How to build a team: For the NSL's AFC Toronto, it begins with creating an identity

For AFC Toronto's sporting director Billy Wilson and head coach Marko Milanovic, the team's inaugural training camp on Feb. 3 can't come soon enough.

They're anxious to move forward from all the calls and meetings, watching film and scouring analytics services and get back on the pitch. They want to see first-hand what the inaugural team in franchise history will look like.

Over the past five months, the Northern Super League's six franchises have unveiled a steady stream of player signings as Canada's first women's professional soccer league prepares for kickoff April 16.

But what exactly goes into building a team from scratch when there's no template on how to do it?

In the case of AFC Toronto, it began with two things: shaping the club's identity and hiring their technical staff.

"There are no rules [on how to build a team]," Wilson said on a recent call with CBC Sports. "But I knew for me, I wanted a certain style of play and to do that I needed to have my technical staff in place for the process."

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Wanting an entertaining, attacking brand of football, the club turned to a familiar face in Milanovic to be its head coach.

The pair met through their involvement with the North Toronto Soccer Club, where the roots of AFC Toronto were established.

"What was really helpful was that we started very early together. I know some of the other clubs didn't have this luxury. Every club has a different template," Milanovic said.

"We had a really good idea of how we wanted to play more or less, what the formation will be, although that would be flexible, but more the style offensively and defensively. Then we built several player profiles that