A hotbed for a thriving culture of football that showcases the standards set in the MLS, Toronto FC always has the ability to provide a photogenic backdrop. Popping in and catching the scenes, the BMO Field is our next stopping point on our 'Framed' series.
This all-Canadian affair drops at a time when the temperature in the MLS is rising for all the right reasons. The hunt for the playoffs is on and everything is to play for. At least for Toronto FC, there WAS everything to play for. In losing this fixture 1-2, the home side have lost their chances of a playoff spot. It took just five minutes for Vancouver Whitecaps to score and with Gregory Van Der Wiel sent off in the second half, it quickly became a game to forget for Toronto FC.
1-0 down until the 72nd minute, Jozy Altidore stepped up from the spot to tuck home a penalty which should have put some fight the tank for Toronto—it would still have been mathematically possible for them to make the playoffs had they won this game. However, it was the Whitecaps who took their chances and on the 78th minute, the visitors bagged the winner.
For the Whitecaps, thanks to that 78th-minute match-winner from Kei Kamara, their playoff hopes still hang in there. Ending a three game losing streak in the process, their confidence can be restored as they go searching for some silverware. For Toronto FC, it means their season is now redundant. Just pride to play for now, you can still expect a good show in a stadium that packs in some of the most electric fans in the MLS.
Photography by Stephan Ordonez for SoccerBible.