When Toronto FC entered the fray in 2007 one of the great hopes was that their player development program would pay dividends down the road.
Their system would churn out players that would not only help their own team, but by extension would help Canada as well. Or so the theory went. Progress can be painfully slow.
But something that went largely unnoticed this week might be a big sign that progress in fact is being made. The Dallas Cup is an annual spring tournament featuring top quality clubs from around the world from the U13 level all the way up to U19. Both Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps entered teams at the highest level. Two great stories here.
First Toronto FC demolished AC Milan 3-0. And the Italian giants fielded a top-quality team. The Reds eventually lost to Manchester City.
Other than FC Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman who was in his own back yard, John Carver was the only other MLS coach in attendance. He loved what he saw. He can now see the day in the not too distant future, maybe two or three years, when a couple of these lads are in his first team. And that's what the program is all about.
The Whitecaps have been in the academy business for a while now and it shows. At this writing, the Caps are in the semifinals in Dallas. They expect to churn out some Canadian talent as well. In fact, watch for their starting lineup when they make their MLS debut in 2011 to be sprinkled with Canadians yet to be identified. Although you can bet the coaching staff has already begun that process.
The point is this: Player development has to come from within, and is in fact happening with the professional clubs. They're the ones with the most to gain by doing so. The byproduct will be Canadian players with enough ability to represent this country as well as their club team. Perhaps I'm painting a rosy picture. But I'll grasp onto anything where there's a glimmer of hope.
After all, any development is better than what has happened in the past.
