Canadian Crossing

NHL, MLB, MLS latest sports leagues to suspend their regular season

The NHL pauses the 2019-20 season. pic.twitter.com/bCi776ZFqX

— NHL (@NHL) March 12, 2020

No one knows exactly when or how the NHL will return. The COVID-19 coronavirus gets to decide when/how professional sports will return. On Thursday, the NHL, MLS, and MLB took action to clear the field and ice to re-evaluate depending on the spread of COVID-19 in North America.

This isn't just about sports. Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, wife of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, tested positive for COVID-19 last night. The prime minister remains in isolation.

Some NHL thoughts to note:

• While fans are hopeful for more regular season games, there is virtually no chance that will happen. Having 16 or 18 or 12 teams reduces the impact on markets of non-playoff teams. San Jose and Santa Clara County won't have to worry about the Sharks playing a game.
• Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, and Winnipeg would qualify for the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs under the current format. Vancouver would literally lose out on one fewer regulation win vs. Nashville. Elliotte Friedman speculated on a playoff format of adding the teams that were close to making the playoffs. We applaud that idea. Fans of the 1981 Cincinnati Reds would have wanted that as well. Whatever playoff plans are made, the NHL will base them on safety and the need to make money.
• No more regular season games would also mean no NHL Center Ice free preview and no Canadian commercials to feature. Your humble narrator might miss that more than the hockey.
• The NHL looks to be creative in terms of the playoffs and definitely wants to award the Stanley Cup this year.
• The NHL players by comparison don't come in contact with each other as much as the NBA and MLS, for example. The exception is when players fight. Would be nice if fighting stops for awhile when the NHL returns.
• Don't assume the logical dates of the end of the season on April 4 and the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs starting April 8. Arena availability will be a factor for both NBA and NHL teams with their playoffs. If other events such as concerts get postponed, arena availability might open up. The leagues will also have a sense of which teams are in the playoffs and can plan accordingly.
• CBC has had a bit of practice with lockouts on how to program time without the NHL. Some of the online-only programming on CBC Gem could get some TV time. There are a lot of awesome Canadian films to broadcast. The CBC could even bring back The Filmmakers series and rebroadcast the episodes and films. CBC needs to fill Saturdays through April 4 and daily starting April 8.

How COVID-19 is impacting Canadian sports

How Toronto recovered from the SARS impact

Looking back at the impact of The Filmmakers on CBC

NHL the month in preview March 2020

CanadianCrossing.com NHL coverage

Statement from Major League Baseball: pic.twitter.com/0bWS5VTRPu

— MLB (@MLB) March 12, 2020

MLB stopping its spring training means an uncertain fate for Opening Day. The earliest possible starting date would be April 9 but don't even write that down in pencil.

The Toronto Blue Jays stay in Dunedin, Florida has come to a close, though players may stay to work out. The traditional trip to Olympic Stadium in Montréal is done. Even with a slim possibility of exhibition games to tune up for the season, a Montréal trip is likely not viable.

Rogers Sportsnet didn't produce any of the previous spring training telecasts, saving a few pennies by carrying the broadcast of the opposing team.

There would seemingly be a MLB Extra Innings free preview with Canadian ads, though the NHL Center Ice preview produces more interesting Canadian commercials.

CanadianCrossing.com MLB coverage

Canadian ads from fall 2019 NHL Center Ice free preview

Canadian political ads from fall 2019 NHL Center Ice free preview

CanadianCrossing.com advertising coverage

Major League Soccer Suspends Season for 30 Days pic.twitter.com/P0HEPmsnkx

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 12, 2020

2020 MLS preview

The 2020 Major League Soccer season had barely started. Toronto FC and the Montréal Impact are 1-0-1 while the Vancouver Whitecaps are 1-1-0.

The 30-day impact was a bit of a surprise in that soccer is outdoors and better ventilated than basketball and hockey. Then again, soccer players collide often with each other in a way that baseball does not.

The timing will throw off the CTV schedule of early-season games. The CTV debut was scheduled to be tomorrow in Toronto. We will be curious if CTV still carries a significant MLS package when the MLS season resumes.

photo credit: TSN.ca
Twitter captures: @NHL; @MLB; @MLS

2020 MLS preview

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

Toronto FC falls 3-1 to Seattle in 2019 MLS Cup

A great finish from a gutsy effort.@JozyAltidore | #TFCLive | #MLSCup pic.twitter.com/OFJwywjhYT

— Toronto FC (@TorontoFC) November 10, 2019

Toronto FC dominated a scoreless first half of the 2019 MLS Cup but 3 straight Seattle Sounders goals brought the cup back to Seattle. The Reds suffered their first MLS playoff loss on U.S. soil.

