BMO Field
BMO Field is an outdoor stadium located at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the home stadium of MLS team Toronto FC and the CFL team Toronto Argonauts. It was built on the site of the former Exhibition Stadium. The stadium was first opened in 2007. BMO Field hosted matches during the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup and 2014 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. The stadium has also hosted rugby union matches.
 BMO Field in May 2016 | |
Location in Toronto##Location in Ontario##Location in Canada | |
| Address | 170 Princes' Boulevard |
|---|---|
| Location | Toronto, Ontario |
| Coordinates | 43°37′58″N 79°25′07″W / 43.63278°N 79.41861°WCoordinates: 43°37′58″N 79°25′07″W / 43.63278°N 79.41861°W |
| Public transit | Add→{{rail-interchange}} Template:GOs Add→{{rail-interchange}} Harbourfront Add→{{rail-interchange}} Bathurst Add→{{rail-interchange}} TTC buses |
| Owner | City of Toronto |
| Operator | Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment |
| Capacity | 25,000 (football) 30,000[1] (soccer) (expandable to 40,000) |
| Record attendance | 40,148 (NHL Centennial Classic)[2][3][4] |
| Field size | 105 × 68 metres (115 x 74 yards) (soccer) 134 × 59 metres (146 x 65 yards) (Canadian football) |
| Surface |
|
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | March 29, 2006 |
| Opened | April 28, 2007 |
| Expanded | 2010 2014–16 |
| Construction cost | Can$62.9 million ($NaN in 2020 dollars[5]) Can$120 million (2014–2016 renovation) |
| Architect | Brisbin Brooks Beynon Architects (BBB Architects), Gensler (expansion) |
| Project manager | PMX, Inc.[6] |
| Structural engineer | Halcrow Yolles |
| Services engineer | The Mitchell Partnership Inc. |
| General contractor | PCL Construction[7] |
| Tenants | |
| Toronto FC (MLS) (2007–present) Canada men's national soccer team (2007–present) Toronto Nationals (MLL) (2009) Toronto Argonauts (CFL) (2016–present) Toronto FC II (USL) (2018) | |
Construction
BMO Field is the fifth stadium to be built at its exact location at Exhibition Place. The most recent was Exhibition Stadium, which was demolished in 1999.
On May 11, 2006, Major League Soccer announced that Toronto FC would join the league as its 13th (and first Canada-based) team in 2007, with BMO Field being its own stadium.
Recent developments
In August 2017, Toronto FC II, which normally hosted their games at the Ontario Soccer Centre, announced that it would move its home games to BMO Field and Lamport Stadium, starting with the 2018 season. The team moved their home games to BMO Training Ground for the 2019 season, after they dropped to the USL League One.
It will host matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. [8]
History
Soccer
Toronto FC played their first game at BMO Field on April 28, 2007. The grand opening celebration took place on May 12, 2007.
The 2008 MLS All-Star Game was held at BMO Field on July 24, 2008 versus Premier League team West Ham United.
BMO Field has hosted several MLS Cup matches, and was the first stadium outside of the United States to host the event in 2010, when the Colorado Rapids won 2-1 against FC Dallas. The first MLS home playoff game held at BMO Field saw Toronto FC defeat the Philadelphia Union 3–1 on October 26, 2016. BMO Field hosted the MLS Cup again in 2016, as Toronto FC won the MLS Eastern Championship and hosted the Seattle Sounders in the final. Seattle won the match 5–4 on penalties, after a goalless draw after extra time.[9]
On December 9, 2017, BMO Field hosted its second consecutive MLS Cup in 2017. The match was a rematch between Toronto FC and the Seattle Sounders, who played each other in the 2016 MLS Cup. Toronto FC won 2–0, and became the first MLS team to complete a domestic treble, and was the first Canadian team to win the MLS Cup.
2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup
BMO Field hosted the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup, the first major tournament held at the stadium. The stadium saw the Canadian Under-20 squad once. The stadium also saw six knockout stage games including the Final; which was won by Argentina. Due to FIFA sponsorship regulations, the venue was referred to as the "National Soccer Stadium" during the event.
| Date | Team #1 | Result | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2007 |  Canada |
0–3 |  Chile |
Group A | 20,195 |
| July 2, 2007 |  Portugal |
2–0 |  New Zealand |
Group C | 19,526 |
 Gambia |
0–3 |  Mexico
| |||
| July 5, 2007 | New Zealand |
0–1 | Gambia
| ||
| Mexico |
2–1 | Portugal
| |||
| July 8, 2007 | Chile |
0–0 |  Austria |
Group A | |
| July 11, 2007 |  United States |
2–1 (AET) |  Uruguay |
Round of 16 | |
| July 12, 2007 |  Argentina |
3–1 |  Poland
| ||
| July 14, 2007 | Austria |
2–1 | United States |
Quarterfinal | |
| July 19, 2007 | Chile |
0–3 | Argentina |
Semifinal | |
| July 22, 2007 | Chile |
1–0 | Austria |
3rd Place Match | |
 Czech Republic |
1–2 | Argentina |
Final | 19,526 |
2014 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup
BMO Field hosted the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. Canada played in Toronto for the first two match days, with Korea DPR, Finland, and Ghana in their group. National Soccer Stadium also hosted a quarterfinal match on August 16.
