In the BMO Field stands it seemed like a victory. Minutes after the end of Toronto FC's scoreless tie against the L.A. Galaxy, fans cheered and chatted as a hip hop tune blared from stadium speakers.

In Toronto's locker room, it loomed like a loss. Disappoinment ran deep, and it had nothing to do with L.A.'s golden child David Beckham sitting out because of a bad ankle.

A game that could have been a confidence-building win for a depleted team, and a chance to vault out of the MLS Eastern Conference basement, ended with Toronto earning a single point.

"We felt we deserved something out of this game," said Toronto captain Jim Brennan. "We're upset. We had chance after chance, (but) we just couldn't get the three points we deserved."

In addition to injuries that have sidelined five starters, Toronto also lost Maurice Edu for next week's game in New York. Edu entered the game one yellow card away from a suspension, then was booked in the 82nd minute for arguing a call.

"I feel like I in some ways let my team down," he said. "It sucks, the timing, with so many guys out. Somebody's going to have to step up."

Last night it was the 12th man.

Even by BMO Field's raucous standards, the atmosphere inside the stadium seemed charged. Spectators in the $100 temporary seats lining the east sideline stood, as they would for the entire 90 minutes. The game had larger than normal TV audience – ESPN2 broadcast it live in the U.S. And, with L.A.'s other star, forward Landon Donovan in the lineup, Toronto's fans still had someone to hate.

MLS commissioner Don Garber attended the game and said Toronto's fans earned his respect.

"If you could bottle this (atmosphere) up and send it around North America, we would be a pretty powerful league," Garber said at halftime.

L.A. Galaxy goalkeeper Joe Cannon spent most of the first half wading through the streamers, confetti and balloons that end zone spectators continually tossed on to the field.

Before the game fans had already targeted Donovan, and they booed him every time he touched the ball. When Donovan lined up for a 49th minute free kick, fans hurled streamers and insults at him for nearly a minute. Garber acknowledges the antics are antagonistic, but he's encouraged that so many fans have become so loyal so soon.

"This is not about David Beckham," he said. "This is about a great team. You don't sell out a stadium for David Beckham any more than it's sold out already."

Early in the first half the already loud crowd erupted when Andrea Lombardo nearly scored. From 12 yards out he flicked the ball over Cannon, but defender Ty Harden sprinted to the net and cleared it.

"I felt like it went in, but what are you going to do," Lombardo said. "If the linesman's not there to see it, he's not there."

The Galaxy didn't manage a single first-half shot on new Toronto goalkeeper Kenny Stamatopoulos and only took two the entire game. Toronto had 14 shots.

By halftime the game's pace had slowed and the crowd's energy waned. Five minutes from the end, several of the franchise-record 20,522 spectators headed for the exits.