Toronto FC opening BMO Field to fans for pick-up match
Article content
The club announced Monday that select fans will be invited to take the pitch on July 27 from 3-6 p.m. for TFC Open PItch, 'where fans will be invited to sign up for the chance to participate in a one-hour match on the iconic pitch TFC calls home.'
Article content
Article content
It will happen the day before BMO Field starts to be renovated for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will feature six matches at the stadium.
Article content
The club said 'selected participants will receive an authentic player experience, including the use of the stadium's visitor dressing room, game presentation elements, team branding on the scoreboard and more.'
Article content
Fans 18-plus can sign up for the experience via TorontoFC.ca/Open-Pitch as teams of 15 participants (11on the pitch and four substitutes). Each player will receive five friends and family spectator passes as well.
Article content
Team selection will be made through a lottery system with participants being notified on July 24.
Article content
Chris Shewfelt, Toronto FC's vice-president of business operations said in a release, 'TFC Open Pitch builds on our commitment to access and bringing our fans closer to the action as we proudly offer our passionate fans a unique player experience at BMO Field.
Article content
'We are thrilled to be able to add TFC fans to this list of meaningful appearances and be apart of our home stadium's story,' Shewfelt added.
Article content
Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment president Keith Pelley has said since taking the job that he wanted to make the massive sporting conglomerate more fan friendly, with more access and events involving supporters of its teams.
Article content
'The activation's opening timeslot will give youth under 12 years old from MLSE LaunchPad's soccer program the opportunity to take the pitch. The program gives youth facing barriers with access to free soccer coaching, training and organized play using sport as a vehicle to help them reach their full potential,' TFC said.
Article content
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Venus Williams' bid for her first winning streak since 2019 ends in a loss to Magdalena Frech in DC
Venus Williams reacts during a match against Magdalena Frech, of Poland, at the Citi Open tennis tournament Thursday, July 24, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass) WASHINGTON — When Venus Williams' bid for her first winning streak since 2019 ended with one last forehand that landed long, the spectators at the D.C. Open's main stadium Thursday night gave her a standing ovation. She responded with a smile and the sort of pirouette and wave she usually reserves for celebrating wins. Williams hadn't competed anywhere in more than a year, and so even if this tournament was over for her after a 6-2, 6-2 loss to 24th-ranked Magdalena Frech in the second round, just being back out there was big for the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion — and her many fans. 'Oh, I had so much fun. Definitely not the result I wanted, but still a learning experience. The part about sport (and) life is that you never stop learning,' the 45-year-old Williams said. 'I got to play a lot of matches here and that definitely was a plus. The fans in D.C. are just epic. I couldn't have been happier with my first week back.' Her victory in the first round Tuesday against 35th-ranked Peyton Stearns made Williams the oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match since Martina Navratilova was 47 in 2004. That was Williams' first win in singles since 2023, and she joked afterward that she was motivated to succeed because she wanted to be able to renew her access to the WTA's health insurance plan after being inactive for so long. This hard-court tournament was the first event for Williams since March 2024; she missed time because of surgery for uterine fibroids. 'Health care is so important — and access to health care and being able to see the right and the best doctors for whatever you're going through,' Williams said. 'Obviously it's a fun and funny moment, but it's an issue that people are dealing with, so it is serious.' She won a doubles match in Washington, too, and playing a total of four matches — two each in singles and doubles — across four days finally caught up to her. 'I feel like I ran out of gas today, unfortunately,' Williams said. 'I tried to find the energy, and I didn't find it.' The last time Williams won at least two matches in a row was in August 2019, at the Cincinnati Open, where she put together three consecutive victories before losing to Madison Keys in the quarterfinals. Williams began well against Frech, going up 2-1. But from there, Frech claimed seven straight games to own the first set and lead 2-0 in the second. Frech is a 27-year-old from Poland whose best Grand Slam showing was a run to the fourth round at the 2024 Australian Open before losing to Coco Gauff. 'I can't even imagine how she pushes herself,' Frech said about Williams. 'It's really amazing.' The show under the lights on this evening was all about Williams, whose greeting was much louder when she walked out on court toting a green exercise band. Every time Williams unfurled one of her booming groundstrokes — and make no mistake, she still can hit the ball hard — the crowd in the main stadium let out a roar. The problem for Williams: She frequently was unable to properly calibrate those shots, including when she sailed a forehand way out after rushing forward to get to a short ball off Frech's racket. That gave Frech a 3-2 lead. Williams would drop her head or slump her shoulders after some misses, and she had 14 unforced errors in the opening set, more than twice as many as Frech. Fans often responded with an 'Awwww' right away, before trying to give Williams a boost by yelling support. There were clap-accompanied chants of 'Venus!' when she broke to get within 4-2 in that set. But Williams didn't get another game. 