| Date | Team #1 | Result | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 5, 2014 | Canada |
0–1 |  Ghana |
Group A | 20,195 |
 Finland |
1–2 |  Korea DPR
| |||
| August 8, 2014 | Canada |
3–2 | Finland
| ||
| Ghana |
0–3 | Korea DPR
| |||
| August 13, 2014 |  Korea Republic |
2–1 | Mexico |
Group C | |
 Costa Rica |
0–3 | New Zealand |
Group D | ||
| August 16, 2014 | Korea DPR |
1–1 (3–1 on penalties) | United States |
Quarterfinal |
2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup
| Date | Team #1 | Result | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 14, 2015 |  Jamaica |
1–0 |  El Salvador |
Group B | 16,674 |
| Canada |
0–0 | Costa Rica
|
Canadian football
The Argonauts moved to the renovated BMO Field, starting with the 2016 season. On October 1, 2015, BMO Field was awarded the rights to host the 104th Grey Cup, which was played on November 27, 2016.[10] On June 11, 2016, the Argonauts played their first game at the stadium, a preseason (exhibition) game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The Argos won that game 25–16.[11] On June 23, the Argos played their first regular season game at BMO Field, where they lost 42–20 to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.[12]
Hockey
On January 1, 2017, BMO Field hosted an NHL outdoor game, the NHL Centennial Classic, in honour of the Toronto Maple Leafs' and the NHL's centennial seasons. The Leafs hosted the Detroit Red Wings, in a rematch of the 2014 NHL Winter Classic, which was held three years before.[13] The venue was referred to as "Exhibition Stadium" for its duration, as Scotiabank (a direct competitor to BMO), was title sponsor of the event.[14]
| Date | Away team | Result | Home team | Spectators |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2016 | Detroit Red Wings Alumni | 4–3 | Toronto Maple Leafs Alumni | – |
| January 1, 2017 | Detroit Red Wings | 4–5 (OT) | Toronto Maple Leafs | 40,148 |
Concerts
As of 6 October 2020, the only music concert at BMO Field was performed by the progressive rock group Genesis on September 7, 2007.
Milestones
The first goal at BMO Field was scored by Eddie Johnson for the Kansas City Wizards in a 1–0 Major League Soccer win over home side Toronto FC in the stadium opener on April 28, 2007. The first Toronto FC goal at the stadium was Danny Dichio's first-half strike against Chicago Fire on May 12, 2007 (also his club's first MLS goal).
The first goal at BMO Field scored by a Canadian came at the official opening on May 11, 2007, in a U-20 friendly between Canada and Argentina. David Edgar scored a penalty in a 2–1 defeat for Canada, just four minutes after Gómez had scored the first international goal at the stadium.
Costa Rica's Víctor Núñez scored the first senior international goal in a 1–1 friendly draw with hosts Canada on September 12, 2007, shortly before Dwayne De Rosario scored Canada's first senior goal at the stadium.
The first Toronto FC goal scored by a Canadian at BMO Field was in a June 25, 2007 friendly against Aston Villa of the English Premier League. Andrea Lombardo scored an equalizer at BMO Field's south end to make it 2–2 before Aston Villa ran out 4–2 winners. The first league goal at BMO Field scored by a Canadian came when Miguel Cañizalez scored for Toronto FC in the second minute of their 2–1 defeat to the Columbus Crew on September 22, 2007, snapping an 824-minute MLS goalless streak.
The first Toronto FC MLS playoff goal was scored at BMO Field in the 15th minute by Sebastian Giovinco on October 26, 2016 in front of 21,759. In the same game, the first Toronto FC playoff goal scored by a Canadian was by Jonathan Osorio in the 48th minute; the final score was 3–1 over the Philadelphia Union.
In Canadian football, the first CFL points scored at BMO Field was a Toronto Argonauts completed touchdown pass caught by Vidal Hazelton, thrown by Logan Kilgore, in a June 11, 2016 exhibition Argos win; final score 25–16.[11] The first CFL regular season points scored at the stadium was a conceded safety touch of 2 points by Canadian Argos kicker/punter Lirim Hajrullahu in a 20–42 loss on June 23.[12] The first regular season points scored by the Argos at BMO Field was a successful field goal kicked by Hajrullahu in the same game. On July 25, the Argonauts won their first regular season game at their new home, defeating the Montreal Alouettes 30–17.
Attendance records
The largest attendance for any event at the stadium was on January 1, 2017, when the Toronto Maple Leafs hosted the Detroit Red Wings in the NHL Centennial Classic in front of 40,148 people.[4] The largest attendance for a Major League Soccer game was on December 10, 2016, when Toronto FC hosted the Seattle Sounders FC in the 2016 MLS Cup Final in front of 36,045. The largest attendance for a Canadian Football League game was the 104th Grey Cup played before 33,421 on November 27, 2016.
