TORONTO — The first cheer of the 2010 Toronto FC soccer season was directed at a pop-up sprinkler which emerged to water down the lush new surface at BMO Field.
After three seasons of Field Turf, the Reds opened its fourth season in the league on a natural grass surface Thursday night against the Philadelphia Union.
The scientific explanation of the transformation from plastic to natural explains that the two inches of visible grass caps 10 inches of mixed sand and peat, a series of glycol heating tubes, four inches of drainage and a final six-inch layer of drain lines.
In laymen’s terms, it is soccer how it was intended to be played.
“It is great. It is natural, the guys enjoy it and I love it,” Reds captain Dwayne De Rosario said of the surface. “It’s nice to know every week that we have a home game we will have the grass to play on.”
The club’s parent company, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, shelled out $5.5 million over the winter months to convert the old surface to grass. While the initial cost was steep, it is expected that the move away from an artificial surface will put an end to players ignoring Toronto as a legitimate place to play and live.
“It always helps,” said Director of Soccer Mo Johnston. “In the past we had three or four guys come in and once they see the astroturf they don’t want to come here but now there are no complaints.”
Along with the new surface, the team also added 1,200 seats to its home stadium as well as a new sunken dugout.
“That’s another cheering section that will develop over time and it is nice to look up and see fans all the way around,” De Rosario added.
Toronto earned its first win on the surface and of the season over the Philadelphia Union thanks to a pair of Dwayne De Rosario goals.