Toronto FC: Five things we learned from the match against the Philadelphia Union
Yesterday was a lot of fun, with the obvious exception of the Philadelphia Union scoring a 90th minute equaliser. Here’s five things I learned from covering yesterday’s game at BMO Field:
1) GAMEDAY ACTIVITIES
I’ll say this about Toronto FC, they sure know how to organise a party. In many ways, they put a lot of EPL teams back home in England to shame with their setup.
Whatever you fancy, there’s always plenty of activities for the whole family to do, regardless of your age. It certainly helps create a carnival atmosphere, setting fans up perfectly before they head into the stadium.
2) THE STAFF
The staff who work in and around BMO Field on match day deserve a round of applause. While not always noticed, or appreciated, they do a fantastic job with seemingly permanent grins on their faces. (Although I think it was more of a grimace by the girls above after I’d taken my 25th picture.)
What really strikes you is how everyone always makes time for people, no matter how busy they are. In particular, I want to give a shout out to Patricia, who is in charge of the ushers, but still put up with me harassing her. (Okay, that sounds a lot worse than it really was.)
3) THE FANS
When I first arrived at BMO Field, the crowd didn’t look too promising, but there ended up being 19,221 in attendance (the capacity is just over 20,000.) And when you consider the team entered yesterday having gone 10 games without a league win, that’s pretty impressive.
You better believe the supporters made themselves heard as well. One of the cool things about sitting in the press box, is feeling the tremors when all the fans in the stand below start stamping their feet at the same time.
I was looking forward to going outside to record the cheering at the final whistle, but alas, that chance never came. Even so, the supporters deserve a tip of the hat for how they get behind Toronto FC.
4) RYAN NELSEN
While fans (and the media) may be getting frustrated by Toronto FC continually conceding late goals, we all have to remember that the team feels even worse. It’s not like they’re doing it on purpose.
After yesterday’s 90th minute goal by the Union, I really felt for Ryan Nelsen at his post-match press conference. His team was clearly better against an opponent currently sitting in a playoff spot. You could tell he was devastated, frustrated and having to almost bite his tongue at times, when answering certain questions.
Talk about tactical errors all you want, but sometimes it’s just plain bad luck, especially when you have to play a whole half with ten men. That’s going to tire you out. Doneil Henry was basically sent off for the only two mistakes he made in the game, whereas the Union were getting away with making tackles just as bad, if not worse.
Overall, what impresses me most about Nelsen, is how he continues to remain positive in the face of criticism, while at no point throwing his players under the bus. This tells you all you need to know about the man.
5) THE FOOD
There are many perks to working in the sports media (and yes, I realise I’m still really on the bottom rung at this point.) You often travel to different cities around the country (and the world if you’re really lucky), you get paid to watch sports and you have access to professional athletes, no matter how famous and talented they are.
Also right up there (for me at least) is getting food and drinks laid out for you at sporting events. Given that it’s free of charge, there really isn’t much room to complain. However, as per the photo above, I’m not exactly the biggest salad fan in the world.
Note to self: Next time Mike Masaro, the coordinator for media relations, tells you to arrive early before all the decent food is gone, try to take this a little more seriously.
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- By English Paul
- June 2, 2013
- Comment
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