'There's so many learnings from here. I know exactly what I need to work on, where I can improve,' said Williams, who also accepted a wild-card invitation to play in the Cincinnati Open next month. 'The good news is I'm always in control of the point. The important part is to put the ball in.' In other action Thursday, top-seeded Jessica Pegula lost to 2021 U.S. Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez 6-3, 1-6, 7-5, and Emma Raducanu dominated her first career matchup against Naomi Osaka, winning the showdown between past U.S. Open champions 6-4, 6-2. Seeded men advancing included No. 1 Taylor Fritz, No. 4 Ben Shelton, No. 6 Frances Tiafoe, No. 7 Alex de Minaur, No. 8 Daniil Medvedev, No. 12 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and No. 14 Brandon Nakashima. ___ AP tennis: Howard Fendrich, The Associated Press
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Maltos' late go-ahead field goal lifts Alouettes to 23-21 win over Stampeders
Montreal Alouettes' Jose Maltos, right, kicks a field goal during second half CFL football action against the Calgary Stampeders in Calgary, Thursday, July 24, CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh CALGARY — Jose Maltos received a hero's welcome from his teammates after kicking the longest field goal of his CFL career. Maltos booted the go-ahead 58-yard field goal with 1:10 remaining as the Montreal Alouettes (5-2) earned a 23-21 win over the Calgary Stampeders (5-2) in front of 19,863 fans at McMahon Stadium on Thursday. When the Mexican-born kicker returned to his team's locker room, he was mauled by his teammates who congratulated him while chanting: 'Olé, Olé, Olé, Olé.' 'It feels good – important game, important kick,' said Maltos, whose previous longest kick was from 53 yards out. 'My teammates are great. I love them and I'm grateful to have them on my side. 'We're happy because we need these kind of wins. Every kick is important to me, so that was pretty good.' Following his heroics – which included four other field goals, a convert and a single – Maltos received praise from Montreal head coach Jason Maas. 'He's made some clutch kicks for us since he's taken over and he's got an outstanding percentage career-wise already,' Maas said. 'He just has a good knack for those types of moments and that's what he's shown us. That was a tremendous (game-winning) kick. It was one of the best kicks I've seen.' Montreal quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson completed 30-of-40 passes for 280 yards to go with one touchdown to Chris Spieker and one interception. 'Man, we needed that one,' Bethel-Thompson said. 'It feels great to finally play my role for this team. It's a special locker room. What coach Maas has built is a special place and I'm just so grateful to have done my job. That was an unbelievable kick at the end by Jose.' Dedrick Mills had a pair of rushing touchdowns for the Stampeders (5-2), who had won their previous three games. 'We ran the ball well for three quarters, but not the fourth quarter,' said Calgary coach Dave Dickenson. 'And that's when you need to run the ball … and we just didn't do it.' Calgary quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. threw a touchdown pass to Dominique Rhymes and also completed a short pass to Erik Brooks in the end zone for a two-point convert after Mills' second rushing score. Near the end of the third quarter, Adams scrambled out of the pocket and ran for a seven-yard gain before he was hit hard by Montreal linebacker Tyrice Beverette. Although he got to his feet and walked to the sidelines, he was assessed for a head injury and didn't return to the game. 'I'm expecting it was on the one hit.' Dickenson said. 'I'm not really going to speculate on what happened, but I know that he went in the tent and didn't come back, so that was obviously something that we know can happen. 'A lot of teams are playing with their backup QB, including Montreal, so we have to be able to function and get points and get first downs, and we weren't able to do it.' Defensive back Adrian Green picked off an errant pass by Bethel-Thompson for his league-leading fourth interception of the season and ran it back to Montreal's 44-yard line to help set up Calgary's first touchdown. Four plays later, Mills ran for a seven-yard touchdown with 1:53 remaining in the first quarter, which gave Calgary a 6-0 lead after a missed convert by Rene Paredes. After Tyler Snead's 42-yard diving catch put Montreal at Calgary's nine-yard line, the Stampeders held the Alouettes to a 10-yard Maltos field goal. Adams then engineered a five-play, 77-yard drive that he finished off by tossing a 33-yard TD pass to Rhymes at 5:10 of the second quarter to put the Stamps up 13-3. The Als responded at 9:18 when Spieker caught a seven-yard TD pass from Bethel-Thompson to cap off a quick eight-play, 77-yard drive. On the ensuing kickoff, Maltos booted an 88-yard single to pull the Als within two points of the Stamps. Maltos finished off the first half by making a 36-yard field goal with no time left on the clock to put Montreal ahead 14-13. The Stamps drove the ball 65 yards down the field before Mills ran in for a nine-yard score on the sixth play of the drive at 3:43 of the third quarter. A successful two-point convert gave the Stamps a 21-14 edge. Thanks to a pair of field goals by Maltos in the fourth quarter – a 28-yard kick at 6:22 and another from 20 yards out at 12:17 – Montreal cut Calgary's lead to just 21-20. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2025. Laurence Heinen, The Canadian Press
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Canada's backstroke big-gamer Kylie Masse focused on aquatics worlds, not 2028 Olympics
