THE MATCHUP: The biggest game in Boston

NEW ENGLAND (16th) VS. TORONTO (15th)
　
GILLETTE STADIUM - WEDNESDAY 8PM ET
TV: TSN
　
THE KICKABOUT:
- Can TFC carry over some offensive consistency from the LA match against an equally struggling opponent in Revolution?
- Can some of Toronto's walking wounded return to action to fill out the sparse line-up?
- Will Aron Winter risk starting the talismanic Alan Gordon so soon after his long injury lay-off?
- Will Paul Mariner and Steve Nicol have a running slow-motion reunion while "Dream Weaver" plays in the background?
- Will anyone in the Boston area remember that this match is on?
　
MANUFACTURED DERBY NAME: "Not Necessarily The Stanley Cup"
　
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
NEW ENGLAND: Didier Domi, Shalrie Joseph, Matt Reis
TORONTO: Richard Eckersley, Maicon Santos, Nathan Sturgis
　
THE ODDS:
- TFC escaping the match without another injured starter: 5-1
- TSN announcers managing to go more than three minutes without mentioning The Stanley Cup: 10-1
- Revs fans throwing cups of tea at TFC players in misplaced "The Red Shirts are coming!" act of patriotism: 100-1
　
WHO ARE YA?
- Gillette ("The Best a Man Can Get") Stadium officials came under fire for their corporate cross-promotion during the recent Celtic v Rangers friendly. "Gillette Razorblade Night" was a massive failure
- Foxboro, Mass. was founded in 1963 as a safe haven by Boston-area wife-swappers (aka Fox Borrowers). The 16,000 strong population are known as Stone-Cold Foxes and the main exports are Samuel Adams empties, difficult accents and fist fights
- With an average attendance under 10,000 this year, Revolution are considering a re-branding of the club with the three most popular name changes being Boston Celtic, Wahlberg Wanderers and AC Sam Malone
　
THE WAGER: 1-0 New England (2011: 13-6 with 4 exact scores)
FUTURE HEADLINE: "DOZENS ON HAND TO SEE REVS HOST TFC"

THE STARTING 11: Toronto FC complaints about air travel

All these screens and not one Jan de Bont film?



Few people who have to regularly travel by air for work claim that it is a pleasurable experience. Airport line-ups, cramped flights, security headaches and long delays are the norm for these weary airline commuters. For Toronto FC and their MLS brethren, fixture lists can sometimes mean criss-crossing the continent three or four times over a fortnight. This would be enough to test the most seasoned traveller’s patience and it will come to no surprise that The Reds have their share of Mile High Gripes...
　
11. Nana Attakora keeps getting left off flights because his "luggage wasn't performing well recently"
　
10. KLM doesn't fly between Columbus and Kansas City
　
9. Dan Gargan keeps letting people pass him in the aisles
　
8. Players forced to sit in 4-3-3 formation
　
7. Air Canada has a severe lack of Dutch cinema options on its in-flight entertainment system
　
6. Having to awkwardly pass Mo Johnston as he mops the floor at Pearson Airport's Terminal 1
　
5. Maicon Santos inevitably ends up doing the Lambada with the hottest flight attendant
　
4. Ty Harden and his mid-flight jazz-flute sessions
　
3. Every time Canada Customs asks Aron Winter if he has "anything to declare" he answers back "it is a pity"
　
2. Stefan Frei steals all of the mini Toblerones
　
1. Joao Plata keeps knocking from inside the overhead bin

AFTER 90: Shock Hollywood ending

"Heeeere's Alan!"



