BMO going down, down as Canada's national soccer stadium

The players just don't like playing on the artificial surface.

So much for the national soccer stadium tag.

"On the Toronto FC website, BMO Field is referred to as "home to the Canadian National Soccer Team." If that's the case, the team must be having domestic troubles. How else to explain the fact that they don't want to spend any time here?

In announcing on Tuesday that Canada's first home game in its qualifying run for the 2010 World Cup will be played at Montreal's new Saputo Stadium, officials were in knots trying to explain that this wasn't a slap in the face to Toronto.

"It's a comfort level, this group is more comfortable on grass," Canadian head coach Dale Mitchell said.

That's code for, "This group hates playing at BMO Field." ...

http://www.thestar.com/Sports/Soccer/article/417658

It's unfortunate but the surface is the factor here. When Vancouver gets it's stadium the team will move there as the weather is more favourable. It's not really a big deal. some of us die hards will make the trip to Montreal anyways.

Maybe this will be the motivation the City needs to put in a grass field. That and they just put in a new Fieldturf surface at Lamport Stadium - they can put the bubble over Lamport during the winter and install grass at BMO...

btw - It is called National Soccer Stadium for FIFA events. BMO is not a FIFA sponsor so they have to change the name of the stadium - the U20 tournament and the games vs Argentina and Costa Rica. they even had to cover up the ATMs drinks and beer logos. Even the Pizza Pizza boxes had to be turned inside out as not to show the name or logos. FIFA is really strict about this.

Interesting... last time I went by Commonwealth (yesterday) the sign outside still called it our National Soccer Stadium, so I dunno what the pretentious easterners are on about.

Typical… Has nothing to do about East vs West. Why don’t you just look it up for yourself instead of posting useless stuff?

They are all called National Soccer Stadium (in some form) by FIFA and the CSA if they are not an event sponsor of FIFA.