You couldn't have asked for a better day for a home opener and Toronto FC took full advantage of it..

After three games on the road, the last one a dramatic 3-2 over the Galaxy in Los Angeles, Saturday was simply one of those days a sports marketer dreams of. Sunny, warm and eager fans filled with optimism from the away win.

The only people moving faster than the players were the beer and merchandise vendors. Most of the stadium ran out of beer, souvenir shirts were flying off the shelves. Patience would also prove to be a short commodity.

For my seatmate, Vanooch, and myself, patience was tested coping with our boys who wanted every new t-shirt, scarf or hat they set their eyes on. Last year's shirts that were put on with pride a few hours earlier were already diminished by updated styles.

Updated prices on beer also had us wondering about the wisdom of lining up for many minutes, missing most of the warm-up and a chance to get our first up-close look at three important newcomers, all midifielders.

On the way in to the game, Vanooch, a cultured Milanista, lectured on the merits of playing with one striker up front, backed up by attacking midfielders, or trequartistas, in support.

A week earlier, Toronto's dramatic win in L.A. was keyed by the playmaking skills of midfield newcomers Laurent Robert on left wing and Amado Guevara in the middle. On this day, they'd be supplemented down the right by the pace and daring of speedy Rohan Ricketts.

No one quite knew what to expect from the trio lined up behind lone striker Danny Dichio. We weren't expecting too much from Ricketts - he hadn't played a competitive game in about four months after being released by English club Barnsley. Media reports had told us about the temperamental nature of Robert and Guevara, but their play in L.A. had been crucial in achieving a rare road win.

Again, patience was what was called for and Vanooch and I were prepared to wait a couple of games before passing judgement.

If only the two guys seated behind us were so gracious. From the opening kickoff, every play produced negative comments. With a strong wind blowing crossfield from the east, not the normal direction, longer passes were drifting astray.

No matter. Our critics were ripping every last miscue. Comments flew on almost every play. It wasn't enough that Toronto were utterly dominating the first half, pegging Real Salt Lake back time and time again. Robert was showing his smarts getting into gaps out on the left that granted him time and space to float tempting crosses or roll well-weighted through balls. Guevara was quick and decisive in his ball handling.

Ricketts, though, could do nothing right in their eyes. He was terrorizing the RSL left side and getting into some great positions. The fact that these chances fizzled out didn't bother Vanooch and I. We were delighted to see someone beat his man one on one and start stretching the opposing backline. He was taking chances, paying a physical price for it and winning fans. The pair behind us, though, began unfavourably comparing MLS skill levels to those of the Premier League and Serie A.

Vanooch and I were exchanging quiet elbow nudges and shakes of the head. Both of us were getting close to losing it. When a daring run down the right produced an errant cross, the louder of the two hollered for Ricketts to go back to England. When I explained that the player involved was actually Maurice Edu, an American, the loud response was, "It doesn't matter. He's ####, too. He's been making mistakes all game long." If they could have seen the looks on the faces of the loyal TFC fans seated behind them.

About a half hour in, a nifty pass-and-run play produced a foul on Guevara at the top of the box, resulting in a free kick. From our view straight down the line of the RSL wall, we couldn't see all the details. But Robert slyly played the ball low, through a gap in the wall and into the net setting off bedlam in a packed BMO Field. It was the only goal of the game.

Our neighbours refused to grant Toronto any praise, claiming the goal was a lucky one, caused by deflection. When you see a breakdown of the goal, you see a very craftily arranged set piece, well executed.

By half time, I could take no more. I was determined not to let the day be spoiled by two antagonists. Heck, they weren't even Salt Lake fans. Vanooch and the boys chose to stay in the seats, I headed off to take advantage of the gorgeous light and use the camera and ultra-wide lens I'd brought to shoot some stadium views.

When the second half began, I found myself on the railing in the beer garden behind the Salt Lake net, hoping for a shot of Toronto's cliinching goal. The play stayed far away, as Salt Lake pressed for an equalizer. Beside me, though, a lesson in abusive Spanish was breaking out. Several young men of Argentinian descent began loudly questioning the family morals of Nick Rimando, the Salt Lake goalkeeper. A few English language chants went up, Rimando gave them a wave and everyone was enjoying themselves.

The second half was clearly going to be played at the other end, so I journeyed over and found a great spot on the deck that runs at the top of the south end stands, where Toronto's most fanatical supporters are found. With the sun behind me, and banners, streamers and raised arms in front of me, this was the place to shoot a great stadium shot.

But the floor kept moving under me. To my left, a gent in a grey beard and TFC jersey was bouncing and cheering on every play. He was like a big kid. His own kids had season tickets elsewhere, but the section was too quiet. He loved the noise and action of the supporters stands, so he bought single game tickets whenever he could and migrated over to join in the songs and chants. He said he loved everything about what was happening with the team. We got along great.

As he clock wound down, I was about to head back up and rejoin Vanooch and the boys. Rounding a corner, I found myself face to tace with them. We walked back along the deck and watched the final moments, twirling our scarves at the final whistle.

