The Canadian Premier League, which includes Island-based Pacific FC, has had an incrementally increasing impact nationally on soccer despite its only mere six years of existence. A reflection of that is that three CPL alumni have been named for recent Canada games, former Forge FC striker Kwasi Poku against Panama last month, and former Cavalry FC defender Joel Waterman and former Valour FC goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois for the current CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final against Suriname, the second leg of which will be played today at BMO Field in Toronto, with Canada leading 1-0 after the first-leg win in Paramaribo, Suriname.
“We wanted to build an industry when we started this league, and we see it already paying off,” said PFC managing-director Paul Beirne, who was instrumental in the establishment of the CPL in 2019, and its first president.
Several CPL players have also received call-ups this year to other CONCACF national teams. That included four PFC players with Reon Moore and Steffen Yeates to Trinidad and Tobago, midfielder Cedric Toussaint to Haiti and midfielder Marco Domínguez to Guatemala.
“There’s also the CPL players called up to the Canada U-23, U-21 and U-18 teams,” said Beirne, who as head of business operations, was the person who commenced MLS Toronto FC and BMO Field into the soccer market in 2007.
“The CPL is a launching pad.”
Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis, during a late-season game against Pacific FC in Langford, reiterated that point in regards to Poku’s Canada call-up: “He was not just a guy passing through our club but was with us for three seasons.”
PFC head coach James Merriman echoed those thoughts: “The big ambition of the CPL was to improve opportunities for Canadian players and help the national team as it prepares for the 2026 World Cup. You see them breaking in already, and the potential is working, not only for Canada but throughout CONCACAF. The CPL is doing what it set out to do and is moving in a positive direction.”
The level of bench talent in the CPL is also impacting the Canadian national team as it prepares to play in the 2026 World Cup as co-host with the U.S. and Mexico. Smyrniotis is credited with developing Canadian team stars Tajon Buchanan, Cyle Larin and Richie Laryea through Hamilton youth soccer.
HFX Wanderers head coach Patrice Gheisar developed Canadian national team players Jonathan Osorio, Kamal Miller, Alistair Johnston and Dayne St. Clair in Greater Toronto Area youth soccer and was rewarded for that by being named to the Canadian coaching staff for the current CONCACAF Nations League quarter-finals.
“Having Pat [Gheisar] join the Canadian national team is a testament to not only his knowledge, relationships and tremendous work ethic but also the pathway that the CPL is creating for emerging coaches and players in this country,” HFX president Derek Martin said in a statement.
“It is terrific to see Jesse [Canada head coach Jesse Marsch] and Canada Soccer leaning in to supporting the talented professional coaches developing here in the Canadian Premier League clubs.”
The Island Wave system is Pacific FC’s youth development program.
“The No. 1 goal of the Wave is to provide a platform for young Island players to develop and to give them opportunities to move up,” said Merriman.
CORNER KICKS: The defending champion U.S. and Panama both won their quarter-finals Monday. The 18th-ranked U.S. defeated No. 61 Jamaica 4-2 in St. Louis to win 5-2 on aggregate while No. 39 Panama advanced 3-2 on aggregate after a 2-2 draw with No. 50 Costa Rica in Panama City. No. 16 Mexico hopes to overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first leg when it hosts No. 77 Honduras today in Toluca. The quarter-final winners advance to the Nations League Finals in March at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
