Toronto FC

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Toronto FC
Full name	Toronto FC
Nickname(s)	TFC, Reds
Founded	2006
Ground	BMO Field (Capacity 20,522)
Owner	MLSE
Head Coach	John Carver
League	Major League Soccer
2007	Eastern Conference: 7th Overall: 13th Playoffs: DNQ
First game	Toronto FC 0-2 C.D. Chivas USA (Home Depot Center; April 7, 2007)
Largest win	4-0 vs FC Dallas (BMO Field; June 17, 2007)
Largest defeat	0-4 vs New England Revolution (Gillette Stadium; April 14, 2007)
All-time top scorer	Danny Dichio (11)
Supporters groups	U-Sector, Red Patch Boys, Tribal Rhythm Nation, The North End Elite, Ceilidh House Hoolies, Ultras 114
Honours	None
Home colours 　 Away colours

Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club located in Toronto, and the first non-American team in Major League Soccer (MLS). The club's first regular season match was April 7, 2007 at Home Depot Center in Los Angeles, a 0-2 loss to Chivas USA. Although they did not make the playoffs, Toronto FC was a financial success in its inaugural season, selling out every home game in the 20,522-seat BMO Field and capturing unprecedented media attention. Toronto sold all of its 14,000 season tickets in the first year and all 16,000 of its second year season tickets

[edit] History

[edit] Club Identity

The name of the club was officially announced on May 11, 2006 by the team's owner, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. (MLSE).^[1] The "FC" in the team's name is the conventional initialism for Football Club, but in official media and documents the team has only been referred to as Toronto FC, never Toronto Football Club. Larry Tannenbaum, chairman of MLSE, stated at the team name's unveiling that "I think the way we spell it is 'futbol'."^[2]

The announcement followed an online consultation in which the public was invited to vote on the name during a limited period. The voting options were "Toronto Nationals," "Inter Toronto," "Toronto Reds," "Toronto FC," and "Toronto Barons." MLSE's strategy in choosing "Toronto FC" following this process was based on two reasons. Firstly, over 40 percent of the online vote supported the simplified Toronto FC name during the consultation. Secondly, MLSE hoped that with this fairly generic name the new club would earn a more organic nickname from the Toronto fans rather than having one imposed upon the club. This processed has slowly occurred over the course of the club's early history with Toronto FC widely referred to simply by the initials "TFC" or the "Reds" (after their home kit colour) by several media groups and members of the Toronto FC staff. The official team colours are Collegiate Red, White, Dark Onyx, and Light Onyx.

[edit] Ownership and management

Toronto FC are owned and managed by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd., who are also the owners and operators of the Toronto Maple Leafs, a National Hockey League team, the Toronto Raptors, a National Basketball Association team, and the Toronto Marlies, an American Hockey League team. Along with owning professional sports teams as well as Leafs TV and Raptors NBA TV, the company is also involved in real estate and property management, owning sports venues such as the Air Canada Centre and the General Motors Centre. Tom Anselmi, the COO and executive vice-president of MLSE, is regarded as the team's president, while the general manager duties are held by Director of football (soccer) Mo Johnston. Paul Beirne is Director of Business Operations.^[3]

[edit] Television and radio

Toronto FC's opening match against Chivas USA was broadcast on Rogers Sportsnet. On April 11, 2007 the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) announced it too had secured rights to broadcast some of the team's matches, along with The Score.^[4] The CBC carried 14 regular-season games in 2007, including the home opener and the MLS debut of David Beckham at BMO Field on August 5. Rogers Sportsnet employs Gerry Dobson and Craig Forrest for the play calling while James Sharman and Paul James call the games on The Score, with Brian Budd as sideline reporter. On CBC, Nigel Reed and Jason DeVos handle the broadcasts with Mitch Peacock performing the sideline role for the national broadcaster.

No radio arrangements have been announced to date.

[edit] Head coaches

John Carver is currently head coach at Toronto FC.

