Toronto FC Thread

[Tuscani01]

Originally Posted by OEincorparated

The MLS is actually doing very well compared to previous attemps at bringing soccer to North America. Hopefully some more cities will be added in the coming seasons to make it even bigger. Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary are some of the Canadian cities that I hope to see get franchises. This could even bring soccer up to the same level as the NHL eventually.

Vancouver got a franchise. The Whitecaps will be part of MLS in 2011.

[OEincorparated]

Montreal should get a franchise soon then, they have the perfect venue in the Olympic stadium of theirs.

[ladyscraper]

Originally Posted by OEincorparated

Montreal should get a franchise soon then, they have the perfect venue in the Olympic stadium of theirs.

Nope. They do have a venue but it's not Olympic Stadium. Their current soccer field is "Stade Saputo" and all it would need is an expansion of a few thousand seats to be ready for MLS play. It even has a grass playing field unlike BMO Field (so far).
They have already stated that is the field they would use for MLS and not Olympic Stadium.

[Taller, Better]

The current Saputo stadium holds how many people?

[ladyscraper]

Originally Posted by Taller, Better

The current Saputo stadium holds how many people?

This is from the wikipedia:

"Saputo Stadium holds 13,034 people and can be expanded to 20,000 in the future for possible Major League Soccer expansion plans."

[Taller, Better]

It would definitely have to expand to the maximum 20,000 if it went to MLS.
The nice thing about BMO Field and Saputo is they are open, intimate venues to
enjoy the soccer games.

[Taller, Better]

from the Star: links:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/677001

Vying for Ronaldo's affections
PETER MORRISON/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Today, Toronto corner-kicks its way into soccer's high society when Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, the $144 million man for fabled Spanish club Real Madrid, plays a little footsie with his smitten host city before tomorrow's exhibition game against Toronto Football Club.

The 24-year-old sculpted heartthrob, whose six-year deal this summer with Real made him the richest man in soccer history, is an A-list celebrity on the pitch and the nightclub scene.

Hounded by paparazzi hungry for steamy moments such as his recent grappling with Paris Hilton, Ronaldo handles squads of international rivals and panting young beauties with equal agility: eye contact, a quick tease, then he's gone.

While opponents admire him, not all women do.

One spurned Spanish girlfriend, who unwisely tattooed his initials on her wrist before she had managed to get a ring on her finger, ratted out Senhor Sixpack's secrets, calling him a vain mama's boy who waxes his chest. But that hairless chest and those speed bump abs – boldly splashed across the front page of the Star last month when the reigning "footballer of the year" signed with Real – add to the playmaking playboy's mystique.

Okay, that and some partying involving hookers a few years back, as tattled by the British press. And might as well mention totalling his Ferrari in January en route to practise with his old club, Manchester United.

Understandably, No. 9's trip to play local lads TFC at BMO Field tomorrow in a "friendly" – soccer talk for exhibition match – that pays Real Madrid $1 million to show up has the city's Portuguese-Canadian community buzzing.

"It's huge, it's a very big deal,'' said Frederica Gomes, a 24-year-old Ph.D. student at Ryerson who's studying Portuguese youth in Toronto.

"Portuguese people hardly get recognized – or at least, we feel that way. And to have this international soccer star who is the best-paid player in the world is a big deal for the Portuguese-Canadian community because it gives us a bit of recognition."

Recognition won't be a problem when Ronaldo strolls Toronto streets on legs recently insured by his Spanish employers for a reported $162 million.

But how to spend his time and money when he's not on BMO Field's natural grass, shipped in exclusively for elite Real feet? We offer some suggestions that might be reminiscent of home:

1. Chiado: Owner Albino Silva is not the type to cook and tell – if Real Madrid is booked at his fine dining restaurant on College St., he's not saying. However, the Portuguese national (who has catered to the palates of Beckham and Pelé) told the Star that if Ronaldo did drop in, he would create a rustic meal around scabbard, a fish that abounds near the athlete's home island of Madeira.

2. Churrasco: If Ronaldo wants to go less formal, Portuguese-style BBQ chicken, brushed with Piri-Piri (Portuguese hot sauce), is a highlight at many Little Portugal churrasqueiras. Examples: Sardinha O Rei dos Frangos on Bloor St., Bairrada Churrasqueira on College and Alex Rei Dos Leitoes on Ossington near Dundas. Cafes are also plentiful, serving pastel de nata, which is a type of egg tart found in Portugal's pastry shops.

3. Children: Many Portuguese-Canadian families use the cramped Dovercourt Boys and Girls Club, which needs $1.5 million to build a second storey. Canadian singer Nelly Furtado, who has a home in Toronto, has helped with fundraising. Hey, Ronaldo, how about a pick-up game of soccer with the kids? As for a donation, that's up to you.

4. Say cheese: As one of the most photographed men in the world, the winger might enjoy a photographer known for courtesy. George Pimentel, a Toronto-born man of Portuguese descent, has snapped many celebrities, and No. 9 might consider making an appointment.

5. Chic: Ronaldo knows his way around fashion, with his own CR7 boutiques in Portugal. He could check out the competition at Holt Renfrew, where Portuguese-Canadian designer Arthur Mendonca's work is on display.

