in football has been a dream come true, including his move to Canada with his wife and kids.
"My kids are very happy, my wife is very happy and it's been everything we expected and more," he said.
Eduardo, Ricardo and Miguel Pasquel have been busy this off-season following their purchase of York United. From Mexico, they decided to invest in the potential of the CPL and football in Canada. (Credit: York United FC)
But he's also had a busy few months, bringing in a trio of Mexican players – Josué Martínez, Orlando Botello and Oswaldo León – while sending York to Monterrey, Mexico, for two pre-season bouts against Tigres and CF Monterrey.
When asked about the growing football ties between Canada and Mexico, Ricardo said he thinks both sides profit.
"I think it's a win-win for both of us. From a Canadian perspective, just to visit other countries, to visit other cultures, getting to play games against almost world class teams, it benefits us all," he explained. "From their end, it's a chance to explore the young Canadian talent that's here. I've had conversations with five, maybe six clubs in Mexico and they're starting to put together business plans to maybe have academies in (Canada) in the future."
He added that playing big clubs like Tigres and CF Monterrey helps to raise awareness about the CPL but also engages fans before the regular season kicks off. Some York fans, Ricardo said, had reached out about how they could watch the friendlies, something that hadn't necessarily happened in years prior.
"It gets them more excited about the project we have," he said.
Next step: An invitational?
One thing has become obvious: there's a clear gap between CPL clubs and their competition in Champions Cup. The creation of a pre-season invitational tournament, said Wheeldon, could be huge in exposing Canadian players to higher levels of competition before dipping their feet into CONCACAF.
"We're playing against top, top MLS or Mexican sides. Ourselves and Forge gave a great account of ourselves (in Champions Cup) but these guys have got weapons. We have to bridge that gap and the only way to do it is at the start of the year, not at the end," he said.
Many leagues across the globe organize invitational tournaments during pre-season to both test themselves and grow their brands. Be it the Coachella Valley Invitational or Inter Miami's Asia tour, clubs are continually on the lookout for advantages on the pitch or in the business opportunities such tournaments create. Although the CPL is only in its sixth season, Wheeldon said the time has come for clubs to take the next steps.
"For us to continue to improve our level of competition and our brand as a league, we actually have to start budgeting it for all of us," he said. "These pre-season reps matter because you've got to get acclimatized."
So could an invitational between CPL and Mexican clubs be in the cards?
Well, it almost happened – albeit informally – this very off-season. Ricardo explained that York and Atlético Ottawa tried to coordinate going to Mexico at the same time this year, but the timing didn't quite work out.
"We were very close to going down at the same time as Atlético. We were planning a four club mini tournament with a couple of clubs from Mexico but at the end of the day, the dates didn't match perfectly," said Ricardo.
However, such a tournament remains in the cards for the future.
"I think that's a possibility. It'd have to be during the international break, maybe we have three or four teams from the CPL and three or four teams from Mexico and have a tournament that could be televised," he said.
There's currently nothing confirmed for 2025 but if the past few years are any indication, there's a very good chance CPL clubs will continue to foster relationships in Mexico. The result of those conversations could be the league's first invitational tournament, putting another trophy up for grabs.
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