Open the gates.

On Saturday Toronto FC lost 2-0 to Chivas.

I missed the game, but my seat was filled by a friend who had never gone to a TFC game. There were also over 20,000 people there watching the game.

The game took place during the Canadian National Exhibition. So that means that around the stadium there were thousands of people. Probably almost all of them also have never seen a TFC game.

What am I getting at?

After the TFC game there was also a TFC reserves game. Now, everyone who has a TFC ticket can stay for the reserve game. (The reserves are made up of the team’s substitute players and development players.)

While everyone who has a TFC ticket can stay and watch the reserve match, few do.

Now wouldn’t it be a great idea if the TFC — just for once — let people into the stadium to watch the reserve game for free? I’m thinking they should do this at the exhibition time. The could do it on a first come, first served, basis.

All you need to do is let everyone who already has a ticket, and wants to stay for the reserve match, to move to the seats they want to watch the game at. Then, TFC could eyeball how many open sections they have and let in that many fairgoers who’d like to see soccer in the new stadium. It would certainly be an exhibition.

Just an idea.

Post-Beckham

Very quick post about the Beckham visit to Toronto and his game against the FC.

The FC had chances. Lots of them. Lombardo broke through. Welsh broke in alone late in the game. Samuel looked good at times. Brennan made some good runs. The fans were up for a good time. And, even though they’re made in China, the Toronto FC hats they handed out before the game are excellent.

Dave sat on the bench. That’s about it.

Bruit Blanc

Qu’est-ce que vous chantez? 

Nous chantons les Rouges allez. 

Red tried, but all the borrowed TFC chants in the world didn’t stop “White Noise” yesterday at BMO Field in Toronto.

The whites defeated the Reds (Come-on you reds) 5-3 in the inaugural NXNE Cup played in front of 57 (what I imagined to be screaming) fans.
The game, which featured a white team of musicians and members of the music industry taking on the red team of media and ringers, was hard fought from whistle to whistle – the latter whistle being the steam variety that was served ice cold on the BMO Field patio after the match.
Andy Krsic opened the scoring for the reds with an early strike. After he scored he wowed the crowd with his pre-planned airplane celebration.
Reds goalie Mike “Dia” D’Abramo was a solid wall in the first half  frustrating the White strikers.

The reds looked in complete control of the game until a goal was called back offside. Instant replay (that was only available in the heads of the players sitting on the sideline) showed that the play was not offside and Arno Koolen had scored. But it didn’t matter – that call gave the team white the breathing room it needed to get back into the game.
At half-time the White Noise coach, Toronto FC’s #23, Miguel Cañizalez took his team aside and adjusted their 3-4-3 formation into a classic 4-4-2 with the optional diamond midfield.
The reds, coached by Toronto FC’s #6, Maurice “Mo” Edu, kept his team with the flat 4-4-2 that was successful for them in the first half.
The half-time change made the difference as White Noise staged a second-half comeback to put themselves ahead.
One of the goals was a penalty shot that goalie D’Abramo just missed with the tips of his fingers.
A series of late, dangerous attacks, by Team Red was repelled by the White Noise defenders, and “Les Blancs” held on to win the game 5-3.

Game Injury report:
- One pulled hamstring

- One massive Field Turf rug burn

- One (rumoured) attempted “twist-top” opening of a steam whistle.

Best advice from a coach: When asked late in the second half what Team Red should do to get back in the game, Maurice Edu said “score.”

Brennan born for the middle

Okay, it’s about to be soccer week in Toronto.
In the span of 8 days there is going to be 3 Toronto FC games and 1 under-20 Canada friendly.
It’s time for Mo Johnston to put Jim Brennan in the midfield.

No more of this centre-back stuff. And it is centre, not center.
Give Reda another shot. I’m not buying the line that he’s not in match fitness.
He’s had his rough patches – but a goal is not the fault of defence alone. It takes a number of breakdowns to result in a goal. And when you think about some of the guys who were playing midfield in front of him in the first couple of games (Mulrooney, Nagamura) – well, i’m not sure i can blame him for anything now that it’s clear that both of those jokers didn’t even want to play for Toronto FC.
Reda did have a number of good header clears in the games he played.

Move Brennan into the midfield. Left-side where he can carry the ball, and cross it with authority into the box. Also have Brennan take the spot kicks. (Let’s not rehash how ineffective the team has been thus far on corners and free-kicks. I think having Brennan take these would be a vast improvement.)

Wait, doesn’t this mean that Andy Welsh gets relegated to the bench? Yes.
Welsh is overpaid for what he’s done for Toronto FC. The problem is, as an import no other team is going to want him. Toronto is stuck with him. He’ll have some good moments, but the rightful (or leftful) spot on this team on the left side should be Jim Brennan, not Welsh.

Give it a go, Mo.

Here, I’ve gone through the trouble of filling in your line-up card:

Esky – Dichio

Brennan – Edu – Robinson – O’Brien* *if ready

Goldthwaite – Reda – Boyens – Wynne
Sutton

Give it a go Mo. There’s really nothing to lose.

Kick some back where it came from.

Before I give you the back story, I have a message for Maple Leaf Sports and Enterainment:

Dear MLSE,

First i have to say, i’m really excited that Major League Soccer is coming to Toronto.

People will come to the Toronto FC games. We will fill the stadium, cheer for the team, buy jerseys and scarves, make lots of noise,  eat at the concession stands, and – in doing so – make you lots of money. I’m totally fine with that.

However, i don’t think you should profit on the building of the new soccer stadium in Toronto. Any money you’ve made on the naming rights deal with BMO should be refunded to the levels of government -city, provincial, and federal – because lots of public tax dollars have gone into the stadium’s construction. 

I love soccer.

But i also love a well run health care system, lower city property taxes, and kids having textbooks in school. And that’s why the public money should be refunded – because it can help in these other places.

Do the right thing. If you’ve made a profit on the building and naming of the stadium, refund the money.

Judging by the reported deal, you can afford it.

thanks,

michael.

ps- if you could get Jason DeVos that would be really great.
And now, the background:

The new toronto stadium will be known as BMO (Bee-Moe) Field. The Toronto star reported today that Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment have already made a profit by selling the naming rights to BMO.

The star reports that the federal government pledged $27 million to the project, while the provincial government added $8 million and the City of Toronto provided $9.8 and the land the stadium stands on.
MLSE, the organization that owns Toronto FC, was to contribute $18 million to the project, with up to $10 million of that cash coming from the sale of naming rights.

The Toronto Star reported that the 10-year naming rights deal between BMO and MLSE would be worth $27 million.

The Globe article says that MLSE and BMO didn’t disclose the amount of the deal. It’s interesting that the Globe isn’t curious the details of the deal.