Yesterday there was a big media scrum north of the border in Toronto. Turns out as we all knew in weeks leading up to the event that it was about MLS Cup 2010. Toronto will be this year’s host and honestly as I’ve mentioned before I love the idea.

With all the upgrades to BMO Field this winter it made perfect sense to award the city of Toronto and it’s club Toronto FC hosting rights to the year’s biggest game.

I know some folks will say its too cold in Toronto in November but really if the league can host games in Seattle, D.C. and New England for past MLS Cups, why not Toronto? Most of the reports have even said that Toronto is the same temperature or even warmer than some of these cities mentioned above around that time of year.

But I like this game in Toronto for other reasons. The game in Toronto means the chance at another great atmosphere on TV for the league. Not only will this game be a total sellout by July but it will also be loud and very entertaining to watch on TV, especially if there is a club that Toronto fans don’t like in the game or if somehow TFC makes it to MLS Cup.

Plus having a good atmosphere and loud crowd does wonders for sponsors, you know those folks who pay the bills for the league. It can’t hurt the league to want to impress those folks two years in a row (three if you go and figure next year’s MLS Cup will be at Red Bull Arena).

But even if it does get super cold and snow the fans will be there and it will still be entertaining to watch.

BMO Field recently got a slight makeover with a new grass surface on the pitch which may have lead to them getting the nod over other cities like New York, Philadelphia and LA. Some folks this morning are also saying New York pulled their name out of the running to host the year’s big game.

I know some don’t like the idea of a game in Toronto in November but I would be willing to be the weather won’t be too much different then Columbus, D.C. or New England at that time of the year. Hell the first couple MLS Cups were held in nasty cold weather, Toronto may actually be a better than that.

Those cities are three mentioned above with LA being the fourth.

Deep down I see it coming to either Toronto or New York in the end here. But let’s look at each cities’ chances here.

New York (Red Bull Arena): A brand-new stadium, which happens to be the best stadium the league has ever seen to this date, in the league’s biggest media market. I think all they had to do was show up with a couple photos of the facility and the league was probably already hooked.

The thing about Red Bull Arena is most of the cool stuff that will be around the stadium hasn’t been built yet. I’d say the league may hold off until 2011 for the MLS Cup. By then all the cool little things around the stadium should be in place and this truly will be a great venue in and out for hosting a MLS Cup.

Philadelphia (PPL Park): The new stadium on the waterfront in Chester is a nice one. The thing going against their bid (which was a good one) is the fact that the stadium won’t be finished until summer. Which also means a lot of items around the stadium may not be done by then either. My wonder is if their bid contained PPL Park (which I assume it would) or if they went bigger by going with the Linc.

Toronto (BMO Field): I saw their pitch in PDF form, and it was pretty cool. We’ve all heard about the promise of Toronto hosting a MLS Cup by 2012 but this year would make the most sense with the new grass field at the stadium. Now that the FieldTurf is gone it makes more sense to go ahead and give Toronto this game.

What could go against Toronto is the two new stadiums in the US. I still see this being the year Toronto gets to host the game…even if it means hosting a game in November in cold weather. (note: remember the first few MLS Cups, they were in nasty cold weather in the Northeast)

LA (Home Depot Center): This venue is really a fail-safe for the league. Its in the second biggest market and the stadium can easily host a good MLS Cup. This really however is probably a backup plan for the league should something go wrong with one of the three eastern bids.

“We are really looking forward to hosting the league’s newest addition on April 17,” said senior director business operations Toronto FC Paul Beirne. “We know their supporters group, the Sons of Ben, will come to Toronto so this will be a great day; not only because it will open another season here at BMO Field, but it will be our first match on the new grass field.”

So Toronto will open next year with three road games due to the installation of this new natural grass surface. I don’t see too many TFC fans complaining about that.

Finally. Toronto FC will no longer be regarded as that club with the terrible FieldTurf. The Toronto city council voted unanimously to approve the placement of grass at BMO Field in a vote held on earlier today.