"So did you make some good pictures?" asked Vanooch. I showed him on the screen on the back of the camera and he made his requests for copies. 

"How was the second half?", I asked. "Did you have to put up with more of those comments from the two crazy guys?"

"No. It was beautiful," said Vanooch. "They left. They went downstairs at half time and those guys behind them spilled beer and peanut shells all over the floor under their seats and dropped cheese and nachos on the seats. The two guys came back up, saw the mess and just left."

"One of the guys behind them said he used his last beer to make the mess and couldn't buy another because they ran out. You owe him one at next week's game."

Whaddya know? Good things do come to those who wait. Consider that beer already bought.

"There is absolutely zero chance of natural grass being installed." Kevan Pipe, fired former head of the Canadian Soccer Association. 

                                               
       ----------------------------------------

"It [FieldTurf] kills the culture of the game." - Julian De Guzman, midfielder, Canadian national team and Deportivo La Coruna.

"The best salesman in the world couldn't sell me on it [FieldTurf]. I hope in my career I never have to play on it." - Paul Stalteri, defender, Canadian national team and Tottenham Hotspur.

"If they get grass in there instead of an artificial surface, it would be easier to draw better players and teams from Europe to play exhibition games."  - Dwayne De Rosario, midfielder, Canadian national team and Houston Dynamo.

"Every game, every team, should have grass -- without a doubt. You can't ask any soccer athlete to perform at a high level on FieldTurf." - David Beckham, midfielder, English national team and LA Galaxy.

                                               
      -----------------------------------------

Reality has set in for Toronto FC. With their playoff chances dropping as quickly as their players are to injuries, the focus has turned from their on-field play to the actual field they play on.

Here in Toronto, the synthetic playing surface of BMO Field has been subjected to an ongoing series of critical comments that started before the stadium was built, escalated by players and coaches who participated in the FIFA U-20 World Cup and hit new heights when it was a factor in keeping David Beckham from making his MLS playing debut on August 5.

The past week has seen articles appear in Toronto media where some of Toronto's many injured players, fearful of being openly critical, have taken gentle swipes at the playing surface.

A series of injuries that has stripped Toronto of it's best attacking players - Danny Dichio, Jeff Cunningham, Ronnie O'Brien and Marvell Wynne - has left the club starved for goals and losing sight of a playoff berth. Without a goal in 462 minutes of play, the club is in danger of setting a dubious record should they fail to score on Saturday against visiting Chivas.

Manager Mo Johnston raised eyebrows before season when he responded to criticism of the plastic pitch by saying: "Any player who doesn't want to play on FieldTurf is not someone who we would be interested in having on our team." Given the lack of depth and the glaring absence of a high-quality designated player, those words could come back to haunt him.

While no one can actually prove that the turf is responsible -  club and stadium officials have been almost strident in their defensive tone about the playing surface -  the players are beginning to hint around that playing on grass would be preferable.

Fans are also wondering if artificial turf is keeping the club from attracting a quality designated player. At first glance, you'd think not, since New York has been able to sign Juan Pablo Angel and Claudio Reyna despite playing on plastic. But the club will begin play next year in a new stadium that will have a grass pitch. There have been suggestions that certain European clubs will not loan out players to Toronto for fear the plastic pitch will take its toll physically. The summer visits of Aston Villa and Benfica have done nothing to allay that.

It's not like the club can act alone about changing the playing surface. The stadium is owned by the city of Toronto, its construction jointly funded by the provincial and federal governments, which gives the Canadian Soccer Association a say in its operation, but if Canadian national team players have anything to say about it, they want to see the pitch changed.

With funding supplied from three levels of government, one of the stadium's mandates was to allow community access. For $75 per hour, any bunch of weekend warriors can rent the place and act out their dreams. This wouldn't be possible on grass.

Nor would the installation of an inflatable dome in winter. The club plans to operate indoor winter soccer clinics on their home turf, giving some of their younger players a little off-season employment while helping to strengthen emotional ties with youngsters from Toronto's massive recreational soccer community.

On paper, this business plan involving the year-round use of the turf surface must have looked like a bureaucrat's dream. Too bad the core business of this great new stadium, the games that matter most, those of Toronto FC, aren't played on paper.

 The choice of turf over grass made some sense this year, given the amount of play it received from both MLS and FIFA's under-20 World Cup. But after watching this season's games so far, there is a certain sterility to the play.

The ball rolls well on it and generally rewards quick technical play. But neither TFC or Canada's national teams have ever played that style. Being hockey fans, we kind of enjoy a bit of biff and wallop. This current TFC squad would be much better rewarded playing all its games on a less pristine surface, something that maybe sees the odd rugby game.

You can see players shy away from making certain plays - slide tackles, cut backs in certain situations - because the turf simply has too much bite. When something has to give, instead of grass getting torn, it's a part of someone's body.

