With clubs spread all over the country, scheduling quality preseason matches was proving to be a problem. If a team stayed home during training camp, it would be limited to playing college teams, lower-tier opponents or holding intrasquad scrimmages. Journeying to play against MLS rivals, on the other hand, would add to what is already one of the most arduous and fatiguing travel schedules of any first-division league in the world.
“I think back to a preseason in Toronto, where you can’t really stay in Toronto,” said Galaxy coach Greg Vanney, who managed in Canada for parts of seven seasons.