Toronto FC’s last home match until August sees them face Lionel Messi and Inter Miami, the reigning MLS champion. The match at BMO Field will double as a test run for the lakeside venue ahead of the 48-team tournament.
All 17,000 temporary seats installed for the men’s soccer showcase are being used for the first time.
Record Crowd Expected Amidst Traffic Concerns
A record crowd of some 45,000 is expected. This will surpass the 40,148 who attended the NHL’s outdoor Centennial Classic between the Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings on Jan. 1, 2017.
Those in attendance will have to navigate new entry points to the stadium, via a pair of gates on the east side of the venue. These are nearer the Coca-Cola Coliseum and Enercare Centre, as part of its expanded World Cup perimeter.
The two gates will serve as the main points of entry during the World Cup.
Fans will likely get a taste of Toronto traffic, with the Don Valley Parkway – a major north-south artery – closed for the weekend for maintenance.
“I’ve had some disastrous drives to the stadium for the Canadian national team games in the last six or eight months,” said Toronto head coach Robin Fraser. “So I would advise everyone to leave early and/or take public transportation.”
Adding to the congestion is an afternoon Blue Jays baseball game, three kilometres to the east at Rogers Centre, that will start two hours after the Major League Soccer kickoff.
World Cup Preparations and Increased Staffing
“The volume of events around the city is a lot this weekend, for sure,” said Chris Shewfelt, Toronto FC’s vice-president of business operations. “And getting ready for a [World Cup] test event … is different than hosting a normal Miami match.
“So yes, increased capacity but also increased observation by everyone from FIFA to certain city agencies that are involved in FIFA like the ISSU – the Integrated Safety and Security Unit – to all the different constituents that are going to be involved in pulling off the games in June-July.”
All 45,000 seats at BMO Field, including those temporarily installed for the World Cup, are expected to be filled for Saturday’s Inter Miami visit.
BMO Field will host six World Cup games, starting with Canada’s June 12 opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina. That will be followed by four more group-stage games featuring Ghana, Panama, Germany, the Ivory Coast, Croatia, Senegal and Iraq before a round-of-32 fixture on July 2.
Due to sponsorship issues, the venue will be known simply as Toronto Stadium during the tournament.
Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which owns TFC and manages the city-owned stadium, has increased game-day staff – from food and beverage workers to security and housekeeping – in order to handle the bumper crowd Saturday.
“The building’s jammed,” said Shewfelt.
“We’ve never put just under 45,00 people into the building before,” he added.
While Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi is the star attraction Saturday at BMO Field, the stadium itself will be under the spotlight.