MLS
Toronto FC Named 13th MLS Franchise
By Shane Killian
May 11, 2006
Major League Soccer's first Canadian team will be called Toronto FC, the league and team announced today.
Major League Soccer granted Toronto a team in October 2005 after an agreement was reached to build a permanent soccer stadium at Exhibition Place in the city.
"This is an exciting day for soccer fans in Toronto who can now enjoy great quality soccer and have a team they can call their own," said Tom Anselmi, executive vice-president and chief operating officer at Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment.
Toronto will take to the field next spring wearing red and white colors that reflect a strong Canadian identity.
"The absence of a conventional sports nickname is deliberate," Anselmi added. "We wanted the whole city to feel ownership and we want to provide the opportunity for a meaningful nickname to emerge over time."
"We're thrilled to have Toronto FC as the 13th team in Major League Soccer and our first international club," said Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber. "The combination of a new stadium, a diverse sports market and one of the elite sports and entertainment organizations in the world provides an exciting future for Major League Soccer in Canada."
Toronto FC will play an instrumental role in growing soccer and has formed pivotal relationships with the Canadian Soccer Association and Ontario Soccer Association to further develop the sport. The National Soccer Stadium at Exhibition Place, presently under construction, will serve as a permanent home for Toronto FC and the Canadian National team. It will also be accessible to community youth and adult soccer leagues.
Construction for the 20,000-seat stadium remains on schedule and on-budget with excavation completed by May, while seat and turf installation will be completed by year's end.
"We're excited that Toronto will finally have a dedicated soccer facility," Anselmi said. "Our new team and sports facility will play pivotal roles in developing the sport at all levels in Canada."
The stadium will open in time for the 2007 Major League Soccer season.The facility will also play host to the FIFA Under-20 World Cup Championship in July 2007, an event that will garner an audience of more than 600 million worldwide.