There are a couple of top-tier Canadian soccer clubs, and Toronto FC is one of them. Also known as The Reds, this is a relatively new team, but it quickly made a name for itself among Canadian soccer fans.
Besides being interesting to watch, Toronto FC is often one of the teams that many people bet on. Thanks to the Sports Interaction review, online gamblers in Canada can find the best operator for wagering on this or any other soccer team worldwide.
As mentioned, Toronto FC is a relatively new team founded in 2005. Even though it does not have the history of some top European clubs, The Reds have a loyal fanbase and compete in Major League Soccer. With that said, let’s learn more about the club’s history.
The Beginning
Before it started competing in the MLS, the member of the Eastern Conference came into existence in 2005 when the MLS decided to give Toronto a team. After debating the club's name, Toronto FC was formed in 2006. Even though there were a lot of arguments against the name, in the end, people chose the FC after Toronto because most of the big European soccer teams also use it, which makes the club look more professional.
Following the first couple of months after its formation, the team didn’t have that much success. However, its first victory came in 2006 when it defeated the Chicago Fire. Interestingly, the club had a pretty big fanbase even before that because it was the first Canadian team in the MLS.
The Arrival of Klinsmann
While it is true that Toronto FC had a lot of fans, the club was struggling to succeed. This led to a lot of changes, but in the end, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which operates the first team, decided to hire the legendary German player and now coach Jürgen Klinsmann who has a company that focuses on improving teams’ results.
The German coach immensely helped The Reds, and the team eventually appointed Aron Winter as the head coach. The changes after that positively affected the club; however, it couldn’t qualify for the MLS playoffs for the fifth year.
Toronto FC kept improving in the next few years and eventually achieved awe-inspiring results.
The Stadium & Mascot
Interestingly, Toronto FC has the largest stadium in Canada that is specifically designed for soccer. BMO Field (the stadium’s current name) can gather up to 30,000 fans, but it wasn’t always like that. Over the years, it was renovated several times, with the most notable in 2014. After investing more than A$120M, the stadium got around 8.4K new seats, as well as new suits, a new roof, and washrooms.
Regarding the Mascot, this honor goes to Bitchy the Hawk, who began “working” for the club in 2007. Even though the club hasn’t officially admitted that she is the mascot, people have called her like that for years.
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