The decision means there will be one less MLS team playing on artificial turf in 2010. New York was one of the few clubs on turf in 2009 but they will be playing on grass at Red Bull Arena when it opens up next season.

Happy to finally see BMO with grass? Think it will affect the way TFC plays at home now?

Chester Stadium currently under construction. (Photo via Philadelphia Union)

Lots of attention lately has been given to the start of next season for each club. It mainly seems to boil down to two clubs that are causing the league to redo the start of the season schedule every other day.

Both Toronto and 2010 expansion club Philadelphia seem to have their own issues going on. Philly is trying to figure out where to play their first game (or two) while their new stadium is finished getting built. Toronto on the other hand is looking at the very likely chance of finally getting a grass field at BMO Field.

Yes grass. Something nearly every fan, player, writer, etc. has called for since BMO Field opened in 2007.

According to Soccer America, the new grass field is set to be voted on by the city of Toronto very soon which is causing the league to hold off plans of announcing their First Kick schedule for next year.

Back to Philly though and their opening slate for their first season. It could end up being a thing just like Toronto a couple years ago where they begin their season (reportedly in Seattle) on the road for a couple games until their new stadium in Chester is complete. That should also help the club to not have to play in a NFL stadium for a game or two.

Putting Philly on the road for a game or three wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if you ask me. Remember nearly all previous SSS owners had to begin their first seasons in their new stadiums on the road. Columbus was on the road for seven straight in 1999, LA was on the road for eight in 2003 and I believe Chicago saw nine road games in a row while Toyota Park was getting its final touches done a couple seasons ago.

Williams Proving He Deserves A Real Job

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Most of you know by now that I am a big Richie Williams supporter. And you all know by now that New York more than likely will drop the ball yet again on hiring a good coach by not removing the interim tag from Williams’ title at the end of the season. Sure you could say that New York is currently playing the role of spoiler but they are also playing for Williams’ future…and not just potentially with New York.

I think a decent run and possible an actual result on the road by the Red Bulls in three out of the last four games left for the Red Bulls could help Williams land a job somewhere in MLS. There are still a couple coaches on hot seats at the moment and we could see a change or two at the end of the year. Williams should definitely be at the top of most club’s lists if there are changes made.

Something tells me DC could be in line to hire their former midfielder.

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Refs Stinking Up Place In MLS

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A lot of talk this morning was on this piece by Ives. All I can say is what took him so long to finally come out and say how bad the refs really are in MLS? I don’t exactly read his stuff every day and he may have said something similar before but I don’t believe a full post was done on the matter. Still worth a read if you haven’t already. We’ve had far too many head scratches this seasons by officials who seems to want to take the game in their hands and not let the players just play.

Who are these guys and why are they leading the league? (Getty Images)

Got to love the random mid-week games that Major League Soccer sometimes gives us here. Toronto FC plays host to league leader Chivas USA tonight up at BMO Field. The visiting AmeriGoats are looking to extend their league lead with another win tonight, while Toronto is hoping to bounce back and get their second win of the season.

I may try to do some live twittering later on during this game (and the USOC game between Dallas and DC), but no live blogging. If you haven’t added WVH to your twitter you can do so to get quicker updates from me here.

As always feel free to post your game predictions for tonight below.

1. What will John Carver do without Dwayne De Rosario?

In all honesty I think Carver and TFC will be fine for a couple games without DeRo. Sure he is their offensive leader but I see a guy like Amado Guevara stepping back up and leading this club on the offensive side of things.

But on the flip side of things, losing DeRo could also mean more pressure on the backline for Toronto, which has been pretty bad in the last couple games. With the way Preki’s club has been playing thus far this season it could be a long night for the fans at BMO Field.

2. Will Chivas continue their dominance of Toronto?

Let’s face it, even in the short couple of years Chivas has owned Toronto. Especially in Toronto. Two games in BMO Field and the homeside has only scored a single goal to the AmeriGoats five.

