Hello all, welcome back to the blog. Recently, I went to my first ever live football match, something that has taken way too long for me to do; Toronto FC’s match against FC Cincinnati. BMO Field is a place where few football fans actually go to, yet is one of the most fan-friendly stadiums in the world, in my opinion. Let me tell you about my experience, and if you’re going to BMO Field in the near future, anything to avoid.
Firstly, the trip. If you go by car, you’re probably going to miss kick off unless you go well before you should. I’d go by the Go Train, as the traffic started as soon as we entered Toronto, even on a Saturday evening.
However, when you get there, it’s a pretty simple time entering, anything you’re bringing in you need to put in a plastic bag, and it’s a short check before going in and going to your seat. I missed kick off, so I can’t tell you about the pregame atmosphere, but from what I hear, it’s pretty normal for what you’d expect.
One of the special things about this stadium is that you don’t have to stay in your seat. There are plenty of places for a fan to go to get a different view of the match, not just being different seats, but a unique pitchside experience. You can go down beside the pitch for free, with the players right in front of your eyes, it’s incredible the first time you experience it.
Then there’s another stand on the northwest side of the stadium, which offers a view of the CN Tower and the match, which is where I spent most of the second half. It offers an underrated view of the action, and if you get there early, you get one of the best views available in the stadium.
The atmosphere at MLS games is always made fun of by those not living in the US or Canada, but it was really good compared to my expectations. I can’t yet compare it to European matches, but the occasional chant breaking out and emotions, especially toward the end of the game, were all great to see.
The first time watching players and teams you’ve seen on TV for years is always a great sensation. It does really feel like something you’d see in a movie, these players you’ve watched and followed careers of for ages just right there in front of you – no television, no screen, they’re just there. Blinking, thinking it’s your eyes playing a trick on you, but no matter what you do, still there. It’s great.
The game itself was also an incredible watch. Cincinnati won 4-3 against the Reds, with a six-goal second half going along with Lorenzo Insigne hitting the crossbar from 40 yards and scoring an offside goal, there were plenty of twists and turns in this tale.
The roaring in the ground when Toronto won a penalty in the 83rd minute, the agony when Insigne hit the bar in the 89th, the ups and downs are musts for any football fan. If you haven’t gone to a football match yet, it really is a must in my opinion. That’s all from me, I hope you enjoyed reading about my experience, until next time.