It was just a normal school day in Regent Park. Children were on recess, and teachers were enjoying their lunch. This all changed in a matter of minutes, however, as a group of Major League Soccer players showed up for a surprise visit.
Because Toronto served as the host city, the 2010 MLS Cup activities saw players join forces with the Home Depot on Thursday, in a community outreach event at the Kiwanis Boys and Girls Club. Players completed tasks, ranging from painting a new welcome sign to drilling new shelving units, and culminated with the unveiling of a mural painted by soccer stars and volunteers.
Local fan favourite and Toronto FC Captain Dwayne De Rosario, a two-time winner of the MLS Cup MVP Award, was on hand for the event. Many of the children were TFC fans, and De Rosario was keen not only to work with them, but to provide a glimpse of what they can expect from TFC in the not-so-far-off future.
De Rosario was optimistic and stated that he felt that making the playoffs next year would help give TFC fans what they deserve. He pointed out that TFC’s new consultant Jürgen Klinsmann has invaluable “knowledge and experience in world football.”
Among the other players in attendance was the Philadelphia Union’s Sebastien Le Toux, recently named to the MLS Best XI Squad. When asked about his impression of Toronto as a host city for such league-wide events, he praised the local fans and the intimidating atmosphere they created for making the stadium tough to play in.
This year was Toronto’s first time hosting the MLS Cup, although the MLS All-Star Game, which pitted the MLS All-Stars against West Ham United of the Barclays Premier League, was held at BMO field in 2008. BMO field has also played host to a friendly match between TFC and Real Madrid of La Liga.
Although the organizers of the community outreach event on Thursday had hoped for a star-studded turnout, household names David Beckham and Thierry Henry did not see L.A. Galaxy or the New York Red Bulls, respectively, to the final.
Instead it was a group of players from the Colorado Rapids and Dallas FC that spent their free time volunteering along with stars from across the league to create a Toronto that they want to come back to.
