New BMO Field ready for its closeup with TFC opener - and its biggest test

There are still some cranes outside and workers in hard hats and high-visibility vests milling about, but BMO Field is just about ready for its unveiling.

And after two off-seasons and a reported $150 million of work, the facility is something exciting to behold.

The canopy roofs over the east and west stands look great and make the venue feel more intimate compared to last season, when the new addition to the east stand felt like it was shooting off into the stratosphere. And while the canopy over the south end won’t provide any real protection from the elements the views of Lake Ontario have been maintained.

Facilities like Red Bull Arena for the New York Red Bulls and Children’s Mercy Park are still the gold standard for MLS stadia but BMO Field now has the feel of a proper soccer facility.

What makes those facilities in Harrison, N.J. and Kansas City work so well is the closeness of the stands to the field working in combination with the roof to amplify the noise. BMO Field once boasted the prettiest view in Major League Soccer looking east toward downtown Toronto, but it did little for atmosphere as the notoriously loud and boisterous TFC fans had their cheers disappear up into the sky. Now that noise will be amplified, creating a more exciting place to watch a game, and more intimidating for visitors.

“It’s only going to make it louder,” said midfielder Jonathan Osorio. “It’s going to make a really good atmosphere for the rest of the time it’s there. It’s exciting. I don’t know how loud it’s going to be so I’m excited to see that.”

When the Canadian men’s team played Colombia at Red Bull Arena in 2014, a packed 25,000 felt like so much more thanks largely to the canopy roof. It’s the one thing I’m most excited to see live for Saturday’s home opener against FC Dallas—feeling the noise echo back into the stadium.

There is the small matter of the new tenants, the Toronto Argonauts, that stick in the craw of a group of TFC supporters. But one would have to be actively looking for a sign that the CFL has any footprint in the facility – the only real tip-off comes in the north end, behind the goal, where the grass gives way to artificial turf that come football time will be the end zone (for soccer, it’ll be covered over with temporary seating and a patio area).

That obviously may change closer to the new CFL season but there admittedly isn’t anything evident that would distract from the on-field product, no signs the red will be turning to blue anytime soon, if ever.

The true test will be how the surface holds up to the grind of both soccer and football as well as how well the CFL lines are removed for soccer games. If the playing surface is destroyed by football, the concerns of soccer fans will be justified. But the scheduling calls for soccer games to be followed by football, followed by time for recovery work to be done.

Places like Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium boast a hybrid surface of grass mixed with artificial fibres regularly celebrated as the top surface in England. That the City-owned, MLSE-operated facility didn’t go all in and add a surface like that is a minor quibble, and more than one member of the TFC group remarked how good the surface felt as the team trained there on Thursday. Accelerated by $1 million worth of high-powered “grow lights”, the carpet has grown up in just two weeks, according to an MLSE spokesman.

FC Dallas also hosts football games so there is a precedent for such ground-sharing, and it’s too early to go to the mattresses over it without seeing how the surface holds up. For now, the surface is in outstanding condition.

The Canadian national women’s team plays Brazil at BMO in June in what could be a dynamite atmosphere, and one Canadian international on Toronto FC quietly mentioned to me his excitement to see what kind of atmosphere a men’s national team game would be like in the new facility.

If Canada advances to the Hex, it would merit serious consideration for a November home game, when a crisp fall evening off Lake Ontario would make it difficult for any visiting Caribbean or Central American team.

If the very real concerns mentioned above involving two sports sharing of the facility are managed properly and everyone can get along, these improvements will have been money well spent.