Toronto FC, or TFC, has had some hard luck their first two seasons. They’ve only won 15, but lost 30, of their first 60 games. They improved last season, but they still have a long way to go before they compete for MLS titles. The addition of Dwayne De Rosario should help them greatly, but they will need more playmakers to beat the best in the East.
Despite struggling on the pitch, the Reds have been one of the most successful teams off of it. They have sold out every home game they have ever hosted, an amazing feat. Those crazy Canucks loooove their soccer. Imagine how much fervor they will have when the team actually starts winning games. Their obsession with TFC makes US fans look dull.
John Carver controls TFC’s fortunes, and his squad is quickly improving. The Reds made a very shrewd move when they picked up Chad Barrett, an emerging MLS star, from Chicago in return for the rights to Brian McBride, an aging veteran who would have never played in Canada anyways. They still suck, of course, but Big Mo is working on it.
Even if Toronto continues to struggle, their fans will love them anyways. BMO Field is probably one of the three best venues in MLS for watching soccer, and Reds’ fans will continue to fill it regardless of whether the losses keep piling up. I hope TFC starts collecting trophies, but I know there’s one they will never hoist. The US Open Cup. They can’t win it because they aren’t in the US (this is a lesson in both MLS and geography). I bet they will win the Canadian Championship soon though.