Jozy Altidore made his postseason debut as a substitute and scored the Reds lone goal on a header in the 93rd minute. Alejandro Pozuelo got the assist on the pass to Altidore.

The first Seattle goal came after a controversial non-call. The ball went off Justin Morrow and into the Toronto goal. You might recall that Morrow's penalty shot that hit off the crossbar gave Seattle the 2016 MLS Cup on penalty shots.

The Sounders had 3 goals in the 2019 version versus 0 in the 2016 and 2017 versions combined.

Toronto FC should be proud of its run as the #4 seed to reach the 2019 MLS Cup. Defeating New York City FC and Atlanta FC on the road was a remarkable feat.

There was speculation that this might be Michael Bradley's last game with Toronto FC. Hopefully, that is not the case.

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

The mayors had a friendly bet with each other over the 2019 MLS Cup. Toronto Mayor John Tory will wear a Sounders scarf for a full day and light the Toronto sign green on Friday. Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan will also get a basket of Toronto-made products along with a record from Toronto-area artists Drake, The Weeknd, and Blue Rodeo.

Durkan had offered a similar deal with albums by area artists, including Brandi Carlile, TacoCat, and Nirvana.

2019 MLS preview

2018 MLS season wrapup: no Canadian playoff teams

CanadianCrossing.com soccer coverage

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

Twitter capture: @TorontoFC
photo credit: Toronto FC/Major League Soccer

Toronto FC advances to 2019 MLS Cup with 2-1 win in Atlanta

Just sit back and admire it. 🚀@NickDeLeon7 | #TFCLive pic.twitter.com/aOL4hK9nih

— Toronto FC (@TorontoFC) October 31, 2019

For the third time in 4 years, Toronto and Seattle will battle for the MLS Cup. This time, the destination switches to Seattle. The 2019 MLS Cup will be on November 10 at Century Link Field in Seattle.

Toronto went down early in the 4th minute with a Julian Gressel goal for Atlanta FC. Toronto goalkeeper Quentin Westberg had a dazzling save off a penalty kick in the 11th minute to keep the deficit to 1. Nicolas Benezet scored his first career postseason goal in the 14th minute, a bender from outside the box to the right of the goalie.

The game seemed headed to extra time as the teams struggled to get anything going. Substitute Nick DeLeon scored a very deep goal from the middle of the field outside the box in the 78th minute for the game winner.

Toronto played the comeback card with success on the road. The Reds didn't have a playoff spot in August, rode an undefeated streak (7-0-6) and won gigantic road wins in New York City and Atlanta. Toronto has not since August 3, a 2-0 defeat at the New York Red Bulls.

Toronto won its third playoff game without Jozy Altidore and Omar Gonzalez. The latter was available in Atlanta but didn't get into the game.

Atlanta has won its previous 5 home playoff games, not allowing a goal in its last 405 post-season minutes. The Five Stripes have conceded just a single goal in 6 home playoff games all-time before Toronto's pair of goals last night. Atlanta had won 45 of its first 51 games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Toronto split with Atlanta in the regular season with a 2-0 shutout loss in Atlanta on May 8 and a 3-2 victory at BMO Field on June 26.

Toronto lost 3-2 at Seattle on April 13. Seattle defeated Toronto in the 2016 MLS Cup on penalty kicks while Toronto returned the favour winning the 2017 MLS Cup over the Sounders.

Toronto FC advances to Eastern Conference Final in 2019 MLS playoffs

2019 MLS recap: Toronto FC clinches a home playoff game

The 2019 MLS Cup will be November 10 at 3 pm Eastern on ABC along with Univision and TUDN in the United States and TSN and TVA Sports in Canada. The game is opposite the CFL playoffs, but the Argonauts aren't in the CFL playoffs.

2019 MLS preview

Toronto has never lost an MLS Cup playoff game outside of Canada.

Toronto will play Seattle in the 2019 MLS Cup at Century Link Field in Seattle. The Sounders pulled off a 3-1 upset over Los Angeles FC in only the 5th home loss at Banc of California Stadium. Raul Ruidiaz scored the final 2 goals for Seattle.

I rarely watch MLS games that don't involve Canadian teams. El Trafico with the first playoff game within Los Angeles lived up to the hype. Los Angeles FC beat the Carson-based rival LA Galaxy for the first time ever and in the playoffs on top of that. The crowd at Banc of California Stadium was loud and into what was happening.

The final four MLS teams were this year's Supporter Shield winner as well as the last 3 MLS Cup winners.

If LAFC had advanced, you would have had the LAFC coach (Bob Bradley) against his son, Toronto captain Michael Bradley.

@TorontoFC have played 2 @MLS playoff games on U.S. soil. Both times the anthem singer sang the old lyrics for #OCanada, Maybe the league needs to send out a memo.

