Joshua Kloke 
Come on You Reds 
The Story of Toronto FC

How Toronto FC rescued itself from misery, carved out a niche, and became a true alternative franchise in North America’s most crowded sports market.



From Toronto FC’s inception, the club and their fans did things their own way. When Danny Dichio scored the first goal in franchise history, fans at BMO Field threw their seat cushions onto the field in ecstasy. It looked as though TFC had a bright future ahead of it, but what followed instead was eight seasons of poor results, mismanagement, and misery.



Still, TFC fans never wavered, building the most unique atmosphere in Toronto sports. When it seemed TFC was destined to become an afterthought in a city crowded with teams, the club carved out a niche by creating a winning culture unlike anything Toronto had ever seen, bringing a championship to the city in 2017.




Come on You Reds takes fans behind the scenes, from the inception of TFC, through the team’s lowest years, and finally, to the story of how management arguably built the best team in Major League Soccer history.

Tabella dei contenuti

1. Message Borads, Manna Dropping from Heaven, and an Armani Suit

2. The 2007 Version of Viral, MLS 2.0, and a Complete Lack of Nuance

3. Being a Badass, Writing Shit, and Fighting over a Cookie

4. Legs Like Jell-O, a Miracle in Montreal, and a Complete Meltdown

5. The Dictator, the Frustrated Star, and a Fateful Trip Up North

6. Ajax Culture, German Inlfunce, and Starting from Scratch

7. The Realm of Comedy, the Nightclub in Houston, and the Worst Team in the World

8. Pep Guardiola in Waiting, Surprise at Just One Point, and the Two Tims — Leiweke and Bezbatchenko

9. Energy, Vision, and the Bloody Big Burst

10. Jeans and a Blazer, a Panic Attack, and the Best Player in League History

11. FInding the Last Piece of the Puzzle, Getting Goosbumps, and Feeling Numb

12. One Game at a Time, One Trophy at a Time, and More Than One Drink at a Time

13. Fans, Family, and BMO Field





Epilogue: A Strange New World

Acknowledgements

Sources

Image Credits

Index

Circa l’autore

Michael Bradley is an American professional soccer player. The midfielder currently captains both Toronto FC and the U.S. men’s national team.