Official: MetroStars Canada cease operations ahead of 2019/20 season

MetroStars Canada of the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) officially announced on Friday that the club will sit out the 2019/20 season, a week after the MASL announced it.

The arena soccer team, who played their first season as the Mississauga MetroStars, wanted to play their 12 home games this season across six venues in Ontario (none of which were their former home — the Paramount Fine Foods Centre in Mississauga) to try and grow the indoor game in Canada.

On Nov. 20, the team postponed their opening-weekend games against the Rochester Lancers, citing "unforeseen logistical issues," which is when many people started to realise that they might fold.

The MetroStars were then due to start their campaign in Baltimore on Dec. 7 against the Blast, but have now instead opted to cease operations.

“We made an ambitious decision to a 6-City tour that would of brought awareness to the Arena game and opened up new markets to expansion for NASL north of the border, unfortunately this major undertaking had many moving parts & unexpected challenges that ultimately led to where we are today,” the team released in a statement Friday morning.

The MetroStars had a number of players lined up to play for them in 2019-20, including a couple of former Toronto FC players and 19-year-old goalkeeper Sebastian Zeballos, the youngest player on last year's team who has moved to the Milwaukee Wave.

It is unclear whether or not — and in what capacity — the team will return in 2020-21.