[edit] History

	Duration	Coach	Seasons		Games	W	L	T	Pts	GF	GA	GD	W%
1	2006—2008	Mo Johnston	2007	Regular Season	30	6	17	7	25	25	49	-24	20%
				Playoffs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
				Other Matches	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
				Total	30	6	17	7	25	25	49	-24	20%
2	2008—present	John Carver	2008	Regular Season	12	6	4	2	20	17	16	+1	50%
				Playoffs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
				Other Matches	1	1	0	0	3	1	0	+1	100%
				Total	13	7	4	2	23	18	16	+2	54%

[edit] Mo Johnston

Main article: Mo Johnston

• August 25, 2006 to February 1, 2008

Toronto FC confirmed that former Red Bull New York coach Mo Johnston would serve as the first head coach in team history at a press conference in Toronto in August 2006. During the press conference, Tom Anselmi said Johnston "represents the next generation of MLS coaches who have extensive playing experience in Europe and North America".^[5] Johnston's playing career included stints at Celtic, Rangers, and Everton before ending his career with the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer. At the time of his hiring, Johnston claimed a "wonderful" assistant coach had already been hired while declining to divulge the person's identity.^[6] This person was later revealed to be former U.S. National Team and Kansas City Wizards coach, Bob Gansler. On February 1, 2008, it was announced that Mo Johnston was moving to become Toronto FC Manager and Director of Soccer.

[edit] John Carver

Main article: John Carver (footballer)

• February 1, 2008 to present

John Carver was formerly the caretaker manager at Leeds United in England and later assistant at Luton Town F.C. He has previously worked on the coaching staff at Newcastle United. He was announced as Toronto FC's new head coach in February 2008 with his predecessor Mo Johnston "moving upstairs" into sporting director role.

[edit] Support staff

Chris Cummins

On May 9 2008, the club announced the signing of former Luton Town F.C. Director of youth development Chris Cummins. Cummins rejoins former Luton Town colleague John Carver, who worked on the coaching staff at the English club. Cummins role at TFC is as Carver's assistant to the first team. His duties include overseeing the reserve side alongside Nick Dasovic.

Paul Winsper

On January 11, 2008, the club announced that Paul Winsper had been hired as Strength and Conditioning Coach. In 2007, Toronto's injury woes had quickly exposed their lack of depth, and Winsper, a decade-long veteran with Newcastle United's staff, was brought in from the Premier League.

Eddie Kehoe

Kehoe, a former goalkeeper in Ireland, assisted Carmine Isacco with coaching goalkeepers in the team's inaugural season. Isacco's departure at the end of 2007 meant that Kehoe assumed a full-time role as goalkeeping coach.

Malcolm Phillips

Equipment manager Phillips hails from Southampton, England, and joined up with Toronto in 2007.

Nick Dasovic

TFC Academy head coach and 2nd assistant to the first team.

Jason Bent

TFC Academy U-18 coach.

Stuart Neely

TFC Academy U-16 coach.

[edit] Players

[edit] Roster

In accordance with MLS policies, Toronto FC is restricted to an 18 man senior roster and a 10 man developmental roster. Like its American counterparts, the squad consists of both domestic and foreign players (though these domestic players are Canadian rather than American).

In 2007, the club was allowed thirteen international players, of which no more than eight could be non-Americans (8+5). Following former coach Mo Johnston complaints regarding the strict player constraints set by the league, MLS has relaxed these regulations for the 2008 season. Now, Toronto FC is allowed sixteen international players, of which no more than eleven can be non-Americans (11+5). This new measure is to compensate for the smaller talent pool in Canada, thus keeping the league competitive. In comparison, American teams are permitted up to eight international players (Canadian players fit into this category). Thus Toronto FC is required to field fewer domestic players than its American counterparts.^[7]

[edit] Current squad

As of June 11, 2008. The players in bold have senior international caps.

