The Canadian Soccer Association confirmed this morning what had been expected for a few weeks: All three of the men's national team's World Cup qualifiers on home soil this fall will be played at BMO Field in Toronto.
Sorry, co-signees of the "Bring Canadian Soccer to Moncton" petition. Our efforts to get a game out east in 2011 have failed.
Now, while Moncton is a perfectly fine city, my long-held obsession with having a game there was never about Moncton per se; it was more about the belief that the city (for a variety of reasons) could provide the team with that ever-elusive, intangible edge: A boisterous home crowd.
And even then, it wasn't about creating a boisterous crowd per se; it's about doing everything possible to help ensure that Canada wins (something in which I believe that a partisan crowd can play some part in). That, at the end of the day, is all that should matter, regardless of where you live or where the games are being held.
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I've often said that Toronto's demographics are such that you could put literally any nation on earth at BMO Field and you'll draw at least 3,000 away supporters. That theory will be tested against the likes of St. Kitts and Nevis, Puerto Rico and St. Lucia. But you would hope -- you'd have to hope -- that against such minnows, the home support will easily dwarf whatever Caribbean contingent does make it out.
(Because if it doesn't, Toronto forfeits its right to stage any meaningful game for a long, long, long time.)
Of course, the home crowd isn't really as meaningful in CONCACAF Round 2, since if the boys in red need the crowd randomly singing "O Canada" to propel it past a resort nation of 173,000 people, then we may as well all abandon hope. But against the likes of Honduras, Cuba and (presumably) Panama in Round 3... it changes.
We will, of course, see what happens when those games take place next year. One can hope Moncton will get its chance then. The renovations at Stade Saputo will be finished. Empire Field has shown it can handle grass (so long as it doesn't rain too heavily). Hey look, there are three games right there. No BMO Field to be seen. Just my theorizing, of course.**
For now, with three games crunched together in three months and not very much lead time, it surely made the most logistical sense to put all three games in one place. And for a variety of reasons, BMO Field is the easiest pick for the CSA in that regard. Some are saying it's also what the players wanted or preferred; but I'd hope that the CSA has learned its lessons about letting the inmates run the asylum.
But if those logistics create an environment conducive to winning, then so be it. I know, I know, easy for me to say, since I'm just another big-city asshole, so of course I can live with the idea of having three games in my backyard. But for what it's worth, I sincerely hope none of Canada's three games next year are in Toronto.
No one disputes that home-field advantage is (or should be) a vital factor in this sport. It's why away goals are worth more. It's why supporters groups travel ridiculous distances to watch their team, in an effort to neutralize the opponent's leg-up. So when it matters the most, when everything is on the line, I want Canada to have that advantage. And quite frankly, I'm not sure if Toronto is at the stage where it can provide that advantage just yet.
So perhaps we should all just reserve judgment for now when it comes to the placement of these qualifiers. It's the location of next year's trio of games that will truly highlight the CSA's priorities.
**As noted in the comments below, I should be clear that I'm aware Empire Field probably won't be around next year; but for the sake of argument, let's envision some scenario wherein it remains intact for future use (including, possibly, national team games).