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barrytron3030 said:
sounds like a good way to show off the new BMO Field and also bring tourists to our fair city. Will TFC make the finals? This will certainly be added motivation.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/toronto-to-host-2010-mls-cup/article1510006/
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Since that story broke on Wednesday, the league has denied that any decision has been made. They claim that there are still 4 viable candidate cities (Toronto, NY/NJ, LA and Philadelphia).

Toronto is felt to be the favourite and there is speculation that when they were awarded the franchise they were promised a chance to host the MLS cup by 2011. LA has hosted the cup several times already so they are not seen as any real candidate......Philly has just joined the league and their stadium is a bit small (18k) I think Seattle last year was the first time a first year city got to host but they had the advantage of a very big stadium with enough of a fan base that it would sell well and look good on tv.

That sorta leaves Toronto with BMO Field (expanded this year to 21,800) and New York with their new (25k) stadium in Harrison, NJ. My bet is it will be Toronto and they will wait a year to make sure that the new stadium in NJ inspires the previously unmotivated fans of the NY/NJ area to support the game.

Given that they have said the announcement will be made on April 15th and that happens to be a Thursday night game on ESPN with Toronto at home (and the commissioner likely in attendance) I would expect a positive announcement about the game being in Toronto that night!
 
^ what he said.

It's near impossible to predict who will make the finals in the MLS so there's no point trying to figure out if Toronto FC is good enough to get there. There is so much parity that once they get to the playoffs any team can legitimately win. Case in point, 8th place Real Salt Lake won the championship last year after barely squeaking into the playoffs. I actually really dislike the playoff format for soccer, especially a league like this. It can really cheapen the regular season, and I don't like how the finals are held in a different city like the Super Bowl. For a sport that is so heavily dependent on fan support, it just doesn't make sense.
 
I can't help but think this is some real estate competition everytime I see MLS :p
 
wyliepoon said:
If this is scheduled for frigid November 21, and if ticket sale is strong, maybe it would be a good idea to move the game indoors to SkyDome.
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Except that BMO Field is a soccer stadium and it is a soccer game....except that MLSE control BMO Field but not SkyDome....there would be rent to pay at SkyDome....the point of picking a stadium so far in advance is to sell tickets in advance people buying tickets would want to pick their seats....how can you do that if the venue is to be left undecided until it is known how frigid a night it is.....and so on.

The match, if it is awarded to Toronto, is being awarded on the basis of BMO Field not in spite of it. Novembers in Toronto, typically, are like Januarys in Manchester....and people watch the game outoors every January in places like Manchester......no problem.
 
Actually it's pretty easy to predict whether any MLSE-owned team will make it to the finals. :D

I could see the MLS allowing the championship game to be played in Canada once in a blue moon, but I bet ABC will try to block even that.

And I know there have been a few of these held in Foxboro, Massachusetts, but late November and outdoors in Toronto is a risky weather proposition.
 
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GenerationW said:
Actually it's pretty easy to predict whether any MLSE-owned team will make it to the finals. :D

I could see the MLS allowing the championship game to be played in Canada once in a blue moon, but I bet ABC will try to block even that.
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Like they did with the All Star game (the other game that they show annually on the main network)?
 
TOareaFan said:
Like they did with the All Star game (the other game that they show annually on the main network)?
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All-star game (in any league) = who cares/waste of time game

I''m surprised the MLS decided on a relatively smaller venue such as BMO. MLSE must have upped the ante.
 
^ Not as many as you think. They're mostly shmoozefests for corporate clients, and they've become such an exercise in corporate ass-kissing that the various leagues have had to resort to things like fanfests and skills contests in order to appease the regular fans (or at least to make it look like they care about the fans). But these games make money for the league office so they're not going away.
 
The only advantage MLS has in terms of its All-star game compared to the other NA sports is that it brings in a European team to face the MLS all-stars. It's a pretty good strategy that works for both sides.
 
GenerationW said:
All-star game (in any league) = who cares/waste of time game

I''m surprised the MLS decided on a relatively smaller venue such as BMO. MLSE must have upped the ante.
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It is not the size of the stadium but the ability to generate revenues. It is sort of like the difference between SkyDome as a venue for the Bills and the Bills stadium....SkyDome is smaller but generates far (way far) more income. BMO Field (for regular season games) has higher ticket prices than any other stadium in MLS....they will be able to charge higher tickets for the MLS Cup here than in any other city they have taken the game to....and I bet the end result is that the revenue generated from +/- 22k in Toronto is not that far off of the revenue that they generated from 46k in Seattle last year.
 
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