An Impromptu Trip To The Canadian Classique

Last week, I went to a Toronto FC match, and this was the first time I went to a Toronto FC match since before the pandemic. Specifically, I went to the Canadian Championship match against the Montreal Impact CF Montreal. I can already hear people ask me why I would go to a Toronto FC match. "I thought you were done with Toronto FC!" some would say. That is true for now, but permit me to explain myself.

The biggest reason I am going to this match is because I am not in the best place mentally right now. I need to take some time for myself to go watch some football and take my mind off the pressures of real life. As awful as both teams are in MLS (being the two worst teams in the MLS Eastern Conference at the time of writing this), the Canadian Championship is a fresh slate for both teams, and they will both be looking to advance in the tournament.

Along with this being a derby match (and related to the whole mental health thing), I am also going to the match as a reminder of what I used to be. I used to be one of the ones going buck-wild in section 114, and although I will not be in that section for this match, I want to get a sense of what the atmosphere will be like. This is a rivalry, which will help the match atmosphere, but this is also a weekday match in April, and the NHL Playoffs are on TV right now, so this will work against the match atmosphere.

The first thing I did when I got off the train was to go into Liberty Village and check out the pre-game march to the stadium put on by The Inebriatti Block 114, TFC's ultras supporters group. The numbers were small, but the group more than made up for it in presence and voice, especially with the upcoming derby. I missed being in the mix of these things, but I was more than happy to be a far-away observer of the march. With all the problems Toronto FC has, the number one thing that I am still pleased to see is that the supporters scene in section 114 is alive and well, and I hope it never dies out in this city.
 

I get to the stadium, and the renovations for the upcoming World Cup are well underway, with construction on the north end of the stadium. I enter the stadium and take my seat at section 119, which is a section I do not normally sit in. Also, Toronto FC using "Bring Me to Life" by Evanescence as a pre-game hype song is certainly a choice. You can argue that Toronto FC is going through its goth phase. Winning matches is so conformist.
 

The overall attendance for the match was sparse, but I would say that it was slightly better than when I went to the Vancouver Whitecaps match against CF Monterrey. What was even more shocking was that the atmosphere (outside of section 114) was completely silent. There was no one starting up any chants or anything like that in any of the sections outside of 114. The only time where I saw the sedate crowd get somewhat involved in the atmosphere was when section 114 was doing the Viking clap close to the end of the match.
 

Let me turn my attention to section 114, as they were chanting all match and creating 100% of the atmosphere in BMO Field. The other supporters groups were non-existent, save for one or two flags waving in the other supporters sections. It is safe to say that section 114 is the true voice of the BMO Field south stand, and I am glad that I get to go to a Toronto FC match and hear one voice in the supporters section instead of different supporters groups start their own chants at the same time. I did not see any groups of Montreal fans in the away section of the stadium. I am sure they would rather watch the Montreal Canadiens lose in the NHL Playoffs than get beat up by TFC fans in BMO Field like with what happened a couple of years ago.
 

The match itself was rather unimpressive even though the game ended in a 2-2 draw at the end of regulation time. The match was exactly what I expected: two of the worst teams in MLS playing against each other. There was a nice volley for Montreal's second goal but that the only highlight of note for me. As this was a cup match, the match went straight to penalties, and CF Montreal was the team that ultimately prevailed. CF Montreal ended Toronto FC's 2025 season...in April.
 
So, what did I think about going to my first Toronto FC match since before the pandemic? Honestly, I thought the experience was torture. The attendance was dire. The on-field product sucked. The only positive I can take from this is that section 114 is still a fun place to be for chanting and shenanigans. I might write another Toronto FC post talking about the state of the club in 2025, but I think Toronto FC right now is at the same point (or even lower) than what it was back in the early 2010s. Do not expect me to go to another Toronto FC match this year.