Today I'm going back just 2 years to 20th July 2019 and an MLS (Major League Soccer) game between Toronto FC and Houston Dynamo.
As you can see, the first problem for my blog covering the programmes from matches attended is that I don't have a programme from this match! There wasn't one! Very annoying as having a souvenir from a game so very far away from home is a must have for me but I searched and asked and there was nothing available at all. Not even a team sheet. So my programme cover today is from another match that I attended on the same trip although it wasn't a football match!
On 22nd July I attended a baseball game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Cleveland Indians at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. The Blue Jays are effectively Canada's team in Major League Baseball being the only professional team in America's Major Leagues. As a result it's quite normal to meet Canadians in the west of Canada who despise the Toronto Maple Leafs Hockey team but are happy to wear Toronto Blue Jays regalia. Weird huh? When we went, the Blue Jays were having a terrible time of things and tickets were easy to come by. Cleveland's Indians made short work of the Blue Jays winning by 7-3 in front of 22,295 (capacity is over 49,000) and I enjoyed the change of scene very much.
The football match two days earlier also resulted in a home team defeat. Major League Soccer is beginning to impress me. Whilst the standard hasn't yet reached the standard of the top European Leagues, the gap is closing fast and the league appears to be thriving with new teams being added each year. Toronto FC were founded only in 2005 and play at a dedicated soccer stadium known as BMO Field. FC are owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment who also own the Maple Leafs (Hockey) and the Raptors (Basketball). Before I go any further it's worth pointing out that in Canada, Hockey is known as Hockey and never Ice Hockey. The game that us Brits refer to as Hockey is called Field Hockey over there! We are truly divided by a common language eh? Toronto FC are one the MLS' most successful clubs and currently have the highest player wage bill in the MLS.
Houston Dynamo were also formed in 2005 and are a true franchise team rather like Milton Keynes Dons (boo) in that they were created when the San Jose Earthquakes franchise was relocated to Houston.
It started badly for Toronto and then got worse. They were behind as early as the 4th minute thanks to a goal from Tommy McNamara and when Argentinian striker Tomas Martinez made it two in the 23rd minute TFC had a mountain to climb, this against a Houston side who had previously lost eight in a row away from home. Houston's third goal scored in the 57th minute by the Colombian Mauro Manotas was as good as you'll see anywhere, his wriggling twisting turning trickery created all the space that he needed for a free shot on goal (see the video attached to my blog and you'll see what I mean). The crowd of 25,949 were going to have to be satisfied with a consolation goal only and this was scored by substitute and former Sunderland player Jozy Altidore with 15 minutes remaining. The experienced Altidore has 115 caps for the USA to his name but, sadly for Toronto, they never looked likely to turn it around. For me though, professional soccer and baseball in the same week? That'll do nicely!
CRB Match No. 2316
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