There haven’t been many MLS expansion clubs, but no club has entered into MLS with as much fanfare or expectation as Toronto FC, Canada’s first representative in the 13-team league, which lost its first-ever game 2-0 away to Chivas USA. The Toronto Star called the loss “a cold blast of reality.” because despite all the hoopla in Toronto, history says expansion clubs — besides 1998 championship-winning Chicago — don’t fare well in their inaugural season, something its much-vaunted 14,000 season ticket-holders might not be aware of.
Then again, it’s only the first game of the season, and Toronto didn’t play too badly — aside from the terribly lazy positioning (was that an offside trap?) that led to Ante Razov’s open-netter late in the first half. Sacha Kljestan’s unstoppable 22-yard drive in the 87th minute wasn’t as bad, though he shouldn’t have been able to take three touches before shooting. Afterward coach Mo Johnston, who has promised this team will not be an MLS also-ran, replied with the stock opening season loss reply, “It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.” Even so, there were some positives for Toronto to take away from Saturday’s match, including four decent shots at goal, including a strong header from Edson Buddle, the former Red Bull striker, from a Robinson free kick in the 13th minute.
The Star points out that Toronto and Chivas are two teams charged with growing MLS’s influence in key markets: Toronto with Canada and Chivas with L.A.’s huge Hispanic population, which is estimated at over 40 percent.