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Joining the Red Patch Boys march at Simcoe Park, there was a feeling of unique anticipation of Toronto FC’s seventh home opener. A mix of excitement, nerves and the pressing thought of “What the hell are we going to see today?” Maybe a type of anticipation you can only get at TFC.
It may have only been about 300-strong, but there was great energy in the short march to the Dome. There’s something thrilling about feeling passerby’s eyes and cameras on you as you clap, sing and dance, stopping downtown traffic. A few smoke bombs were set off, at points making it tough to breathe, but adding to the atmosphere in a way the contrived fireworks we were “treated” to before kickoff never could.
Stepping into the stadium reminded me of the CCL semi-final against the Galaxy more than any opener from the past six seasons. There was a fear the Dome would suck the life out of the crowd, but not today. This was the core supporters: no Beckham groupies here, just red shirts and scarves from home openers past, still worn with a pride that boggles the mind.
The final goodbye to Torsten Frings was a nice touch, and the last door to close on a tumultuous few years. This season is marketed as a new era and it’s hard not to buy in. Darren O’Dea looks like a natural gritty leader out there. He describes himself as naturally loud, constantly speaking and organizing – a far cry from Julian de Guzman, who wore the armband for last year’s opening 3-0 loss to San Jose.
Aron Winter blamed that loss on not having Frings in the lineup, explaining “To have Torsten is completely different than without him.” At today’s post-match press conference, Ryan Nelsen praised the win as a “total team effort.” The greatest positive to take from today is that it no longer seems to be about one person, be it Frings, De Rosario or Dichio. The message from everyone at the club is this is a team all pulling in the same direction. Saturday’s central midfield pairing did not have a $2.3 million pay disparity between them.
Today’s first half brought an unfamiliar, lively TFC. A striker as mobile as Robert Earnshaw is unheard of in these parts – poaching a soft back pass for the first goal and celebrating with a front flip. The crowd reacted slowly and you could see Earnshaw’s bewilderment, waving his arms like a cheerleader. A new arrival, he’s not aware of the psyche of the TFC fan who can only think of the impending 2-1 loss.
But when he calmly put away his second – this time from the spot – the crowd of 25,000 went insane, partly due to the exquisite buildup play. A sweeping long ball from O’Dea found mid-week signing John Bostock, who had the audacity to go directly at defenders with the belief that he could beat them. They must have believed it too, taking him down as he broke through. We were now officially in uncharted territory.
The team slipped back into old habits in the second half, looking like a bad version of the dump and chase, with Sporting KC controlling the play. Kansas pushed back to 2-1 and the last ten minutes felt very familiar – the team pegged in our own end and everyone in the stadium holding their breath. Then something strange happened. As the fourth official signalled five minutes of extra time (was Alex Ferguson time keeping?!), chanting from the supporters sections spread throughout the stadium. The twelfth man really lifted the players and pushed them forward, helping ride out a gritty win.
The final whistle brought relief and celebration, but something else too. Fans all around the stadium stayed standing and applauded: the performance, the players, maybe even the club. There is guarded optimism, these fans know their football and there’s a palpable sense that we have brought in some quality football people, on and off the pitch. There was a spring in the step as people made their way home, some pride restored. There’s a difficult road ahead, but the twelfth man back for another season.
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