I think for them to continue their streak against the Canadian side they need to control the pace of the game from the start and attack the backline down the middle. Chivas has done a good job so far this season getting players in the box and forcing more shots than most defenses want to give up in the penalty area. Chivas hasn’t been pretty but they have been effective this season in the offensive third of the field.

3. Player to keep an eye on.

For me its actually two guys, Carl Robinson and Sam Cronin for Toronto. Those two have to step up and control the defensive side of the ball in the middle of the pitch for TFC tonight. If they can keep the pressure of the backline and rookie keeper Stefan Frei you could see Toronto have more success on the offensive end due to better amount of chances.

Quick Thoughts:

No doubt it is hard to pick against Chivas right now. The AmeriGoats have played above and beyond what most expected them to do this season. Fun part is they’ve been doing it without the help of some key starters and with a cast of guys that we had never heard of before until this season.

With the league’s best defense going against one of the more shaky attacks you’d have to think it smells like three points for the visitors right? I think so. Normally I would call a draw for a game like this but I see Chivas moving forward here with another three points and Toronto continuing their slide here at home. Until TFC can prove to us all that they can put together a full effort for 90 minutes consistently it will be hard to pick them in these games.

WVH Prediction: Chivas 2, Toronto 1

Mo Johnston, director of football for Toronto FC, said Tuesday he may try to use his club’s share of Edu’s US$5-million transfer fee to replace the FieldTurf at BMO Field with natural grass.

Most people have complained to the end over the FieldTurf at BMO Field but with the sale of Edu, the club looks to answer those complaints.

If the club was to replace the stadium turf, it would need to build a nearby practice facility with turf to meet commitments to the city of Toronto, which provided the stadium land in exchange in part for a year-round facility that could be used by local residents. In winter, a bubble is put over the field to allow that.

We all know that the club will receive a hefty allocation portion for the sale of Edu with part of the fee going to the league. But the rest actually goes to the club for operations and club programs such as youth programs.

Honestly this is great news, while I haven’t been against the turf as much as most people have I know this would be a great move for this club.

What do you make of this news? About time or do you think they were waiting for a sale of a player like Edu?

First off, I usually hate this current format for the All-Star game. A ‘select’ side of MLS players against a club in preseason form. But last night’s game just looked and felt better than some of the previous ones I’ve watched in this format. I don’t know if it was just the overall level of play out of the MLS side, or the quality game (3-2 scorelines are always entertaining), or if it was just because Toronto was one hell of a host.

But getting back to reality for second, it was a good win, not a great one for the league. Beating a club that typically finishes in the middle of the EPL won’t raise too many eyebrows about how the league is coming along in other parts of the world. It will look good for a day or two and then everyone will go about their merry way come Sunday when the week 18 games kickoff.

I loved the starting lineup for the league, even though the first 20 minutes were largely a total bore. But that is expect in a friendly of this nature. But once the goals started and things got moving in the second half with all the subs, the game kind of got this electric feel to it. It didn’t hurt to see three Canadians out there and have the home crowd got absolutely bananas for Dwayne de Rosario’s game winning penalty kick.

In all I think this game was a success and this week was a success for the league. So let’s look back on some more thoughts and news from the week and try to finish up that clean up that I first mentioned.

Cuauhtemoc Blanco easily was the man of the match. – I just wish I could have seen more. Blanco put on a nice show for the crowd with his goal and assist. Why ESPN decided the game winning PK was the goal of the game was beside me because Blanco’s strike before halftime was as cool as the other side of the pillow. He continues to show his value to this league. No offense to Toronto’s home boy De Rosario, but had DeRo been picked as the MVP I would have gone crazy!

David Beckham is still a class act. – I’m sure the Toronto fans were finally happy to see Becks play. He worked well with Blanco, Christian Gomez and everyone else last night. Its amazing watching him link up with classy players like Juan Pablo Angel too. It just makes the game so enjoyable to watch.