IN THE TUNNEL:
Could a rag-tag Toronto FC line-up shock LA Galaxy in the same way that Panama had just shocked USA at the Gold Cup? Or, would they be as impotent as Canada was against 10-man Guadeloupe? Seriously, it's not even a country! 1st versus nearly worst in Hollywood...
　
ON THE PITCH:
1' - Shock of shocks, a beautiful sunny night in the LA suburbs as Galaxy takes to the pitch with the likes of Angel and Beckham. We have Dan Gargan. This one could get fugly. Kick-off..
Note: For anyone who missed the pre-match rendition of the Canadian national anthem tonight - do whatever you have to do and find it online. Wow.
2' - GOAL: Remember when I said fugly? Chris Birchall left alone and eats the mish-mash TFC defence alive.
LOS ANGELES 1 - TORONTO FC 0
10' - Galaxy MF Miguel Lopez beats Stefan Frei but not the post.
15' - Despite Galaxy looking like they can score at will. Reds don't look awful going forward - just no finishers... for the last 5 years.
16' - YELLOW CARD: Danleigh Borman for a sloppy tackle/ shirt-pull combo #5
22' - Galaxy are in shooting gallery mode
29' - David Beckham does a very un-metrosexual thing and puts an ugly tackle on Tony Tchani who goes down and stays down for a long time. Tchani tries to run it off but can't continue... SUB: Joao Plata in for the injured Cameroonian
38' - (Same old) Chad Barrett (still not scoring) drives his mongo elbow into Joao Plata's face busting the wee man's cheek. Child abuse
42' - SUB: The Reds continue to drop like flies as Jacob Peterson re-aggravates his hamstring. Alan "Yankee Dichio" Gordon his replacement
44' - Silly puns aside - Beckham's touches are still silly good
　
HALFTIME: LOS ANGELES 1 - TORONTO 0
　
48' - Gordon is setting an aggressive early tone crashing heavily with Galaxy keeper Josh Saunders
52' - It is announced that Galaxy have just broken their all-time shutout minutes streak. In Hollywood that's called foreshadowing
56' - Academy grad Doneil Henry's marking duties switch between Juan Pablo Angel and Beckham. Welcome to 1st Team football
59' - TFC dominating play with numerous chances - the best a sharp volley from Mikael Yourassowsky which forces a save
65' - Galaxy's offence completely being carried by the ageless Angel
67' - GOAL: "Yankee Dichio" Alan Gordon puts his shaggy head on a phenomenal long aerial pass off the foot of Danleigh Borman
LOS ANGELES 1 - TORONTO 1
68' - Chad Barrett's stupid haircut crashes hard into Stefan Frei giving The Goalblerone a gashed ankle. As if The Chad wasn't useless enough to TFC
69' - End to end stuff as Maicon Santos clangs a long range effort off the crossbar
72' - Beckham apparently gets 5 pre-warnings before next Yellow Card
80' - YELLOW CARD: Alan Gordon going for The Dichio Special
84' - Angel with a 20 yard blast that forces Frei to make a big stop
87' - Nathan Sturgis has been bombing quality free kicks into Galaxy's area all-night. Cough... de Guzman... cough
90' - GOAL: Perennial TFC killer Juan Pablo Angel tops off a great night with a vicious blast that Frei had no chance on
LOS ANGELES 2 - TORONTO 1
90'+ SUB: Javier Martina goes Double-Dutch for Nick Soolsma
90'+ GOAL: In Hollywood comeback script style, ex-Galaxy forward Alan Gordon cracks a great first-time volley past Saunders in the dying seconds of extra-time. Magical stuff
LOS ANGELES 2 - TORONTO 2
　
FULL TIME: LOS ANGELES 2 - TORONTO 2
　
IN THE BATHS:
Who knew that journeyman forward Alan Gordon, picked up for Nick LaBrocca in pre-season, would become the closest thing TFC has had to a Danny Dichio-type presence since the "legend" retired? Gordon who has been off on an extended injury absence changed the shape and style of TFC going forward and dragged the club to a draw tonight in his old stomping grounds. In addition, positive play from Yourassowsky and Eckersley helped The Reds actually look very competent and creative going forward - quite a surprise considering the threadbare line-up. Mounting injuries will be a concern this week but for tonight, a rare moral victory for Toronto against a team whose DP's showed why they get the big bucks.
　
Oh, and Chad Barrett still can't score anywhere near a TFC kit.
　
PLAYER RATINGS: Stefan Frei 7 / Richard Eckersley 7 / Doneil Henry 6.5 / Ty Harden 6 / Danleigh Borman 7 / Jacob Peterson INJ (Alan Gordon 8) / Nathan Sturgis 6.5 / Tony Tchani INJ (Joao Plata 6) / Mikael Yourassowsky 7 / Maicon Santos 6.5 / Nick Soolsma 6 (Javier Martina -)
　
THE YORKIES' TFC MAN OF THE MATCH: Alan Gordon
TALKING POINT: TFC always needs a rambunctious giant. Discuss

