Toronto FC will play their first game of the 2008 MLS Regular season in Columbus, Ohio this Saturday March 29, and this year, the series between the two Eastern Conference opponents will have new meaning. 2008 will mark the inaugural year of the Trillium Cup, a rivalry that was heightened by overwhelming support of travelling Toronto FC fans as over 2,400 supporters will be making the trip to the Buckeye State creating an atmosphere that will surely be unforgettable.
"We've always been proud of the fans we have here in Toronto," said Toronto FC director of business operations Paul Beirne. "We knew in our first season that we had the best supporters in the league, and this year they're proving that again by going to Columbus in record numbers. Hopefully we can reward them by getting our name on that trophy."</p>
An on-line contest involving both Toronto FC and Columbus Crew was held where fans submitted their suggestions to name the season series between the geographical rivals. A list was compiled and from there the top five names were chosen and then voted on by both teams' supporters - resulting in "The Trillium Cup", which refers to the official flower of the province of Ontario and official wildflower of the State of Ohio, "Great Lakes Cup" was the runner up. </p>
After the March 29th game in Ohio, the next match will be Saturday May 17 back in Toronto, and the final match of the series will go Saturday September 13 once again at BMO Field. The winner will be determined by total points in the regular-season series. If they are tied on total points, league tiebreaking procedures for playoff berths or positions will be used.
Toronto Mayor David Miller and the Mayor of Columbus Michael Coleman have agreed to a friendly wager over this weekend's game. The stakes are simple; the losing mayor will don the jersey of the winning team for a public photo opportunity.</p>
