Gerry Dobson

The new surface at BMO Field is getting used by more than just its professional soccer team.

After covering much of the continent over the past week Toronto FC returns home to a field full of activity.

Make no mistake about it; this is one tired Toronto FC team. Three matches in a week with coast-to-coast travel has them worn out.

Now they come home to a 1 pm/ET start Saturday against New England. Since the Reds have been on west coast time for a week, that becomes a 10 am/ET start for their body clocks. Of course the Revolution have been sitting around New England training and resting for a full week since their last game, before a short one hour hop to Toronto. If Julian De Guzman can't go because of his hamstring problem, look out.

The only plus for Toronto is that New England is winless in six matches.

As for Vancouver, it's all good news for now simply because they can still win the Nutrilite Canadian Championship. But they have its own fixture pile up to sort out. After a home game to Rochester, it's on to Montreal next Wednesday in a must win situation. That game is followed by a weekend game back in Rochester before the Nutrilite finale in Toronto three days later. No easy task, especially for a team that can't score. After a 1-1 draw against Montreal in the Nutrilite on May 5, the Whitecaps have gone three straight without a goal. In fact, they've scored just five goals in eight games in all competitions. That won't get it done.

Both Toronto and Vancouver are as beaten up as the pitch at BMO Field.

I echo Gareth Wheeler's sentiments: The Toronto Sun writer went after the decision makers recently over the continuing problem of community use on the new pitch at our National Stadium. It really is a disgrace; you and I could rent the place out for a total of 12 hours a week. Plus, there's the Benfica-Panathanaikos friendly on the weekend. But Toronto FC can't get on there. Not that they actually want to more than once a week, they just want everyone off. There's no way a brand new pitch can handle this amount of traffic. Disgraceful.

And how about this for a case in point: Some of the TFC players and coaches who go for a run at BMO are asked to please stay outside the white lines and the corner flags. In other words, be sure to preserve the pitch for Joe and his buddies. That has to change. Start hammering away at your local, provincial and federal politicians. The more we all yell, the more they're likely to listen. After all, there is a civic election this fall.

I'm steamed!