One solution that has been debated on fan forums is to install grass at BMO Field and have the FieldTurf surface transferred to nearby Lamport Stadium, where all the practicing and community access mandates can still take place. It's an older 10,000-capacity facility long past it's prime. Given that it sits in a lower-income area crying out for additional recreational facilities, it would be hard to imagine the city opposed to the move.

It's also hard to imagine the provincial or federal governments objecting if it proves to be a move that also benefits the national team and creates a new playing surface for local or regional youth competitions.

By selling out it's 20,000 seats for every game, fans in Toronto have made it clear that this will be one of MLS' best-supported teams. The two-years-and-growing waiting list for season's tickets has already prompted talk of expanding the stadium capacity.

That would have been hard to conceive of a year or two ago in this very discerning soccer market. There's an appetite for the game here that still has a long way to go before it's satisfied. Many fans want to see TFC take on the glamour clubs of Europe when they visit North America.

A grass pitch would remove the biggest obstacle to seeing those sort of lucrative, image-enhancing games take place. The sort of match-ups that would seal the deal on seat sales in an expanded stadium and possibly make the team look more interesting to a marquee player, which would only add to their already-massive merchandise sales.

Put down real grass and players and management alike will be rolling in the green stuff.

He's bald! He's bold! He's gonna score a goal! Daa-neee Dee-cheeo!

Danny Dicho. Instant Toronto FC legend.

The pre-game chants to pump up the 6''3" striker were largely unnecessary on Saturday. He packs his boots with motivation and plays like every game might be his last.

And after slotting home Edson Buddle's smart cross to score the first goal in Toronto FC's 3-1 victory Saturday over a Chicago Fire squad apparently traumatized by playing on plastic turf, it will be his last for a short while.

He matched the milestone of scoring the franchise's first-ever goal in MLS league play, with the millstone of earning the it's first-ever red card. He did both doing what he does best, ####ing his big body around the opposition's box.

A bump late in the first half with Chicago goalie Matt Pickens in the six-yard box set off a handbag-swinging melee that took a group of combatants into the back of the Fire goal. Diego Gutierrez was tabbed as Chicago's nastiest bag-swinger and also given a red card.

The fact Dichio left to a standing ovation says everything about how Toronto fans feel about him. In two games, the busy, bruising ballwinner has been yellow- and red-carded for heavy manners on opposing goalies. Crashing the crease is what hockey-loving Canadians would call it. Rattling a cage is what crash-causing NASCAR drivers might term it. Becoming an instant fan favorite is the net result.

Paired so far with shifty Alecko Eskandarian or the sly Buddle, Dichio's towering frame provides a highly-visible target for up-field passes. He has the strength to hold up the ball and lay off passes to on-rushing teammates or the skill to turn past a defender and go marauding for a goal.

Best of all, he displays body language that says, after leaving England's Preston North End, he's enjoying himself in Toronto's uproarious new stadium on the north shore of Lake Ontario.

The soccer-cynical element of Toronto's sports media had enjoyed themselves through the first four games the team played, playing their winless and goalless status for a few cheap laughts. But what no one touched on was the fact that four of what will be Toronto's most influential players either hadn't played or were just getting into the lineup.

Right midfielder Ronnie O'Brien, right back Marvell Wynne, top draft pick and midfielder Maurice Edu and Dichio had all faced delayed debuts with the team. Saturday's game displayed the result of having the group together to practice for two weeks since their last game, a 1-0 home-opener loss to Kansas City in April.

Wynne plays with such effortless efficiency, it's easy to overlook a player who doesn't look like he's working hard because he's read a play properly or prepared for a game properly and is well placed to shut down an opponent's play and start a counter attack.

Adding O'Brien's smart positioning and skill as a playmaker to the right midfield gives Wynne an obvious outlet coming out of defence. These two looked very comfortable in their first full game together. If it forces defences to pay closer attention to them, left winger Andy Welsh will appreciate less of the extra attention he'd been receiving earlier when he represented Toronto's best attacking option earlier in the season.

Toronto fans also enjoyed a sneak preview of what the future holds when talented local boy Andrea Lombardo, operating as a lone striker, worked the ball deep down the right and curled an inch-perfect cross to an unmarked Maurice Edu.

Edu, the first round draft choice from University of Maryland, was rewarded for an intuitive support run with a pass that left him the time and space to emphatically plant Toronto's third goal. Pressed into a more attacking role after Dichio's sending off, Edu was allowed to advance from his normally defensive midfield role and looked quite sharp in attack.

Lombardo is a member of the Canadian U-20 national team that will host FIFA's World U-20 World Cup starting in June. Tall and strong, like Dichio, he used his size and good positioning to offer a threatening outlet for his defenders in his brief second-half run. He showed no fatigue from having played 90 minutes against Argentina the night before.

As Toronto's fans were chucking promotional seat cushions onto the field in celebration, the players were throwing a number of #### of their back. Including Kevin Goldthwaite's fine winning goal also set up by Buddle, the team not only earned their first goals and their first win, but did it with some style.