When the First Kick and home opener information was released today there was conflicting information about where Toronto would be playing its home opener.
On the league site it listed the location as TBD. However, on some team websites (notably not torontofc.ca, however) it was listed at being played at Rogers Centre. That information seemed to be in line with several rumours circulating that suggested the Reds would open 2013 inside at the dome.
However, the club confirmed with CSN that there has yet to be a final decision.
A MLSE PR official e-mailed the following:
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
The information on the MLS release is correct. The venue for our home opener is 'To Be Determined.'We will announce the venue early in the new year. We are still working through location details.
The pitch at BMO Field is playable in early March. However, the stadium's infrastructure has not been winterized. Therefore, it could be risky to play a game that early (pipes freezing during a mid-March freeze is the biggest concern).
The choice of Kansas City as the opener opponent might be cause for concern. Without a big name draw on KC, and after the disappointment if TFC's 2012 season, it would be a big ask to fill a 50,000 seat stadium.
TFC would probably have to close the upper deck and play the game with the CFL configuration of 31,000.