Editor's note: MLS announced on March 12 that the schedule will be delayed by 30 days due to the COVID-19 coronavirus.
Jozy Altidore's only postseason goal came on a header in the 93rd minute for Toronto's lone goal in the 2019 MLS Cup. Alejandro Pozuelo, a key cog in the Reds playoff drive, got the assist on the pass to Altidore. The 2020 MLS season starts on Saturday, about 10 weeks after that game in Seattle.
Toronto FC had a heroic postseason after a solid 2019 season. The other Canadian Major League Soccer (MLS) teams are eager to forget 2019 as well as 2018.
Toronto FC starts its 2020 MLS season in San Jose on Saturday. The Reds open at home March 7 at BMO Field against New York City FC.
The Montréal Impact opens at home on Saturday against New England at Olympic Stadium. The Stade Saputo debut is April 18 against Houston. Vancouver hosts Sporting Kansas City at BC Place on Saturday.
Toronto FC falls 3-1 to Seattle in 2019 MLS Cup
Toronto FC advances to 2019 MLS Cup with 2-1 win in Atlanta
Toronto FC advances to Eastern Conference Final in 2019 MLS playoffs
2019 MLS recap: Toronto FC clinches a home playoff game
Montréal hired Thierry Henry as the team's new coach. The Impact did not bring back interim coach Wilmer Cabrera, who went 2-4-1. Rémi Garde had a 10-13-4 record to start out 2019. The team missed the playoffs for the third consecutive year.
Toronto FC will be without captain Michael Bradley, who suffered a right ankle injury in the 2019 MLS Cup on November 10. The diagnosis of the injury came under fire by teammate Jozy Altidore, who criticized the more than 2-month delay before determining that surgery was needed.
The midfielder signed a new 3-year deal plus a club option in the offseason. The surgery on Bradley was performed in late January and the prognosis is he will be out until June.
The MLS Cup rematch will have the Seattle Sounders against Toronto FC July 18 at BMO Field. TSN will have the game in Canada. There are no plans to carry the game on television in the United States.
This is the first season that the league starts in February (February 29). The final regular season day is October 4.
MLS will now have 26 teams with the addition of Inter Miami CF and Nashville SC. Each club plays 34 games; conference opponents twice and 10 games against the other conference. This is also the first season where a team doesn't play all the other teams.
2019 MLS preview
2018 MLS season wrapup: no Canadian playoff teams
CanadianCrossing.com soccer coverage
The U.S. over-the-air window is wider than ever for regular season MLS telecasts (46) on ABC, FOX, Univision, and UniMás. ESPN has 31 matches while Fox Sports 1 has 28 games.
This does not apply to Canadian MLS teams. The 2019 Eastern Conference champions get 0 telecasts on U.S. television.
"ESPN and Fox Sports have to reconsider their MLS TV packages in 2020 to include Toronto FC. They along with MLS should be ashamed at shutting out the Reds, a team in its third MLS Cup in 4 years. ESPN and Fox Sports look rather foolish to blow off Toronto FC from its 2019 regular season schedule. Also, Toronto FC should have all its playoff games on either ESPN or Fox Sports."
I wrote that last fall. They should be ashamed. They aren't. MLS needs to explain to us what Toronto FC and the other Canadian teams need to do to get on U.S. TV. Winning the MLS Cup might not be enough to get on TV.
All games will be available via ESPN+. You are set if you already get the service for CFL, NHL, or some other purpose.
Toronto FC had 4 U.S. TV dates in 2018, the last time a Canadian team got on U.S. television in the regular season.
The TSN MLS schedule will carry all Reds and Whitecaps games as well as select Impact telecasts. TVA Sports will have all the Impact games en Francaise.
CTV will have 8 games, all in the early part of the season. The Canadian OTA network carried 8 games in 2019; 9 games in 2018; and 7 games in 2017.
Here is the CTV schedule, all games on Saturday afternoons:
March 14 Nashville @ Toronto, 4 pm
March 21 Toronto @ Cincinnati, 3 pm
April 4 Toronto @ Columbus, 4 pm
April 18 LA Galaxy @ Toronto, 2 pm
April 25 Toronto @ Miami, 3 pm
May 2 Vancouver @ Toronto, 3 pm
May 9 Toronto @ Sporting KC, 4 pm
May 23 FC Dallas @ Vancouver, 4 pm
MLS Canadian teams playoffs results
| Year | Date | Teams | Winner | Score |
| 2019 | November 10 | Toronto @ Seattle | Seattle | 3-1 |
| 2019 | October 30 | Toronto @ Atlanta | Toronto | 2-1 |
| 2019 | October 23 | Toronto @ New York City FC | Toronto | 2-1 |
| 2019 | October 19 | D.C. United @ Toronto | Toronto | 5-1 (ET) |
| 2017 | December 9 | Seattle @ Toronto | Toronto | 2-0 |
| 2017 | November 29 | Columbus @ Toronto | Toronto | 1-0 |
| 2017 | November 21 | Toronto @ Columbus | Tie | 0-0 |
| 2017 | November 5 | New York Red Bulls @ Toronto | NY Red Bulls | 1-0 |
| 2017 | November 2 | Vancouver @ Seattle | Seattle | 2-0 |
| 2017 | October 30 | Toronto @ New York Red Bulls | Toronto | 2-1 |
| 2017 | October 29 | Seattle @ Vancouver | Tie | 0-0 |
| 2017 | October 25 | San Jose @ Vancouver | Vancouver | 5-0 |
| 2016 | December 10 | Seattle @ Toronto FC | Seattle | 0-0 (5-4 PK) |
| 2016 | November 30 | Montréal @ Toronto FC | Toronto FC | 5-2 (ET) |
| 2016 | November 22 | Toronto FC @ Montréal | Montréal | 3-2 |
| 2016 | November 6 | Montréal @ New York Red Bulls | Montréal | 2-1 |
| 2016 | November 6 | Toronto FC @ NYCFC | Toronto FC | 5-0 |
| 2016 | October 30 | NYCFC @ Toronto FC | Toronto FC | 2-0 |
| 2016 | October 30 | New York Red Bulls @ Montréal | Montréal | 1-0 |
| 2016 | October 27 | Montréal @ D.C. United | Montréal | 4-2 |
| 2016 | October 26 | Philadelphia @ Toronto FC | Toronto FC | 3-1 |
| 2015 | November 8 | Portland @ Vancouver | Portland | 2-0 |
| 2015 | November 8 | Montréal @ Columbus | Columbus | 3-1 (ET) |
| 2015 | November 1 | Vancouver @ Portland | Tie | 0-0 |
| 2015 | November 1 | Columbus @ Montréal | Montréal | 2-1 |
| 2015 | October 29 | Toronto FC @ Montréal | Montréal | 3-0 |
| 2014 | October 29 | Vancouver @ Dallas | Dallas | 2-1 |
| 2013 | October 31 | Montréal @ Houston | Houston | 3-0 |
| 2012 | November 1 | Vancouver @ LA Galaxy | LA Galaxy | 2-1 |
photo credit: Major League Soccer
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