Shalrie Joseph is mighty good my friends. -There is a reason why I dubbed him my preseason pick for MVP this year. He won’t win because of where he plays on the field but damn this guy is so good and most don’t even see it. What I love about Joseph is he just continues to get the job done, no matter what game it is. He proved last night that he deserves another shot at going to Europe in a year or two (when his current deal is out of course!).

Bornstein may have impressed me the most. – Out of all the guys that I didn’t think deserved the All-Star bid, it was actually probably Chivas defender Jonathan Bornstein. But after last night he totally erased all of those thoughts with what he did on the field. If he plays even half as good as he did last night for the rest of the season, Chivas will be fine and will still contend out west.

Didn’t care for the MLS jerseys. – Black on a almost dark blue? Eh, I thought these kits were a miss for the most part. Why wasn’t it black on red shorts? I dunno, for me it may have been the only draw back to the game because it just looked weird to me on TV. I may be the only one on that though.

BMO Field looks great on TV. – I remember first seeing the renderings of BMO Field a couple years ago and thought it would be a crappy little venue but man was I ever wrong. I love this venue for MLS. Its not just the great fans but for some reason it comes across very nicely on TV. Okay, its probably because of the fans and the fact that we hardly ever see an empty seat there.

‘Bitchy’ the Hawk. – If you watched the ESPN telecast of the game you will know what I am talking about. Honestly never thought I would hear the name Bitchy on Primetime television.

FC Dallas has a tough week ahead. – Are they staying or are they going? We will see I guess whether or not Juan Toja will be in Romania next week and if Kenny Cooper will indeed go to Norway. Listening to Cooper during the second half last night gave me the impression (and both ESPN commentators) that he has played his last game in MLS. As for Toja, he denies but we all know he is leaving.

Buddle to stay or go? – Edson Buddle is also getting a nice look at by a Scandinavian club (probably Rosenborg) too. If he does go then you can pretty much bet that LA will land former West Ham United midfielder Nolberto Solano will indeed sign with the club. Though there is word he will probably sign regardless of what Buddle does or even what happens to Carlos Ruiz for that matter.

The expansion game. – Two more clubs in 2011. The league says they are going to strike while the iron is hot. I guess at MLS Cup we will know those two cities, or at least by MLS Cup will know of those two cities. My best is the cap will be raised in the coming year (the CBA ends soon) and with the new academies in place with most of the clubs we won’t have to question whether or not there is enough talent to fill these clubs, because we will.

Anyways, as the article states that the whole process is in some early stages but a possible boost in seating capacity from 30,000 seats from 20,000, officials confirmed yesterday. Nothing will be final until later this year on the deal as how the project will be paid for is still up in the air a bit.

“Our ultimate goal is not to change the experience that exists today,” said Bob Hunter, executive vice-president of venues and entertainment for Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd., which manages the facility for the city and owns the Major League Soccer team. “If we thought it was going to change the experience we have today, we would not be recommending to go ahead.”

He added “we have a lot of work to do” before making any recommendation.

When you begin to sell out on season tickets like Toronto FC has done over the last two years, it only makes sense to start thinking about such an expansion to the stadium.

Initial design work is under way by MLSE on how to add 10,000 seats for soccer games, either retractable or removable. Also under consideration are changes that would lure the Toronto Argonauts football team away from the Rogers Centre.

That last sentence may be an issue for some Toronto supporters. I won’t go into the details of that but it still sounds like BMO Field will be a shared stadium before long with the CFL’s Argonauts. Adding more seats to the stadium will make it easier for that to take place.

The thing is this stadium is making money like no other so it makes perfect sense for the city of Toronto and MLSE to get on board as soon as possible in expanding this place.

Will it hurt Toronto FC crowds in the future if the stadium is at 30,000 and not the cozy 20,000? I don’t know. I think it will be a bit different but I do think it will still be a packed house for this club even during some tough seasons like their expansion year. But with the way things are going with this club now, I wouldn’t be shocked that the fortress that is BMO Field to still be that when it is bigger.