No. Position Player 1 GK Greg Sutton 3 DF Julius James 4 DF Marco Vélez 5 MF Kevin Harmse 6 MF Maurice Edu 9 FW Danny Dichio 10 MF Rohan Ricketts 11 MF Jim Brennan (captain) 12 DF Todd Dunivant 14 DF Tyrone Marshall 15 MF Tyler Rosenlund 16 DF Marvell Wynne 17 MF Joey Melo 18 GK Brian Edwards

No. Position Player 19 FW Andrea Lombardo 20 MF Amado Guevara 22 GK David Monsalve 23 FW Jarrod Smith 24 MF Tyler Hemming 27 MF Gabe Gala 28 DF Olivier Tébily 29 DF Nana Attakora-Gyan 32 MF Laurent Robert 33 MF Carl Robinson (vice-captain) 36 MF Kilian Elkinson 96 FW Jeff Cunningham  ?? FW Abdus Ibrahim

[edit] Notable former players

• Alecko Eskandarian
• Kenny Stamatopoulos
• Ronnie O'Brien
• Collin Samuel

[edit] TFC Academy

Main article: TFC Academy

TFC Academy are the top academy of Toronto FC. They are a member of the National Division of the Canadian Soccer League, the highest professional soccer league in Canada. TFC Academy will play their home games at Lamport Stadium in Toronto.

[edit] Canadian Championship

Main article: Canadian Championship

From 2008 the club will be competing with Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps in the annual Canadian Championship which will be used to determine both a national champion for Canada and the qualifier for the CONCACAF Champions League.

[edit] Stadium

Main article: BMO Field

A packed BMO Field with the CN Tower to the east.

Before the 2007 season started, construction was completed ^[8] on a new stadium at Exhibition Place in Toronto called BMO Field where Toronto FC currently play. The stadium holds 20,195 people and is the largest soccer-specific stadium in Canada. It served as a major venue for the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup. The stadium is owned by the City of Toronto, while MLSE, the team's owner, operates it. The cost of the stadium is estimated at $62.5 million. MLS Commissioner Don Garber has stated that the 2008 MLS All-Star Game will take place at BMO Field, as will an MLS Cup by the year 2012.

On September 20, 2006, the official MLS website announced that BMO Financial Group had officially purchased the naming rights for the new stadium.^[9] For international matches, the BMO Field is known as the National Soccer Stadium.

[edit] Statistics and records

Main article: Toronto FC records

[edit] Year-by-Year

Main article: Toronto FC seasons

[edit] Average attendance

regular season/playoffs

• 2007: 20,134/missed playoffs
• 2008: 20,054/TBD (As of June 4th 2008)
• All-Time: 20,134

[edit] Toronto FC fans

Main article: Toronto FC fans

Richard Peddie, CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. has stated that he and the ownership would be content with between 13,000-15,000 fans per game at Toronto FC home games,^[10] however, this range has been exceeded. The club capped their season tickets sales at 14,000 on March 15, 2007, setting a league record.^[11] For the 2008 season the cap was raised and Toronto FC announced that they have sold 16,000 season tickets.

The fans have been called enthusiastic, but sometimes rowdy by North American standards. Toronto FC sent an email to season ticket holders asking fans to refrain from throwing objects on the field, or running onto the field. This was in response to the celebrations seen during the first victory against Chicago.^[12]

Toronto FC currently has many supporters groups throughout the stadium. Several groups are known for their vocal support and internet presence, these include the North End Elite, Ultras 114, the Red Patch Boys, Tribal Rhythm Nation, and U-Sector.^[13]

[edit] Honours

For more details on this topic, see Toronto FC seasons.

