Soccer's coming home.
Toronto FC and CF Montreal have announced their return to their respective home venues after federal and provincial governments gave their approval for the two MLS clubs to resume hosting matches.
TFC will host games as scheduled against Orlando City (July 17) and the New York Red Bulls (July 21) at the 30,000-seat BMO Field. Montreal will welcome FC Cincinnati to Stade Saputo on July 17. The league and clubs are still working towards having the rest of the teams' respective home dates played in their regular venues as scheduled.
"MLS remains in communication with the Canadian government regarding plans for MLS Canadian teams to host their remaining home matches in Canada," a league statement read on Wednesday.
"MLS clubs and match officials traveling to Canada will be subject to public health protocols required of all individuals entering the country, and only fully vaccinated players and staff are excluded from Canadian quarantine requirements. These protocols include, but are not limited to, molecular COVID-19 testing prior to travel and upon arrival in Canada."
All three Canadian MLS teams (including the Vancouver Whitecaps) have been forced to host matches in the United States since late last summer due to border restrictions associated with the pandemic, although Toronto and Montreal have been training in Canada over the past several days.
The clubs last played on home soil in August and September of 2020, when they took turns hosting one another at empty or severely restricted venues over a three-week span at the height of the pandemic.
“The importance of this return home for our team can’t be overstated,” TFC president Bill Manning said in a statement. “It has been a long, hard time on the road due to pandemic protocols and we have greatly missed the energy and support of our fans at BMO Field. Our return to Canada gave the team an incredible boost this week and we look forward to an emotional night at BMO Field with our fans on Saturday.”
Toronto announced that Saturday's match against Orlando will host up to 7,000 fans, while the July 21 tilt vs. the Red Bulls will accomodate the 15,000 maximum currently allowed under Step 3 of Ontario's re-opening plan.
Meanwhile, Montreal will issue 5,000 tickets for the July 17 contest against Cincinnati, as per Quebec's public health guidelines.
“The club welcomes the news with great enthusiasm and excitement, considering it will be our first home match at Stade Saputo since September 9, 2020,” CF Montreal president and CEO Kevin Gilmore said in a statement.
“After all this time away, we are truly happy to finally be able to play at home. The past few months have been very difficult for our players and staff, who had to go into exile, but they have shown tremendous resilience. Our supporters have also been remarkably patient throughout this period, and we can't wait to see them at Stade Saputo on Saturday.
The Whitecaps will be the last of the three Canadian sides to return to their home stadium, as they previously committed to playing games on July 17 and 20 at Rio Tinto Stadium in Utah. British Columbia's current restrictions allow for up to 50 percent capacity, but ESPN reported Wednesday that "ongoing improvements to BC Place" mean the club will return at a later date.