I went to the Toronto FC match against the Columbus Crew last Saturday, and what was supposed to be a nice day out hoping for a comfortable Toronto FC win, turned out to be something completely magical.
I'm not going to talk too much about the match itself, but rather talk about the two big moments of the match. Before those two moments, Toronto FC were on the back foot, as the Crew were dictating the play. By the way TFC were playing, it didn't look like they were going to win the match. Ryan Nelsen put on Gilberto and Dwayne De Rosario in the hopes of trying to get the tying goal.
The first big moment was the wonder strike from Jermain Defoe to tie the match up 2-2 in the 81st minute. It was pure world-class instinct from Defoe and an unbeatable strike into the back of the net. At this point, I thought TFC would just take the draw, considering they had to battle back twice to equalize, but TFC was surging for a winner. What transpired next was something I didn't think would happen at BMO Field, in the way that it did.
It was the 92nd minute, in stoppage time. TFC had a free kick outside the Columbus 18-yard box. Dan Lovitz whips in the cross and it meets the head on Doneil Henry. He heads the ball into the net and BMO Field goes absolutely mental. I'm glad that it was Doneil Henry that scored the header, and he needed that more than anyone else. He has faced some rather harsh criticism (myself included) over his tendency to lose focus and foul players in the box, and so hopefully that goal can end the chatter for at least a little bit. Usually, it would be Toronto FC that would get scored on late in a match, but this isn't the old Toronto FC anymore. TFC had to dig deep to find a way to win, and that is what they did. Playoff bound teams would win these kind of matches.
I have two feelings about the match winner, one feeling about Toronto FC and the supporters, and another feeling that affects me personally.
When the winner was scored, it felt like the dormant soul of Toronto FC and the supporters awakened itself in a moment of pure and unbridled jubilation. It felt like all the negativity and criticism surrounding the team, the squabbles between the supporters groups and the Toronto FC front office, and the constant wonder whether this Toronto FC team was good enough to make the playoffs, was all completely forgotten. In that moment, I think we all, as supporters, realized and reinforced why we support this team. I witnessed the soul of Toronto FC. Over the years, it felt like there was no soul in the stands. The supporters sections weren't as lively as the first couple of seasons of Toronto FC's existence. Even now, with the signings and the hype surrounding the team, the supporters sections couldn't capture the essence of what made Toronto FC so special, as supporters were more interested in bickering with each other and complaining about tourists. For those moments, when the winner was scored and for the rest of the match, the essence was back. It felt like everyone was unified in song, and it was beautiful. It was completely and utterly beautiful.
On a personal level, it was a release of everything I ever had built up inside me, on an emotional level. I've long since stated that I don't go to Toronto FC matches just to support the team. I go because it is a kind of therapy for me. I go because I want to escape the pressures of life, whether it's the monotony of school, where I am going to get my next paycheck, and trying to forget about the one girl whom I really liked, but only sees me as just a friend. I don't know if a lot of people knew about this, but going to Toronto FC matches has helped my anxiety disorder as well. This year, I have particularly felt the pressures of school, jobs, and friendships in negative ways. I thought the only true way of escaping all of that was going to Toronto FC matches, if only for 90 minutes. When TFC scored the winner on Saturday, I went ballistic. It felt like my soul was rejuvenated, not just in the sense of supporting Toronto FC, but in the sense that I can deal with whatever has been ailing me. If I ever need to get away, I can just go to BMO Field and just be me, yelling at my heart's content. Despite my criticisms of Toronto FC, Toronto FC has been there when I felt the absolute worst. The role Toronto FC has played in my life as a means of escape, trumps the feelings I have toward (the old management of) MLSE and its greed. From the Danny Dichio chants to the pyro-fuelled celebrations outside Gate 3, I am glad to be a part of it all.
In the match last Saturday, the soul of Toronto FC was present, and I am more than happy to be a part of it.
Sidenote: I took some video of the match after the winner, and the celebrations at Gate 3.
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