THE MATCHUP: D-List Toronto FC aim to avoid Hollywood disaster

LOS ANGELES (1st) VS. TORONTO (15th)

　
HOME DEPOT CENTER - SATURDAY 10:30PM ET
TV: GOLTV RADIO: FAN 590
　
THE KICKABOUT:
- With Galaxy hit harder by Gold Cup call-ups than The Reds, will TFC have the gall to use the tournament as an excuse?
- Which former striker will haunt his old team more - ex-Red Chad Barrett or ex-Galaxian Alan Gordon?
- Who will Aron Winter line-up in a defence that is decimated by absence, injury and severe lack of depth?
- Is it fair that Galaxy loses their best DP and are left with Beckham and Angel while TFC loses its only DP and is left with Nathan Sturgis?
- Is Toronto FC really such a non-issue for LA that their creative midfielder Juninho could schedule his wedding - in Brazil - during this fixture?
　
MANUFACTURED DERBY NAME: "The B-List Blockbuster"
　
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
LA GALAXY: David Beckham, Chris Birchall, Omar Gonzalez
TORONTO FC: Richard Eckersley, Stefan Frei, Maicon Santos
　
THE ODDS:
- Aron Winter's post-match including the words "internationals"; "travel"; "injuries" and "pity": 5-1
- TFC driving by local hardware outlets and hiring illegal Mexican workers to fill out defensive back four: 10-1
- Anyone thinking the film "Super 8" is about Dan Gargan's shirt number: 1,000,000-1
　
WHO ARE YA?
- Galaxy manager Bruce Arena was upset after coming in second place in the "Football Manager Who Most Looks Like Deputy Dog" contest losing in the final to Harry Redknapp of Tottenham Hotspur
- Carson, California is a southern suburb of Los Angeles with a population heavily made up of stunt performers, celebrity chimpanzees and hookers with hearts of gold. The locals are called Johnnycarsons and the main exports include cue cards, scripts for sit-com pilots and Forest Whitaker
- It's a big week for ex-TFC forward The Chad Barrett as he prepares for his feature film debut. The Chad stars alongside Steven Seagal and Valerie Bertinelli in the action thriller "Soccercop2000" which is released on VHS nationwide on Tuesday
　
THE WAGER: 2-0 Los Angeles (2011: 13-5 with 4 exact scores)
FUTURE HEADLINE: "COMPETING WITH LOS ANGELES A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY FOR THE REDS"

Supporter apathy, not anger, the biggest threat to Toronto FC

"Hate is not the opposite of love; apathy is."

- Rollo May
　
For the first few years of Toronto FC's existence, the club, so desperate for a positive spin, dined out on the media propelled designation that BMO Field had "the best fans in the league". Boisterous, loud and loyal, the supporters were the only thing worth putting on a billboard to promote a club so bereft of quality on the pitch. While TFC fans are still amongst the best in the league, loyal almost to a fault, the comments in the same media that held up local support as a beacon in MLS now wonder where the electricity has gone.
　
The knowledgeable and devoted support at TFC have been behind their club through thick and the very many thins. However, when things were obviously wrong in the past, there was palpable, vocal frustration often bordering on anger. The club-destroying reign of the MLSE-backed Mo Johnston, the carpet bagging pricing schemes over the Real Madrid friendly and often the general play on the field were met with passionate discourse. Five years on though, new sins are being met with deep sighs, a resigned shrug of the shoulders and most notably absence.
　
From our in-person vantage in the South Stand, the vaunted bastion of The Reds sometimes fiery support, we have the pleasure of being surrounded by a cross-section of fans. Older fans who have immigrated from nations where football is like breathing; younger fans who were seduced by Toronto FC's "real football" atmosphere; long-time Canadian fans thrilled to have big league football in town; and in the near distance, the club's established supporters groups. While the attitudes vary and some are still as happy to sing "The Dichio Song" as they were in 2008, a wide spectrum of these fans have seemed to stop feeling as passionate. They are indeed angry after five years of rebuilding a club that was never built in the first place, but the fire in them to kick up a fuss is dwindling. There is almost a feeling that any anger is almost futile against an ownership that wouldn't hear the loudest of yells.
　
Whether it is right or wrong, the sense that the ownership is only in this for a quick buck has seeped through the stands. TFC supporters have been so loyal while watching other teams enter the league and achieve success quickly while The Reds stay in neutral. The effect has been seen in the stands this season with many empty seats - despite the 19 or 20 thousand "announced" attendance at every match. The casual support is breaking away to other forms of entertainment that don't leave you quite as frustrated at the end of two hours. While we, along with many other dedicated supporters will stick with the club, BMO Field may soon start to resemble stadiums in Columbus, New England and Dallas with small pockets of hardcore support, heavily outnumbered by swaths of empty seats. These are the stadiums we used to look down upon as being... well... apathetic.
　
Excuses like bad weather, match schedules or UEFA Champions League matches never used to affect the attendance and buzz at BMO Field but that has changed. There is almost a boredom sometimes at matches which emanates from the toxic mixture of the currently poor football and the steps the club has taken to mute the supporter culture in the stands - the only thing the trophy-phobic club was built on. If MLSE/ TFC think that replacing true organic support and good football with thundersticks, cheerleaders and promises of "a bright future" will work, they are mistaken. Apathy may very well turn into something worse - the fans once used to promote the club, turning their backs on it for good.

