Ottawa happy with the USL experience for now, but will be watching CPL closely
In deciding not to join the Canadian Premier League for its inaugural season, Ottawa Fury FC says it has opted to stick with the tried-and-tested United Soccer League.
“They’re a well-run league,” said Mark Goudie, president and CEO of Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group which owns the men’s soccer team. “Over my career, I’ve been part of six different leagues and they’ve got their poop together.”
Many had expected Ottawa to become the eighth team for the CPL’s spring kickoff. Goudie surprised many by offering a different plan, saying the Fury are committed to the USL for next season while keeping the door open to the CPL down the line.
“It was always a long shot, I think, for the Fury to be in the CPL in its first year,” Goudie said in an interview. “Some of the things that they just haven’t done just come with maturity. They need to get all of the aspects of starting a league in place and that doesn’t happen until you start the league and you start operating the league.