The best women's backstroker Canada has ever produced refuses to look deep into the future. Five-time Olympic medallist Kylie Masse of LaSalle, Ont., has her mind on the world swimming championship starting Saturday in Singapore, and not on Los Angeles in 2028. The 50-metre backstroke added to the Olympic swim program in 2028 seems a boon for one of the best in the world at it, but the 29-year-old has yet to decide if she'll compete in her fourth Olympic Games. "I am still in a position where I'm just kind of taking it moment by moment and figuring it out, and I'm not really putting any pressure on myself to commit to that at this point," Masse said. "I am excited to see what I can do in it this year, but as far as 2028, I'm just kind of taking it day by day." The 50 backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly have long been staples of world championships, but those sprints will make their Olympic debuts in L.A. Masse won a world championship in the 50 backstroke in 2022. She was first at the turn of the 100 in Tokyo in 2021 en route to an Olympic silver medal. The Canadian and American Regan Smith were tied for first at the half of last year's 100 in Paris, where Masse settled for fourth. She won bronze in the 200 backstroke, however, and became the first Canadian swimmer to earn a medal in three consecutive Olympic Games. The athlete able to combine the most power and the best technique wins the 50 metres, Masse said. "Because it happens so fast, there's no room for error," she explained. WATCH | Masse earns 50m backstroke bronze at short-course championships: Kylie Masse earns 20th career world championship medal with bronze in 50-metre backstroke 7 months ago 5th long-course worlds appearance After the longest post-Olympic break of her career, during which she took time to reflect, Masse eased back into the water in October. Now, she heads to her fifth long-course world championship, where she's already collected nine medals, including three gold." "I spent many days contemplating what I wanted to do and if I wanted to keep swimming or how much I wanted to keep swimming," Masse said. 'I kind of realized I still love swimming and I wanted to keep swimming, not to the same capacity as I was swimming before, but I still wanted to be in the water and be competitive. I had a good [Canadian] trials and I was pleasantly surprised and happy with that, and I'm really looking forward to getting to Singapore and just being able to represent Canada again." Masse is the veteran of Canada's 28-swimmer squad that boasts 18-year-old phenom Summer McIntosh, who is poised to make more history. The Toronto teen followed up her triple-gold, four-medal performance in Paris by setting three world records at June's trials in Victoria, in the 200 and 400 individual medleys, and the 400 freestyle. At age 29, Kylie Masse is only getting faster 10 days ago McIntosh, Ledecky square off Aug. 2 "It's been incredible to watch her grow and to have trained with her when she was 14, just kind of coming onto the scene," Masse said. "It's super-exciting for our whole team and for the country, and for the swimming world in general, to just have someone of that calibre continuing to push the boundaries of history." McIntosh will also race the 200 butterfly and 800 freestyle in Singapore, with a highly anticipated showdown with American star Katie Ledecky in the 800 free Aug. 2. McIntosh's potential participation in relays could add to another medal haul. Her ambitious program gets underway with Saturday's 400 freestyle heats followed by Sunday's final. Finlay Knox of Okotoks, Alta., is the reigning men's 200 individual medley world champion after claiming the title in 2024 in Doha, Qatar. WATCH | A look at McIntosh's long course championships medal history: Every medal won by Summer McIntosh at a world aquatics (long course) championship 8 days ago Prize money purse of $3.1M US Toronto's Joshua Liendo and Montreal's Ilya Kharun, who took Olympic silver and bronze, respectively, in the 100 butterfly, are contenders in that distance, plus the 50 fly, which is also now part of L.A.'s Games. Singapore offers a prize money purse of $3.1 million US for pool and open-water swimmers, plus a $30,000 bonus to swimmers who break world records. "Part of our strategic plan is that Swimming Canada aspires to be a top-six swimming nation," Swimming Canada high-performance director John Atkinson said. "I think the program has developed to the point where you have to say that we would target being the top four nations on the medal table." WATCH | Kharun outdoes own Canadian record in men's 50m butterfly: Ilya Kharun demolishes own 50m butterfly national record, clocks world's fastest time of year 1 month ago Oleksiak serving suspension Canada's team will be minus Penny Oleksiak, who won the women's 100 and 50 freestyle at trials. She withdrew from the world championship because of a "whereabouts" issue under anti-doping rules. The World Anti-Doping Code (WADA) defines a whereabouts failure as any combination of three missed tests or filing failures in a 12-month period, which the International Testing Agency stated Oleksiak did between October 2024 and June 2025. She's accepted a provisional suspension for what Swimming Canada called an "administrative mistake" in not keeping her whereabouts information up to date. Even with closer McIntosh and veteran Marie-Sophie Harvey, Oleksiak's absence makes Canada less deep in freestyle relay experience. "It's a loss. I feel for the athlete as a person having made the decision to withdraw before going over there, a hard decision for any athlete to take, but [she] did it in the interests of the team," Atkinson said. "Her voluntary withdrawal, putting the team first, is all very admirable. "Now the team also has to look ahead and say 'we're the athletes that are here' and it gives opportunities to other athletes on the team to say 'what can you all do, how can you step up and get us through the prelims and race in the finals?"'