THE STARTING 11: European footballers' complaints about MLS

Kinder Surprise! You're moving to mid-Ohio!

When David Beckham made his much bally-hooed, sexy landing in Los Angeles a few years ago, many MLS observers thought it would open a floodgate of European stars heading to North America. As supporters of the league know, the deluge never quite happened. Apart from the odd Ljungberg or Henry, no extra flights were added across the Atlantic to handle a sudden influx to MLS. The idea of the big-name Designated Player can still be tempting for some clubs but there seems to be difficulty getting the UEFA star to trade Frankfurt for Foxboro. With the transfer window upon MLS, Johnny Foreigner still has some problems with playing footy in North America...
　
11. Not a single club named Grasshopper
　
10. Feelings of guilt when having to park luxury sports car next to teammate's 1993 Toyota Camry
　
9. Need more clubs in either New York City or Los Angeles
　
8. No matter what your agent says - Columbus is not located on the "Ohio Riviera"
　
7. Too many people in Manchester United kits
　
6. Not enough hilarious corruption scandals
　
5. Serious lack of Benetton stores
　
4. Horizontal NFL lines on pitch "not slimming"
　
3. Kinder Egg surprises not as whimsical
　
2. Good luck finding a bidet at a Holiday Inn
　
1. CONCACAF has too many letters in it

