Expectations Rise Ahead of Toronto Opener

• Toronto Sun, Friday, April 27, 2007 4 PM

Toronto FC hosts its first home game at the new BMO Field tomorrow, and with a great deal of fanfare, despite the team's 0-3-0 record. Fittingly, or perhaps worryingly, the home side will get the opportunity to exact its revenge on Kansas City, which beat the Canadians, 3-0, at Arrowhead Stadium on Wednesday night.

Toronto badly needs a good performance, preferably a win, but Sun Media's Dean McNulty says that at this point, a simple goal would suffice: Toronto is scoreless in its first three outings, with nine goals against. That kind of opening bodes poorly for a team entering a league as the most-hyped expansion club in its history. Nevertheless, Ontario, if not most of Canada, is still abuzz: BMO is already sold-out, national network CBC is broadcasting the match, and Canada's major papers have been building expectation with stories about Toronto FC all week.

Meanwhile, the pressure is all on TFC coach Mo Johnston. He piped on all preseason long about how his would be an attacking team-with some decent results to back those claims up -- and yet here they stand as the only team still without a goal. "Obviously...there are going to be changes," Johnston said after the match. "You are never out of anything only three games in." Well, confidence, perhaps.

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