CCL QF Game at Rogers Centre

[ochos]

A great case has been made for both sides - where stand you?

BMO Field - our home pitch. FORTRESS BMO! Our tin can home of 5 years and the National Soccer Stadium (I think?). Likely to be a brisk game in winter conditions. Possibility of snow and colder temperatures than the Kardinal game from earlier this year. A potential 'hell hath frozen over' nightmare for Mexican and Central American teams. Canadians playing in Canadian weather.

Skydome - a colossal giant, 50,000 seat indoor heated stadium. The wrong colour, but the right conditions to attract fairweather fans. A chance to reinvigorate the masses and get this football team back on everyone's lips with a sellout/win and playoff like atmosphere never seen in a TFC game. Montreal had 40k? We can get 50k!

Let me also state - I feel the group should use it's clout as strongly as possible to influence ticket pricing/allocation, advertising, etc... Wherever we play, we should strictly enforce that away supporters be sectioned off to one section only, no scenarios where we have Toronto based Central America/Mexican fans sitting in home/family sections cheering against the home team. I would really like to see some leadership on this issue and hope that someone will take up the campaign.

[Globetrotter]

BMO is our home. If we can sell it out in the quarters (and advance), then talk Skydome.

[KGH]

Rogers has Disney on Ice booked 14-18. BMO is where it'll be

[David_Oliveira]

It could also be an advantage to play at bmo depending on who play

[zeelaw]

Seriously? BMO.

[Razor]

BMO - This is Our House

[GBV]

BMO.

[Blazer]

Bowel Movement Operation

[ochos]

early on, but as predicted in the other thread, the numbers are closer than one might think.. let's see where this is at come game time Saturday.

[Carefree]

If we play at BMO we'll be lucky to get 2,000 frozen butts in the seats. The players (including ours) will hate playing in -10C so it will probably be a painful game to watch. I don't think we'll gain any kind of advantage because it's not like our players are used to playing in blizzards every week.

Skydome takes care of the weather issue, and it presents us with the opportunity to get 50,000 people to a TFC game. And yes, it can be done. The Impact did it, and it's not like they were the hottest ticket in town at the time. Most people there had never even watched a soccer game in their life, let alone been to one.

[ManUtd4ever]

I would obviously prefer BMO Field, but the weather implications could have a detrimental impact on the quality of the match as well as attendance.

An opportunity like this doesn't happen often, with a CCL semifinal berth on the line. If it is logistically possible to hold the event at Rogers Centre, MLSE should initiate a strong marketing campaign in advance with affordable ticket prices and pack the venue with 35,000-40,000 supporters.

[yellowfellow]

MLSE invested $$$ in BMO so that TFC can play in Feb. It will be at BMO.

[Mango Kid]

BMO, no brainer.

[uncle p]

I honestly dont understand why people want to play at the Dome (unless you have a family and you worry about conditions) Other than that I dont think the Dome should even be considered!!!....If you need some sort of novelty factor to get you pumped up for a big game than thats your problem....BMO is our home whether we like it or not and I dont want to win (or lose) anywhere but at home....

And I couldnt care any less about what the impact did at the Big O....f**k them!!!

[Waggy]

Hmm. Last night I was def pro Skydome, but mid march.... I mean BMO is our home. And I'd rather have 22k LOUD passionate supporters than 50k casual fans. If we can make BMO loud and full (and it'd be up to MLSE to price and market this sort of game propery), I'd sooner go there. Winterization (ha) shouldn't be an issue mid march, don't we usually start the season then anyways?

[Carts]

BMO Field 100%...

I don't want to sound like an ass - but put on a coat & hat if you want to be there live... If not, HD TV at Real Sports is your option...

My favourite is people saying "...nobody will show up in the cold..." Yeah, becasue that has killed teams like the Green Bay Packers!

If you WANT to be there, March temperatures aren't Minus-40 - and you will be there...

And funny enough, our bad weather games are usually our best atmosphere. We've all seen what 20,000 people sitting on their hands is like - and its nothing like 5,000 passionate fans making some noise...

