By Ben Knight

 

Only three of Toronto FC’s thirty MLS matches for 2010 have officially been scheduled, and already there’s controversy with two of them.

First, MLS decided to send the Reds down to Columbus – again – for the March 27 season opener.  This, despite the fact that TFC supporters’ groups are still refusing to organize fan trips to the Ohio capital in the wake of last year’s late-March fun-fest.

(Yeah, yeah, jerks on both sides.  Just a real shortage of fans up here who want to pay money to pose for round two.  That will change – once TFC/Columbus becomes a real on-field soccer rivalry.)

No problem with the second match.  New England, away, on April 10.  That’s where the supporter money is going.  Expect many busloads of red in Foxboro that night.

Which brings us to the home opener.  The first match on the new grass.  New coach, new hopes – big names.  What a way to spend a Saturday afternoon …

Huh?  Wuzzat?  Thursday night?

I suppose it’s an honour.  A national ESPN2 television audience gets to see the new Philadelphia Union take a run in the calamitous red cauldron that is BMO Field.  Canadian team on American TV!  Get ‘em used to the idea that Seattle isn’t the only place they can get great atmosphere.

Lost in all this?  Well, let’s run a list:

- Home openers are to be savoured, not whammed into whatever time is left over after work lets out. 

- No way is the grass going to look anywhere near as lovely under the lights.

- BMO Field – given its height, isolation and immediate access and openness to Lake Ontario gales – is probably the coldest place in the entire city of Toronto (25 miles wide by 11 miles high) and surrounding area (that again, and then some).  And it’s COLD ’round here in April!

At least the 8 PM kickoff will give everyone time to get there – with sufficient pub time ‘fore and aft – but it won’t be the joyous, luxurious, all-day soccer wallow it would have been two days later. 

Oh, and…!

- Work crews installing the new grass pitch now have two fewer days to close the deal.  And yes, it has been known to snow in Toronto as late as April 28.

I know I’m being a bit whiny, but here’s the deal I’d like to make with the league to cover – oh, let’s say the next five years of season-opening fixtures.

If you send TFC to Columbus, put the home opener on a weekend afternoon – with a nice, civilized, England-style 3 PM kickoff. 

If you send TFC to New England or New York or Philly or Chicago for the road opener, tell ESPN2 the Reds will take on all comers in a parking lot in Iqaluit, and they can set the kickoff for any blessed time they choose.

(I worked up there for a winter once.  Biggest obstacle to bus trips?  No road.  Ah, but we’ve got imagination, don’t we?)

Did I just go all that way for another poke at the Columbus cops? 

No. 

Point is: while I don’t doubt MLS’s good intentions in all of this, getting popped on both the road and home openers seems a bit unnecessary.  Of course, we’ll be good citizens and carry on whooping, cheering, singing and stomping – but please cut us one break or the other a year from now.

Cool?

Onward!

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