AFTER 90: Nothing up the Wizard's sleeve

A Wizard can't change his rainbow stripes

IN THE TUNNEL:
The main question coming out onto the pitch was whether the temperature would be colder than the reception for Teal "Judas" Bunbury - this is what it sounds like when two poor MLS clubs meet...
　
ON THE PITCH:
1' - This can't possibly be June as a less than capacity crowd actually need their scarves for warmth - not festivities, Kick-off...
3' - Late-comers revel in fact that Dan Gargan not starting
8' - Supporters voicing their displeasure with "The Son of Alex Bunbury" catches the eye of the Nu-American forcing a sly grin
11' - Ten minutes have passed without allowing two goals. Better than last week then. Improvement!
27' - Joao Plata with a (very) rare opportunity on goal but hits the side netting. Both teams seem to have forgotten that they're supposed to score actual goals
36' - TFC takes yet another terrible corner kick. They must practice those right? At least play them on FIFA 11?
42' - Really shouldn't be able to see my breath in July.
44' - Really shouldn't have to see these too very poor clubs pretend to have a clue for more than another few minutes
　
HALFTIME: TORONTO FC 0 - SPORTING KC 0
　
Note: During the halftime break, a local squirrel ran onto the pitch, darted straight for KC's net and launched itself into it causing the crowd to erupt. Best scoring drive of the night.
TORONTO FC 0 - SPORTING KC 0 - SQUIRREL 1
　
47' - Maicon Santos drives in on KC goal but a last-minute tackle from Chance Myers stops him. Ironic name.
52' - Total Nonsense Football
58' - Mikael Yourassowsky with a very rare shot on target but saved by Sporting GK Eric Kronberg
60' - Many people demanding the squirrel's return
65' - Maicon Santos turns into Mike Sanders then back into Maicon Santos with poor dribbling, followed by an amazing side-step past two Sporting defenders and a hard shot saved by Kronberg. The man's a Brazilian enigma.
66' - SUB: Little Joao Plata leaves for Medium Nick Soolsma
68' - YELLOW CARD: Still waiting for the corner kick from the Maicon shot and Tony Tchani gets booked for Unsporting Behaviour. Possibly for not being on Sporting? Kick finally taken. Weak.
69' - YELLOW CARD: Richard Eckersley who has looked about the only passionate Red out there is booked for a rash tackle
75' - SUB: The increasingly frustrated Eckersley comes off for the eternally frustrating Dan Gargan
80' - Simply horrible football to watch on both sides.
85' - Watching TFC hang on to a draw AT HOME to THE WORST CLUB in the league is frustrating to be very polite
90' - SUB: Nana Attakora goes off injured (oh crap) and is replaced by Doneil Henry
90'+ - Henry almost becomes a hero by connecting on a header from a long free kick only for Kronberg to make a good stop
　
FULL TIME: TORONTO FC 0 - SPORTING KC 0
　
IN THE BATHS:
What can be said about this bit or drudgery masquerading as a football match? One guarantee - MLS won't be editing it into the end of season highlights video. TFC, who were humiliated at home 6-2 last week, came out (and stayed out) with very little fire or passion. The Reds' play was disjointed, awkward and has noticeably regressed as of late which can't simply be put down to player absences. As for Sporting KC, they showed why they are the worst club in the league but that 10-game road trip is at least a good excuse. The biggest favour they did for local fans tonight was show us what TFC would look like in alternate baby blue kits.
　
PLAYER RATINGS: Stefan Frei 6.5 / Danleigh Borman 6 / Ty Harden 6 / Nana Attakora 6.5 (Doneil Henry - ) / Richard Eckersley 6.5 (Dan Gargan - ) / Mikael Yourassowsky 5.5 / Tony Tchani 6 / Nathan Sturgis 6 / Javier Martina 5.5 / Maicon Santos 6 / Joao Plata 6 (Nick Soolsma 5.5)
　
THE YORKIES' TFC MAN OF THE MATCH: Richard Eckersley
　
TALKING POINT: At what point does rebuilding go backwards? Discuss.

THE MATCHUP: "We're not playing the Wizards anymore Toto"

Suck it Benfica St. Louis



TORONTO FC (15th) VS. SPORTING KC (18th)

　

BMO FIELD - SATURDAY 7PM ET

TV: TSN

　

THE KICKABOUT:

- What is more devastating: a massive 10-game road trip; or, coming off a humiliating 6-2 loss at home and being decimated by injury and International duty?

- With Adrian Cann injured for the season, will Nana Attakora finally get the chance to cement his place back in the starting line-up?

- Would Aron Winter dare start the dreaded Gargan-Harden ("The Raging Hargens") combo again after they helped handicap TFC in the first 10 minutes last week?

- How would the seemingly low morale and egos of TFC handle a loss at home to the worst club in MLS?
- Can the pent-up patriotic fury that supporters have been ready to release against Canadian turncoat Teal Bunbury be redirected into irony for a singing of “There’s only one Alex Bunbury”?

　

MANUFACTURED DERBY NAME: "The No Blizzard - No Wizard"
　
PLAYERS TO WATCH:

TORONTO FC: Stefan Frei, Tony Tchani, Mikael Yourassowsky

SPORTING KC: Omar Bravo, Teal Bunbury, Kei Kamara
　
THE ODDS:
- Toronto fans mocking Sporting KC until seeing pictures of their new stadium; then gently weeping as it rains on them: 10-1
- Sporting Kansas City to re-brand the team at halftime: 100-1
- 2,000 TFC fans being outnumbered by 10,000 immigrants from Missouri at BMO Field: 1000-1
　
WHO ARE YA?

