Note: I am breaking my hiatus from this blog to talk about the
Toronto FC vs Montreal Impact match that happened yesterday. I need to address
some important things.
Even though I was
taking a break from supporting Toronto FC this year, I felt like I should be at
the match against the Montreal Impact, simply because it was a high-profile
match. Therefore, that was my plan last Saturday night. I experienced the match
inside the stadium and I am ready to give my thoughts on the overall
experience.
First, the
pre-match tifo was fantastic. Big credit to all the supporters groups for
creating the most visually appealing tifo I have ever seen at BMO Field. It was
also ironically funny that TFC supporters embraced the "circus" label
that Montreal fans always give them.
Now, the match. It
may have been TFC's fun house, but it was the Impact that escaped the fun house
with a 1-0 victory, giving them their first ever victory against TFC at BMO
Field. The Impact were disciplined and hard to break down, even when they were
down a man before halftime. They only really attacked when they were on the
counter, and it proved to be successful when Piatti scored. TFC's offensive
play was predictable. All they did was switch the ball to the wing and then
crossed the ball into the 18-yard box, which the Impact back-line dealt with
ease. TFC also did not test the Impact keeper with many shots. They passed
when they should have shot the ball and tested the keeper. I cannot think of
any TFC player that played a good game, while the Impact put in a great team
performance. This match also highlights that Greg Vanney and TFC struggle to
break down teams that play a defensive style of football, no matter what advantage they have. There
will be fans and journalists that will say that there is nothing to worry about
and that TFC are still first in the Eastern Conference. However, this is an issue
that Greg Vanney and the TFC coaching staff will need to fix if they want any
shot at winning any playoff matches this season.
I have noticed a
lot of Twitter chatter surrounding a certain two-stick banner in the south end
of BMO Field. Here it is:
If the image did
not look clear to you, it is a woman wearing blue, representing Montreal,
"going down" on a man wearing red, representing a TFC supporter,
while the banner reads "Montreal Vous Sucez". There are some people,
particularly women, who were offended of the portrayal of a woman in that way.
That is perfectly valid and it is something I agree with. I understand the
hatred that TFC fans have for Montreal and vice-versa, but the person or people
who made that banner could have easily expressed that hatred in a better way
than a woman going down on a man. In a way, that banner was tasteless,
unnecessary, and (dare I say) threatening to women who regularly go to TFC matches. However,
if two sets of fans hate each other, and want to express that hate to each
other, you simply can't expect them to be politically correct at the same time.
In Chris Rock's
comedy special "Kill the Messenger", If Chris Rock's car was hit by another
car driven by a one-legged man, he'll talk about the leg (better hope he has
some two-legged insurance).
Toronto vs.
Montreal is a high-profile rivalry, and I expected people to be rowdier than
usual, but I noticed a large amount of people who were ridiculously drunk and
wanting to start fights with others who simply wanted to watch the match. Where
I was in the north patio, there was an altercation behind us between a young, drunk
man, and an older man. The larger man, evidently annoyed at his conduct, punched
him. Other fans separated the two men. BMO Field security showed up quite late
in the first half and took away the two men, and Toronto police arrested the
one who threw the punch. From what I have heard, there were a number of
incidents similar to what I have experienced in and around BMO Field, with
lackluster responses from BMO Field security. Add in the fact that security
shepherded thousands of fans through one gate in the north end (creating a
safety hazard), and it was evident that security really dropped the ball in
creating a safe atmosphere for the fans.
For the TFC
matches I went to these past two years, there has been a large increase in
casual spectators, and with that, a large amount of "bros" who go to
TFC matches who simply want to drink alcohol, start trouble with others, and
have no interest in the team itself. I have been noticing more trouble at the
TFC matches I have been to, and this is not something TFC should be okay with (obviously,
this is only my opinion, and it will differ from others). Sadly, I do not think
TFC and MLSE will do anything about it because they buy the stadium beer and
contribute to TFC’s profits. TFC are developing a reputation similar to going
to Jays games when they used to have the $2 Tuesday tickets in the 500-level,
where you would see a lot of fighting there as well. In a perfect world, actual
supporters are the ones who fill the stands, but TFC and MLSE need to fill
seats by marketing heavily to casual/fair-weather fans and people who simply
want to drink alcohol, because that is where the money is. They are the ones
who will buy the merchandise, buy concessions, and buy alcohol.
I found it ironic
that TFC supporters groups created a tifo labeling BMO Field as a circus,
because that is exactly what BMO Field is now! It has become more of a
sponsorship showcase than a stadium where a match takes place. The main
attractions of this circus are Giovinco, Bradley, and Altidore, and now you
have an influx of people who go to matches to experience the TFC atmosphere,
but refuse to contribute to it. I have been having a growing disconnect with
Toronto FC, and this is only one of the reasons why this is happening with me.
Overall, I had an
okay time, but by going to the match, I realized why I keep telling myself I should
not be going to the match anymore. However, I still do it, so what does that
say about me?
