MLS flips its schedule, pushing Canadian teams out in the cold

The Globe and Mail ^ | November 15, 2025 | Cathal Kelly

[MinorityRepublican]

Back in their early days, when they were so terrible that watching them was a clinical cause of depression, Toronto FC could not stop talking about grass.

They didn’t have a grass field to begin with, which made them rinky-dink in soccer terms. Once they had grass, everything would be better. Better players, better performance, better everything. They got their grass – a hybrid field – and couldn’t shut up about it. They were still terrible, but now they were big league.

As of Thursday they might as well pave BMO Field. That’s how much the grass matters.

The grass was a surmountable problem in the first place because Major League Soccer has always had a spring-to-fall schedule.

This takes into account logistical factors (who wants to stand around for three hours when it’s cold?) and practical ones (winter is the other football’s time to shine).

Lessons to be learned in Canada's scoreless draw with Ecuador

When Toronto FC showed up in 2007, the league’s stronghold franchises were in four-season territory – New England, Washington, D.C., New York.

Twenty years on, American soccer’s power base has drifted south. Per Forbes, the four most valuable clubs are in L.A., Miami, L.A. again and Atlanta. U.S. Soccer will soon relocate to a facility in Georgia.

On Thursday, MLS made it official – they’re a hot league now. Their schedule will run summer-to-spring. This means the northern teams – the Canadian teams in particular – are pooched.

The league is talking in a soft, soothing voice about mid-winter breaks and roughly the same schedule, but that’s the thin edge of the wedge.

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[for-q-clinton]

Does the FC stand for F*** Canada?

[OrangeHoof]

“Hey, Wolfgang! Nice knees you have there.”

[Jeff Chandler]

In Canada, do they call soccer soccer?

[MinorityRepublican]

Yes—mostly. In Canada, the sport is officially called soccer, not football. This is largely because “football” in Canada usually refers to Canadian football (similar to American football).

[FamiliarFace]

It won’t be just Canadian teams in the cold. Any team that has below freezing temps in the winter won’t be able to keep their grass fields.

[Dr. Sivana]

From fall to spring Canadians watch and play hockey. 10x faster than soccer.

[Libloather]

That’s how much the grass matters.

Dave's not here.

[xp38]

Canadian MLS clubs stand somewhere in the region of WNBA clubs to me. Well actually all MLS clubs but hey if soccer floats your boat I ain’t gonna disparage where you get your kicks.