Toronto FC II - Chicago Fire II (3-2)

May 22, 2023
MLS Next Pro
York Lions Stadium, Toronto

Finally I was back in Canada after 5 years of living in Poland. A lot changed since then, but plenty stayed the same. Among those things that changed, we now have an entire new football league with a stadium that I had yet to see. Moreover, it was very close (in Toronto terms) to where I was living, so obviously I was very eager to go see a game there and hope that it would be better than a regular football-going experience in Canada. 

There is a brand new Canadian football league in a very complicated pyramid (it's not even a pyramid, there is no promotion and relegation) structure. A team called York United plays at this stadium but I could not see them due to time constraints. However, another new league was also in place, it was a league specifically created for MLS reserve teams. Conveniently, TFC reserves also played at the York University stadium, that was redeveloped to host big football games. I'd rather watch York United play here, but it's still a new ground to check off. 

The stadium is just a part of the York University campus which occupies quite a large territory at the northern outskirts of Toronto. It has a recently-constructed subway station nearby so the commute should be quick and easy (again, in Toronto terms). I took a bus that also stops at the subway station. It was a Sunday game, meaning there were no students. And no students means that there is nobody there in the whole area. I barely saw anyone other than a few football fans that decided to show up for the game. The whole place seemed like a ghost town. 

There is not too much I remember about the game and the whole experience. It was predictably not much of an event. I bought the ticket from the booth. There was no merchandise or any refreshments, that is typical for Canadian lower league football games, but is absolutely wild for a sports event in North America. The ground is just one big stand. The pitch can also be used for other games, primarily American football. Most of the spectators are friends and family. A lot of people had TFC gear. Chicago were a much better team throughout the first half, scored first and added another goal at the beginning of the second half. However, to the surprise of many of us, TFC scored three goals in succession to win this game.