In October 2005, Toronto was granted the 13th team in Major League Soccer (MLS) and now embarks on a long journey of preparation backed by community support and plenty of enthusiasm.
Toronto FC, the provisional franchise designation, will be the first Canadian team in MLS and will play in a new stadium on the Exhibition Place grounds. BMO Field is currently under construction and is expected to be finished by the time the new season kicks off in April 2007.
Given that soccer has the highest participation rate among young Canadians and the large immigrant community from 'soccer countries', Toronto should be able to support a top-notch squad.
Over 5,000 people have already purchased their season tickets.
In order to catch on, the franchise will be deeply committed to supporting youth development and grassroots sport.
The open tryouts that will be held on December 18th are the first initiative to create a sense of identity.
Two and a half weeks after the team launched the project, the tryouts registration is at full capacity meaning that 1,000 applicants have already signed up to take a shot at playing professional soccer.
Mo Johnston, the head coach and Director of Soccer for Toronto FC, hopes to find one or two players. "We are giving an opportunity to these kids to come out and try out. They will receive a jersey of Toronto FC, two tickets for a game and the opportunity to impress and win a contract. It's like buying a lottery".
Johnston encourages the kids to come in well-trained in order to have a chance to fulfill a dream. "It's an opportunity to change your life. A lot of people laugh but it's happened in the past. In Philadelphia, one kid ended up becoming a hero, and in Scotland, we had one kid who showed up at our door. His name was David Weir and he was then sold for two million dollars," notes the head coach.
Even those who didn't sign up still have a shot since a waiting list has been established.
Open tryouts provide a tremendous environment to set up a new home for the younger generation and instill passion in Torontonians.
"The days of sixteen and seventeen year-old Canadian kids going overseas and playing in Europe are over," states Johnston.
Starting a franchise from scratch is a challenge that the Scottish head coach finds "exciting, not intimidating". He expects to get the fans behind the team by playing attacking soccer.
After completing several trades and signings, there's still a lot of decision-making to do. For that reason, he will soon travel to Europe to shape the roster and fill team needs such as, "strikers, a number 10 and an experienced defender".
The goal is, as he points out, "to be very competitive and, hopefully, get to the playoffs".
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