Get to know a few of our contributors who will be covering your Reds over the course of the season and beyond.
A new season is finally upon, as is a new era of Waking The Red. Over the years, the team has dedicated itself to providing first-class coverage of Toronto FC while building a community of supporters that never lacks passion. We hope you are as excited for the upcoming campaign as we are. With that, allow us to introduce some of our contributors, who have each shared their most fond TFC memory.
Sean Pollock – Photographer
By far, my favourite TorontoFC memory and what I think is the best moment to happen at BMO Field is Nick Hagglund’s header during leg 2 of the 2016 MLS Cup conference final. I had so much faith in the team coming back to BMO after defeat in leg 1 in Montreal. The early goal by Montreal just left me deflated alongside probably every other TFC fan. Yes, we won the treble in 2017 as well as some other amazing moments in 2015 and 2016 but this moment was different. It showed we could compete and come back when it mattered the most. Although we ended up losing the 2016 final, this moment solidified for my love for the club and that we were deserving of many extraordinary sporting moments.
Tomas Karageorgos – Writer
Without a doubt, my favourite Toronto FC memory at BMO Field is the 2017 MLS Cup final. That night cemented that group of players as the best team in MLS history, as they are still the only team in the league to win the domestic treble. The way that the Reds played against Seattle, you could tell they wanted it much more than the Sounders. It is arguably the most one-sided game I have seen TFC play at BMO, and they dominated from start to finish. The icing on the cake was the Victor Vázquez goal to seal the victory, which sent everyone into a frenzy. Every Toronto FC fan will always remember where they were on the night of December 9, 2017.
Andrew Hockridge – Writer
My favourite TFC moment happened in a game on October 14, 2015 vs NY Red Bulls. In the 78th minute, TFC is up by one and then the magic strikes. Sebastian Giovinco, in his first season with Toronto, glides past defenders and lays a shot into the top right corner of the net and helps TFC clinch their first-ever playoff berth. 2015 was a fun year and the spotlight was on TFC’s newest signing. By year’s end we were all watching in anticipation of what Giovinco could do next. His playing style and technique was a treat, not only to TFC fans but for the MLS as a league. We probably wouldn’t be considered a strong contender in later years if Giovinco turned out to be a dud. Here’s to the Atomic Ant, and for starting an era in TFC that will live with us for many years to come.
Corey Brady – Writer
My favourite Toronto FC memory was watching Mista score against Cruz Azul in the 2010 CONCACAF Champions League. Oh, wait – it’s not Repressed Memories? Having moved back from England in 2006, TFC filled the need for local football. I moved to Toronto in 2007 and was in the midst of Toronto FC fever. I didn’t get a chance to get season seats until 2008, as it was next to impossible to find tickets. My favourite memory? 30 November 2016 – the second Leg of the Eastern Conference Championship. Having been a long-suffering TFC supporter since 2007, it was the first time I saw the club with any type of success outside of the Voyageurs Cup. Remember the 5-2 playoff loss to the Impact in 2015? Watching the Reds rebound after Oduro’s goal electrified the crowd. I don’t think I’ve ever heard that stadium erupt as loud as it did when Hagglund headed home the tying goal. My all-time favourite moment? Benoit Cheyrou scored a minute after being subbed on in extra time. Cheyrou is a Legend. There were a lot of people cutting onions in the South End after that match.
Jeffrey P. Nesker – Community Manager
My friends in Europe were more excited about Victor Vasquez than I was. They already knew how special he was, and his insane pedigree. I was told, and I quote “He’s the missing piece. You’re in for a treat.”, but after the misery of the 2016 MLS Cup Final, I wasn’t believing any takes that were that binary. Then I saw him play, and with each passing game, came to realize just what a magician he is. It was that cheeky Free Kick that he slid under the wall and gently into the back of the net that really decided it. After that, I was all-in. Probably the best all around player to ever wear the shirt, I’m so happy he’s back.
Anthony Khoury – Managing Editor
Without a doubt, my favourite TFC memory will always be my first game at BMO Field after moving to Toronto for university from the Middle East. The team first caught my eye when I was living in Abu Dhabi, specifically when Sebastian Giovinco made the move to the Reds from Juventus. From there, and knowing Toronto was a city I had my eye on for post-secondary school, I began following the team. Once I knew I would be attending the University of Toronto, one of the first things I knew I had to do upon arriving in Canada was attend a TFC game at BMO Field. Given my interest in the team began with Seba, I could not have picked a better first game to attend. A hat-trick from none other than the Atomic Ant helped the Reds to a 4-1 victory over New England on August 6th, 2016. Jozy’s 93rd-minute goal was the cherry on top, and as I celebrated in the stands with a few friends I made in my first few days in Toronto, I knew Toronto FC would be a core part of my time in Toronto. Fast forward to 2023, and here I am working alongside some of the most passionate fans I know.