Carts...

[tfcleeds]

BMO all the way. Let's fill our stadium with fans that want to be there.

[uncle p]

BMO Field 100%...

I don't want to sound like an ass - but put on a coat & hat if you want to be there live... If not, HD TV at Real Sports is your option...

My favourite is people saying "...nobody will show up in the cold..." Yeah, becasue that has killed teams like the Green Bay Packers!

If you WANT to be there, March temperatures aren't Minus-40 - and you will be there...

And funny enough, our bad weather games are usually our best atmosphere. We've all seen what 20,000 people sitting on their hands is like - and its nothing like 5,000 passionate fans making some noise...

Carts...

DAMN STRAIGHT!!!!

[billyfly]

BMO unless you are able to sellout the Rogers Centre and then use the money to upgrade BMO.

[Eastend]

BMO. We can say home field advantage due to the potential weather consideration but since not all our players Canadian the advantage is not really the weather, it's the support in the stands.....as always!

[maninb]

BMO is a HUGE advantage to us if we're playing a Latin team....they'll be wearing parkas and trying to stay warm..Most of our lads have played in cold weather before...

[denime]

BMO Field 100%...

I don't want to sound like an ass - but put on a coat & hat if you want to be there live... If not, HD TV at Real Sports is your option...

My favourite is people saying "...nobody will show up in the cold..." Yeah, becasue that has killed teams like the Green Bay Packers!

If you WANT to be there, March temperatures aren't Minus-40 - and you will be there...

And funny enough, our bad weather games are usually our best atmosphere. We've all seen what 20,000 people sitting on their hands is like - and its nothing like 5,000 passionate fans making some noise...

Carts...

THANK YOU

[trane]

I hate the dome. I love BMO. However, it is our first big game, and we need to get some serious numbers in the stands, more then BMO can hold.

[brad]

BMO is a HUGE advantage to us if we're playing a Latin team....they'll be wearing parkas and trying to stay warm..Most of our lads have played in cold weather before...

This - even if it means 2000 people watching.

[denime]

I hate the dome. I love BMO. However, it is our first big game, and we need to get some serious numbers in the stands, more then BMO can hold.

We don't need big numbers?ML$E needs big numbers.

We need fans who will come out regardless of weather,casual fan is ML$E target.our boys don't need them they need supporters in the stands.

TFC players will be in town from mid January,and they will be use to the temperature better than any away team.

Playing in Rogers Centre would mean TURF or temporary natural grass on top of the turf,second option is not free around 200K,ML$E will charge for that,so why should we pay extra for grass when BMO has heated grass and our boys are used to that surface.


Rogers Center is for fair-weather fans,BMO is for TFC fans.

[denime]

This - even if it means 2000 people watching.

Still better than 20 K at Rogers

[KRO]

Rogers has Disney on Ice booked 14-18. BMO is where it'll be

With a Pumas win tonight we'll end up 2nd in our group. That will mean that we are at home for the first leg and it will be played March 6-8.

Having said that my vote is for BMO if they think they can fool the grass into growing early.

[mowe]

I think it's definitely going to be Skydome for one reason: the amount of tickets that can be sold. MLSE is aware that Montreal got 55,000 out for their game. That might have been all cheap tickets, but I think TFC can get 40,000 for this game. I don't think MLSE is going to miss out on the chance to sell twice as many tickets.

Another huge factor is that the game would be played March 6-8. The home opener this year was March 26. The cold is definitely going to be an issue. It will affect attendance, and I'm not convinced the on field advantage would be in our favour. It's not like our players are used to playing in freezing temperatures. If it's going to be a very cold night (likely in early March), both teams are going to have a tough time adjusting. It doesn't make any sense when there is a heated dome available.

[Ageroo]

Time to buy that TFC winter coat now that they are discounted at end of year.... BMO for sure.....

[Ageroo]

Having said that my vote is for BMO if they think they can fool the grass into growing early.

People grow grass in their basement over the winter...

How hard can it be.........