[ladyscraper]

haha what was that article even trying to say?! Was that the Toronto Star or Teen Beat magazine?

[Taller, Better]

hehe! Say, how do they affix real grass to a tarp, and make it all solid enough to play on?

[ladyscraper]

Originally Posted by Taller, Better

hehe! Say, how do they affix real grass to a tarp, and make it all solid enough to play on?

I'm not sure - but it sure stings to know the grass will only be there for this one game

[Taller, Better]

more info on that. link:
http://www.thestar.com/sports/soccer/article/676995

Real Madrid gets the grass that Toronto FC can only hope for

ANDREW WALLACE/TORONTO STAR

Workers lay down sod at BMO Field in Toronto on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2009 in preparation for the Toronto FC friendly against Real Madrid on Friday.


The Real Madrid soccer club arrives in Toronto today for its friendly match tomorrow night against Toronto FC.
Daniel Girard
Sports Reporter

It's the field of TFC's dreams.

The much-maligned artificial turf of BMO Field gave way to the real thing yesterday as a crew of 18 finished laying the grass ahead of the arrival of European soccer giant Real Madrid for an international friendly against Toronto FC.

"This is a 10-day solution," Bob Hunter, executive vice-president of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, said of the lifespan of the four-inch thick sod being put down.

"It's a temporary solution to reflect the quality of the team that we're playing Friday night," he said.

Trucked in from Alliston by NGF Golf of Campbellville, which spends most of its time laying fairways not soccer fields, the 24-hour installation was completed last night in time for Real Madrid's practice before thousands tonight.

The company has consulted with crews in the New Jersey Meadowlands who laid turf down for United States national team games.

For purists of the beautiful game, the sight of the sun glistening off the sprinkler-soaked grass on a spectacular summer day was no doubt a treat. It will be fleeting, however, as the sod – double the thickness of what typically gets put down as a lawn – is to be torn up Sunday and thrown away.

But more than just a move to make the visitors feel welcome, Hunter said the $250,000 outlay for temporary grass was "a key condition" to getting the winners of a record 31 Spanish titles and nine European Cups to bring their high-priced lineup to Toronto as part of a two-game tour of North America.

"They have obviously two or three of the world's best players on their squad," he said of newly acquired talent headlined by Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Karim Benzema, who are part of about $385 million in off-season signings by the club.

"They only play on grass."

Real Madrid plays again Sunday, facing D.C. United on the grass of FedEx Field in Landover, Md.

Since even before TFC played its first home game at BMO Field in April 2007, the FieldTurf has been a source of controversy for players and fans alike. But the issue has boiled over this season in part because everyone, from club management to star Dwayne De Rosario to those going through the turnstiles, have called for permanent grass.

Hunter, who put the price tag at about $3.5 million, including a heating system for spring and fall as well as drainage and aeration, said MLSE, which owns TFC, agrees and is ready to pay the cost.

"To make the game as authentic as it's supposed to be, natural grass is your long-term solution," he said.

But it's not that simple.

A key part of the deal to secure government funding for the $63 million stadium was providing year-round access to the playing field. That resulted in turf and installation of a bubble each winter.

Last year, community use accounted for about 1,500 hours at BMO Field for everything from exercise classes to youth soccer.

Until MLSE comes up with a plan to accommodate that public use elsewhere, it will be difficult to get political approval to convert the stadium playing surface to grass.

"It's very popular with the community and it's the only real bubble in the downtown core," said Dianne Young, chief executive officer at Exhibition Place, which manages the site, including BMO Field.

Noting the whole purpose of the funding arrangement was to "promote local sports," Young said there have been talks with MLSE but no formal proposal has come forward to make the conversion to grass.

Once the pitch comes forward, it could take a couple of months to get it before city council, she said.

Hunter, who insisted the stadium's community use provision is "absolutely the right thing to do with public money," said MLSE still hopes to get approval for a conversion early this fall so it could be done in time for next season but added it's more likely to be for 2011.

Meanwhile, Hunter is sure the temporary field will pass the test of the club that FIFA, the sport's governing body, voted the most successful of the 20th century.

"We're confident they'll find this very suitable to play on," he said.

[Skybean]

[Taller, Better]

thanks for posting that! I wish I could have been there.

[Canadian Chocho]

It was fun, although it was NOT worth 200$.

[YU-AMC]

^ I think so too. The line up and what not. I think who saw the tractice the day before was the best bet. Also as any friendly game, they would not push them as well. IMO

[CTRL ALT]

i was watching the game on tv and i think $200 dollars is a bargain for such an event.
Cmon it's Real Madrid how many times will you see guys like Ronaldo, Raul or Kaka in Toronto

[Taller, Better]

People pay $200 for hockey all the time.

[ladyscraper]

WOW 2 very big news stories today for TFC fans:

1: the best Canadian soccer player in the world, Julian De Guzman, has just signed a 3 year deal to play for Toronto FC
Julian De Guzman


2: The Exhibition place board of directors voted in favour of replacing the artificial turf at BMO Field with REAL GRASS!!
details here:
real grass at BMO


What a great day!

[Taller, Better]

FANTASTIC!! Very good news!

[YU-AMC]

Is there some schedule on what games would take place in BMO.. I missed the game when Benfica was in the town.