While Major League Soccer is sanctioned by the U.S. Soccer Federation, three Canadian teams compete in it, much like Swansea and Cardiff of Wales competing in English soccer competitions.
The first Canadian team to feature in MLS was Toronto FC who joined in 2007. Vancouver Whitecaps joined the league in 2011 after being awarded franchise rights in 2009, and the CF Montreal first featured in 2012 following a 2010 agreement.
This gives Canadian soccer fans something to get excited about, and recent changes in sports betting laws have made it easier for fans to back their teams. Sports editor and betting expert Khadija Bilal explains that legislative changes have made it easier for consumers to enjoy online sports betting markets.
Following the exciting revolution in Miami, spearheaded by David Beckham and seeing the likes of Lionel Mess and Luis Suarez grace the league with their presence, Major League Soccer has enjoyed an upturn in interest from around the world.
With this in mind, the Canadian representatives will be hopeful of making an impact this year. While we are just a few games into the new season and it is far too early to get an idea of how teams will perform over the course, we look ahead to how the three teams might perform this year.
According to bookmakers, the Vancouver Whitecaps have the best chance of the three teams of enjoying MLS Cup glory this season, but they are still seen as outsiders at around 50/1.
The Whitecaps started the season with a relatively settled squad with Brian White leading the line and Scottish attacking midfielder Ryan Gauld pulling the strings. Head coach Vanni Sartini has been in charge for three years now and steered the team to the playoffs last year.
CF Montreal are led by Laurent Courtois whose playing career saw him feature in France, England, Spain, and America. He has a team that has roughly the same chances as Vancouver but relies more on player development than signing the finished article.
Young players to keep an eye on in the Montreal roster include Mason Toye, Jules-Anthony Vilsaint, and Sunusi Ibrahim.
Toronto FC are one of the league's major outsiders with only the Colorado Rapids offering higher odds of an MLS Cup upset. Despite a price of 100/1 according to many betting sites, the tag of underdogs could suit this Toronto team with nothing to lose and minimal expectations, players will have more freedom to express themselves.
The addition of former Newcastle midfielder Matty Longstaff could prove to be shrewd business, while the attacking flair in their side comes from former Juventus attacking midfielder or winger Federico Bernardeschi and diminutive winger Lorenzo Insigne.
Both Italians joined in 2022 and have been an important part of the Toronto set up. Both players have a good amount of international caps and Insigne's impressive form for Napoli meant a move to Toronto shocked the footballing world.
While bookmakers don’t see any of the three Canadian teams as having a chance this season, they are far from in a poor position. The right coaching and a couple of key signings could see one of these teams challenge within the next few seasons.