- Sporting's insanely long road-trip to start 2011 may have caused them to falter in the MLS table but in a silver lining they did qualify for the 2012 Homeless World Cup

- If it rains on Saturday evening, BMO Field will break FIFA's matchday precipitation record set in the now defunct Brazilian Rainforest Division

- If TFC loses, manager Aron Winter could break the Guinness Book record for most uses of the word "pity" by a single person, smashing Mr.T's previous tally set in 1986

　

THE WAGER: 1-1 Draw (2011: 12-5 with 4 exact scores)

FUTURE HEADLINE: "SPORTING FANS AWAIT BRAND NEW STADIUM - TFC FANS AWAIT PRECIPITATION"

Only one Bunbury

THE SOUTH STAND REPORT Special Edition : Canada v Ecuador... or Opposite Night at BMO Field!

Liberally stolen from CBC and Chris Young/Canadian Press. Sorry but this is beautiful.

I need a forum for this and I'll keep it brief and do my best to tie it into our beloved Robins (that's TFC folks).

The match was an electric affair where a combination of sublime luck and timing earned a draw against relentless pressure and natural skills. 2-2. Canada up by one, concede two then tie it up in injury time. What an absolute cracker.

So here's what I don't get:

• 20,000 show up for the mediocre TFC yet only 12,000 show up for the more technically superior in every which way (except defensive midfield - yeah you deGoo) Canada.
• did the CSA actually believe that they'd sell out the place?
• when they realized that the mythical 8,000 person walk-up could never happen, did they not think to paper the ground with local kids teams and show them what the future can be
• TFC can overpay for apparent talent but somehow think Tosaint Ricketts is out of their reach (or does Politehnica Timişoara really pay competitive wages in the Romanian top flight)
• better atmosphere with fewer supporters? Yeah, it's possible.

It was easy to poke fun of the "Canadians in Yellow" regarding how their side lost to Canada by virtue of not actually winning, and it's even easier to call out the convenience of supporting, on paper or by FIFA ranking, the better side. But it is embarassing to see more people supporting the country they left/abandonded/forced from than the place they actually call home. And it's more embarassing that the CSA couldn't do enough to turn that number.

If TFC would like to bring back the exhibition matches, bring in "Canada vs [name of country here]". Tickets end up in the right hands and you can finally send the fans home knowing that they've seen a good team in a red kit play well for 90 minutes.

Lastly, I'd like to give a shout out to my favourite Canadian footballer right now, Milan Borjan. In a day in age when so many "Canadians" do not want to represent Canada, one who emigrated here wanted to. His story is humble and makes the chest swell with pride. I'd also like to say Milan played an excellent game, bailed out more than a few defensive blunders and that he's better than Begovic in every way.

The culture in the Canada supporters section was refreshing. Sure, it was the same 5 songs, but there wasn't a subplot competition of cheerleaders. Groups were unified. We stuck it to the other 90% of supporters in our home ground, out singing them for most of the game.

This is what footballing support was about. Singing not because someone on a wooden perch said so, but singing because you love to do so. Singing because you believed you needed to connect to your side. Singing because of a spiritual desire for the game.

Ask yourself if you truly felt that rush the next time you depart BMO.

If you were there, you can't wait for the next one. And if you weren't, you missed a very good justification to support local soccer.

Thank you. Rant/epiphany over.

Grass no greener off the pitch at TFC

Roof goes here.



