Oh Canada: Toronto FC to resume 2020 regular season at BMO Field Aug. 18

TORONTO, Canada—The Reds are returning to BMO Field!

Major League Soccer announced on Thursday that Toronto FC and the other two Canadian clubs will resume the 2020 regular season in their respective home markets beginning on August 18 when the Reds take on the Vancouver Whitecaps at BMO Field, without fans and following strict public health direction to protect the health and safety of both teams.

Canadian sides will play one another three times each between August 18 and Sept. 9 in what the league is calling “Phase One” of the revised regular season schedule.

The rest of MLS (the American teams) have already resumed play in their respective local markets. Due to travel restrictions between the U.S. and Canada, MLS announced the initial phase of the league’s revised schedule on Aug. 8 with each U.S. club playing six matches against other U.S. teams by Sept. 14.

It is unclear as of now how the league plans on proceeding in “Phase Two”, but Toronto FC GM Ali Curtis told Footy Talks Live on Thursday that he has been working constantly with the Canadian government and other significant parties towards a resolution.

In addition, the league also revealed plans for the 2020 Canadian Championship—the Reds’ last shot at qualifying for the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League.

As previously mentioned, Canadian sides will play one another three times each; the team that accumulates the most amount of points over these series of Canadian matches will qualify directly to the 2020 Canadian Championship Final where they’ll take on the winner of the Canadian Premier League’s eight-team Island Games.

Toronto FC currently sit second place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 2-0-3 with nine points.