MLS
| Season | Season average |
Highest gate |
Lowest gate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 20,130 | 20,522 | 19,123 |
| 2008 | 20,120 | 20,461 | 19,657 |
| 2009 | 20,344 | 20,902 | 19,843 |
| 2010 | 20,453 | 22,108 | 18,394 |
| 2011 | 20,267 | 22,453 | 16,313 |
| 2012 | 18,681 | 20,071 | 14,623 |
| 2013 | 17,639 | 21,700 | 12,627 |
| 2014 | 22,086 | 22,591 | 18,269 |
| 2015 | 23,451 | 30,226 | 16,382 |
| 2016 | 26,787 | 36,045 | 20,011 |
| 2017 | 27,394 | 30,584 | 15,175 |
| 2018 | 26,628 | 30,799 | 14,823 |
| 2019 | 25,048 | 28,989 | 22,651 |
CFL
| Season | Season average |
Highest gate |
Lowest gate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 16,380 | 33,4211 | 12,373 |
| 2017 | 15,015 | 24,929 | 11,219 |
| 2018 | 14,211 | 18,104 | 10,844 |
| 2019 | 12,789 | 16,734 | 9,819 |
Notes: 1 104th Grey Cup game between the Ottawa Redblacks and Calgary Stampeders.
Rugby
The largest crowd for rugby at BMO Field and in Canada occurred when the Canada national rugby union team hosted the New Zealand Māori All Blacks before 22,566 people on November 3, 2013.[15] The Maori All Blacks won the match 40–15.
BMO Field Media
Stands at BMO Field several weeks after it opened in 2007. The stadium was initially built with only 25,000 seats.
BMO Field in November 2010, several months after it switched from FieldTurf to natural grass.
BMO Field in June 2016, shortly after an expansion to raise the stadium's seating capacity was completed.
BMO Field set up for Canadian football during the 104th Grey Cup
The stadium's pitch set up for a rugby game in June 2013.
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Related pages
References
- ↑ Stejskal, Sam (December 8, 2016). BMO Field 101: Toronto FC's stadium set to host MLS Cup after facelift. MLS Digital. https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2016/12/08/bmo-field-101-toronto-fcs-stadium-set-host-mls-cup-after-facelift. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
- ↑ Kevin, McGran (January 1, 2017). "Overtime in Centennial Classic? Naturally". Toronto Star. https://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/2017/01/01/overtime-in-centennial-classic-naturally.html. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
- ↑ "Game Summary". National Hockey League. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Game HQ". ESPN. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
- ↑ Inflated values automatically calculated.
- ↑ "Projects". PMX Inc. February 26, 2013. Archived from the original on November 26, 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2013.
- ↑ "National Soccer Stadium at Exhibition Place". PCL Construction. Archived from the original on October 16, 2006. Retrieved April 20, 2012.
- ↑ "FIFA announces Toronto and Vancouver as Canadian Host Cities for the FIFA World Cup 2026". bmofield.com. BMO Field.
- ↑ "Seattle Sounders beat Toronto FC on penalties to win 2016 MLS Cup". ESPN FC. December 10, 2016. Retrieved December 11, 2016.
- ↑ "104th Grey Cup Presented By Shaw coming to Toronto in 2016". Toronto Argonauts. October 1, 2015. Archived from the original on October 3, 2015. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "2016-06-11 – Hamilton Tiger-Cats vs. Toronto Argonauts (2268)". CFL.ca. June 11, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "2016-06-23 – Hamilton Tiger-Cats vs. Toronto Argonauts (2276)". CFL.ca. June 23, 2016. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
- ↑ "Detroit Red Wings, Maple Leafs set to play outdoor Centennial Classic". Detroit Free Press (Gannett). March 9, 2016. http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nhl/red-wings/2016/03/09/detroit-red-wings-centennial-classic/81556774/. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
- ↑ "Limited number of Centennial Classic tickets on sale". Press release. November 18, 2016. https://www.nhl.com/news/red-wings-maple-leafs-centennial-classic-tickets-on-sale/c-283536408. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
- ↑ "Rugby Canada (Design, Hosting, Registration & Administration tools by esportsdeskpro.com)". Rugbycanada.ca. Retrieved March 24, 2014.[dead link]
Notes
- ↑ North side FieldTurf end-zone for Canadian football
Other websites
- BMOField.com
- Argonauts BMO Field Site
- BMO Field Construction Photos
- Video Tour of BMO Field
- Cathal Kelly. "FC or TFC ... the fans will decide". Toronto Star, April 5, 2007.
| Events and Tenants | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by first stadium |
Home of Toronto FC 2007–present |
Succeeded by current |
| Preceded by Stadion Galgenwaard Utrecht |
FIFA U-20 World Cup Final Venue 2007 |
Succeeded by Cairo International Stadium Cairo |
| Preceded by Rogers Centre |
Home of Toronto Argonauts 2016–present |
Succeeded by current |
| Preceded by Qwest Field |
Host of the MLS Cup 2010 |
Succeeded by Home Depot Center |
| Preceded by Investors Group Field |
Host of the Grey Cup 2016 |
Succeeded by TD Place Stadium |