Ask Toronto FC supporters what is wrong with the failing, and seemingly flailing, club right now and many will give an arms-length list of problems dressed in red kits or holding clipboards. In a season where on-field successes have been few and far between, it is hard to fault the average member of BMO Field's faithful for pointing at the pitch and screaming in exasperated frustration.
　
It is obvious to anyone who has regularly attended a match on Toronto's Lakeshore this year or even watched a match on TV, that there is a different air around the club. The heady days of electric atmosphere and optimism without reason have noticeably diminished in 2011, replaced only with flickering hope that yet another new regime will bring the change that The Reds’ loyal support so deserves - or worse, an uncaring apathy.
　
Judging the club based on its on-field performance right now brings simple answers - bad. However, those can be fixed with a few inspired personnel moves - it is arguably off-field issues where the rot has set much deeper and may indeed be the threat to TFC reaching its full potential as a club.
　
THE TFC MANAGEMENT CULTURE
The apple rarely falls from the tree. While the Aron Winter/ Paul Mariner management team does its best to bring a professional environment so missing under Mo Johnston, there are still many links to the "old ways" of doing business. Much of this "culture" comes from owners MLSE who as any Torontonian sports fan can attest, is far more interested in dollars than trophies. The owners have somehow managed to turn the hottest ticket in local sports into a rapidly dull and apathetic environ. The extendable "5-Year Plans" (which aren't necessary in MLS) are slowly alienating casual support and somehow slaying the most unlikely "golden goose" in the Toronto sports scene. Can Winter & Co. battle the culture of "All For One Dollar"? There are a few players, some here - some departed, who already think not.
　
THE MLSE "FOR SALE" SAGA
While the story has gone quiet (...too quiet) the seemingly inevitable sale of MLSE to (insert media giant / bank / super villain name here) must have a forward effect on planning. An air of instability must run through the front office rank and file with their futures seemingly in the balance. And what of MLSE currently? Is there a desire to improve the team long-term with acquisitions of Designated Players for example? Or, would such frills be considered ill-timed if a sale is on the horizon? While the massive Academy investment seems to signal long-term strategy (but possibly real estate accumulation), other short-term (and short-sighted) decisions such as putting most TFC matches on MLSE-owned GolTV seem like a short-cut to the quick buck. The GolTV move, which may affect long-term fan growth, is a particularly distressing move and one which hopefully doesn't signify a short-term vision in other areas.
　
SILENTLY SILENCING SUPPORTERS?
In the club's early days, the emergence of a "global football supporter culture" took hold at TFC and likely took MLSE by surprise. The raucous atmosphere created at BMO Field was noticed around the league and around the world as a new type of MLS club support. The supporter culture made TFC matches a "place to be" and MLSE soon was happy to market this as a reason to come to matches when the football was definitely not. Recently however, it seems to many as if the club's operators have been quietly trying to dampen the boisterous supporter sections and the groups within them.
　
Minor incidents with flares for example, have been manipulated to excuse an overzealous security clampdown which has gone as far as making it difficult to bring a flag to the stadium. The result is a much more muted supporter element at BMO at a time when other MLS clubs are embracing such supporter displays. While many think they would never castrate this segment of the crowd, would it be beyond belief to think that a "Family Section" wouldn't fill the coffers of MLSE as easily without the hassle of policing this so-though-of "troublesome" element? It is a doomed vision if it exists - but would surprise few.
　
THE STADIUM
It is difficult to be too hard on BMO Field because without the publicly funded tin-can, there would be no TFC. When the stadium was built, it was assembled on the cheap as quickly as possible and Toronto football fans had no problem with it. The idea of a footy specific stadium was so rare after all. However, apart from the installation of grass (an admittedly fine investment by MLSE) the stadium is not the comfiest place to watch a match while other, more grand stadia, are being erected league-wide.
　
Positioned by the lake and being used during an MLS season which sees the worst of Toronto's extreme weather, BMO Field can be a challenge for the heartiest supporter. While MLSE will claim that the stadium is a municipal facility and their hands are tied, no one believes that the city would object if the owners would spring for the missing element in making BMO a better place to watch football - a roof. Whether it protects from searing heat or freezing rain and wind, a basic roof would be a gesture in customer appreciation which MLSE could afford for the price of a few Maple Leafs fourth liners and transform BMO Field from an "okay" place to watch a match into a great one.
　
PRICE IS WRONG
It is not an insult to refer to Major League Soccer as a mid-range football league. It's what it is. MLSE of course would prefer to compare TFC to its other products, the Leafs and Raptors, who play in the global premier leagues of their sports. This thinking led MLSE to charge a premium rate for TFC tickets which average higher than many English Premier League clubs. The astounding early success of TFC of course affirmed their decision and gave them the bravado to increase ticket prices regularly and quickly.
　
Now that the "golden goose" has been somewhat slayed, the ticket prices no longer represent value for money. Casual fans and supporters in what were once cheaper seats are openly questioning the value of such investment in a floundering club while once die-hards in more expensive seats are simply not showing up to matches. Despite announcing near sell-outs for every match, BMO Field has rarely looked full in 2011 but a price roll-back by MLSE is still highly unlikely. It’s just not in MLSE’s DNA. This, with many of the above issues, may spell out a future that is darker before the dawn at the once liveliest sporting event in Toronto.