[edit] Invitational

Carolina Challenge Cup (pre-season):

• Runners up
  

2007

[edit] References

• Toronto FC to join MLS lineup

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] See also

• BMO Field
• Canadian Championship
• Canadian National Team
• Canadian Soccer Association
• Canadian Soccer League
• Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment
• Major League Soccer
• Club records
• Toronto Lynx
• Toronto Blizzard
• Trillium Cup

[edit] External links

• Official website
• Official website of MLS

[edit] Video

• Press conference announcing the hiring of Mo Johnston (Click on "350k)"

v • d • e Toronto FC Toronto, Ontario The Club History • Seasons • Records • Players • All articles Stadiums BMO Field • Lamport Stadium (TFC Academy) Culture and Fan Base U-Sector • Red Patch Boys • North End Elite Tribal Rhythm Nation • Ultras 114 Rivalries Columbus Crew • Montreal Impact • Red Bull New York • Chicago Fire Important Figures Jim Brennan • Danny Dichio • Maurice Edu • Mo Johnston • Greg Sutton Key Personnel Owner: Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment • General Manager: Paul Beirne • Director of Soccer: Mo Johnston • Manager: John Carver Major League Soccer • Canada Cup Toronto FC Seasons (2) 2007 • 2008 www.torontofc.ca

v • d • e Sports teams based in Ontario Baseball AL: Toronto Blue Jays, Can-Am: Ottawa Rapidz, ICBL: Barrie Baycats · Brantford Red Sox · Guelph Royals · Hamilton Thunderbirds · Kitchener Panthers · London Majors · Oshawa Dodgers · Stratford Nationals · Toronto Maple Leafs Basketball NBA: Toronto Raptors, ABA: Hamilton Rockstars, PBL: Toronto Lazers Football CFL: Hamilton Tiger-Cats · Ottawa CFL · Toronto Argonauts, CMFL: Kingston Privateers · Milton Marauders · North Bay Bulldogs · Oakville Longhorns · Oshawa Hawkeyes · Sarnia Imperials · Sudbury Spartans · Sault Ste. Marie Steelers · T.O. Maddogs · T.O. Raiders · Tri-City Outlaws, EFL: Ottawa Demon Deacons, NAFL: London Silverbacks · Tri-City Titans, CJFL: Burlington Braves · Hamilton Hurricanes · London Beefeaters · Northern Clansmen · Toronto Junior Argonauts · Windsor AKO Fratmen, QJFL: Cumberland Panthers · Ottawa Junior Riders · Ottawa Sooners Hockey NHL: Ottawa Senators · Toronto Maple Leafs, AHL: Hamilton Bulldogs · Toronto Marlies, OHL: Barrie Colts · Belleville Bulls · Brampton Battalion · Guelph Storm · Kingston Frontenacs · Kitchener Rangers · London Knights · Mississauga St. Michael's Majors · Niagara IceDogs · Oshawa Generals · Ottawa 67's · Owen Sound Attack · Peterborough Petes · Sarnia Sting · Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds · Sudbury Wolves · Windsor Spitfires, CWHL: Brampton Canadettes Thunder · Burlington Barracudas · Mississauga Chiefs · Ottawa Capital Canucks · Vaughan Flames Soccer MLS: Toronto FC, CSL: African Icons · Border Stars · Brampton Lions · Italia Shooters · London City · North York Astros · Serbian White Eagles · St. Catharines Wolves · TFC Academy · Toronto Croatia · Toronto Supra Portugese, USL PDL: Ottawa Fury · Toronto Lynx · Thunder Bay Chill, W-League: Hamilton Avalanche · London Gryphons · Ottawa Fury · Toronto Lady Lynx Lacrosse NLL: Toronto Rock Rugby Union RCSL: Niagara Thunder · Ottawa Harlequins Canadian Interuniversity Sport Brock University Badgers · Carleton University Ravens · University of Guelph Gryphons · Lakehead University Thunderwolves · Laurentian University Voyageurs (Men's)/Lady Vees (Women's) · McMaster University Marauders · University of Ontario Institute of Technology Ridgebacks · University of Ottawa Gee-Gees · Queen's University Golden Gaels · Royal Military College of Canada Paladins · Ryerson University Rams · University of Toronto Varsity Blues · University of Waterloo Warriors · University of Western Ontario Mustangs · Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks · University of Windsor Lancers · York University Lions