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It is just another Friday morning with FC London possibly breaking some big Toronto FC related news on their twitter account. The tweet has since been deleted but through the magic of the internet it is still here:
Did someone just say @torontofc is placing a team in the Great Lakes Division? Welcome to the best amateur soccer in North America.
— FC London Soccer (@FCLondon) December 12, 2014
FC London has a number of representatives currently at the USL PDL's AGM and that is where this bit of news is coming from. Nothing has been confirmed yet by the club or the league but it is a move that could make sense if TFC are looking to have another location to continue to develop players in a competitive amateur environment.
Since USL Pro is a professional league it has a direct impact on the college eligibility of the players who compete in that league there are a number of older academy players who would not be able to play on that team. Those players were mainly with the League 1 Ontario team last summer but that team is intended to serve as the senior academy team. That leaves the players who have gone off to college but the club still wants to maintain their home grown claim on looking for a third option. A team in the PDL division could fill that void even if it is a small one.
The new TFC team would reportedly join several other Canadian teams in the Great Lakes Division. That division is already home to FC London, K-W United FC, and the Toronto Lynx.
We will have any more details as they become available.