— Chad Rubel (@canadian_xing) October 31, 2019

The Atlanta anthem singer used the old version of O Canada. NYPD officer Jason Martinoff sang O Canada but used the older version. What is it with MLS in the United States and singing the wrong version of O Canada.

Let's hope the singer in Seattle gets the memo to use the current O Canada lyrics.

2018 MLS season wrapup: no Canadian playoff teams

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.

Montréal and Vancouver deserve TV time, but their arguments are a bit more difficult given their lack of playoff games since 2016 for the Impact and 2017 for the Whitecaps.

CanadianCrossing.com soccer coverage

The Montréal Impact will not bring back interim head coach Wilmer Cabrera. Cabrera joined the Impact on August 21 replacing Rémi Garde, who had a 10-13-4 record. Cabrera went 2-4-1 as Montréal fell from 7th to 9th in the Eastern Conference standings. The team missed the playoffs for the third consecutive year.

MLS Canadian teams playoffs results

Year	Date	Teams	Winner	Score
2019	November 10	Toronto @ Seattle	TBD	TBD
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 (OT)
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 (OT)
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

Twitter capture: @TorontoFC; @canadian_xing
photo credit: Toronto FC

Toronto FC advances to Eastern Conference Final in 2019 MLS playoffs

Toronto FC's Alejandro Pozuelo was a force but didn't score a goal in the playoff win over DC United. Pozuelo saved his magic against the team he loves to score against: New York City FC.

Pozuelo scored 3 of the team-leading 12 goals against New York City FC in the regular season and added 2 more in the MLS playoff game last night at Citi Field.

The Reds posted a 2-1 win in the Eastern Conference semifinals over the top Eastern Conference seed.

Pozuelo scored early in the second half in the 47th minute from a header by Maxime Chanot. Ronald Matarrita tackled Richie Laryea in the NYC FC box late in the match. Pozuelo scored on the penalty kick in the 90th minute.

Ismael Tajouri-Shradi tied the game 1-1 for New York City FC in the 69th minute.

Goalkeeper Quentin Westberg had a huge save late in the game.

Toronto FC played once again without forward Jozy Altidore (quad) and and defender Omar Gonzalez (hamstring). Altidore was injured in the regular season finale against Columbus.

NYPD officer Jason Martinoff sang O Canada but used the older version.

Toronto FC had a 1-0-1 advantage over New York City FC in the regular season. The Reds dominated 4-0 at BMO Field on March 29. The teams tied 1-1 September 11 at Yankee Stadium.

Toronto previously defeated the New York City FC 2-0 in Toronto and 5-0 at Yankee Stadium in the run to the 2016 MLS Cup.

While Toronto was 9-4-4 at home, the Reds went 4-6-7 on the road in the regular season. NYCFC went 11-1-5 at home, though at Yankee Stadium.

The uncertainty of the New York Yankees playoff situation forced the match from Yankee Stadium to Citi Field, home of the MLB New York Mets. The club played one other game at Citi Field since entering MLS in 2015. NYCFC played a home game at Citi Field in 2017 because of a conflict with the Yankees postseason run.

The Reds will travel to Atlanta or Philadelphiafor the Eastern Conference final on October 30 at 8 pm Eastern on Fox Sports 1 and TSN. Those teams clash in Atlanta tonight.

DELEON STUNNER 💫#TORvDC // @Audi #MLSCupPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/hJE4zNq98J

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 20, 2019

Toronto FC looked like the team would coast to a 1-0 win in the match against DC United at BMO Field on Saturday. Marco Delgado's short distance goal off a rebound from a shot by Alejandro Pozuelo in the 32nd minute might have been enough. DC United scored off a corner kick in the 93rd minute to tie the game at 1-1.

The Reds scored 4 goals in the north end in the first extra-time period to seal the fate. Michael Bradley and Nick DeLeon led the ball to Richie Laryea for the ultimate game winner. Toronto-born Jonathan Osorio then scored 2 goals. DeLeon's long-distance shot just went under the crossbar.

Toronto FC played without forward Jozy Altidore (quad) and and defender Omar Gonzalez (hamstring). Altidore was injured in the regular season finale against Columbus.

2019 NBA champion Toronto Raptors centre Marc Gasol delivered the match ball before the opening kickoff.

The match was the final one in the MLS career of Wayne Rooney with DC United. Rooney will got back to his native England to be a player-coach with Championship side Derby County.

Toronto FC got a crappy slot in the first round of the 2019 MLS playoffs. A Noon start at home got switched to a 6 pm start thanks to prodding from Toronto FC president Bill Manning. TSN was a factor since the new start ran against the CFL. The Argos were in Montréal the night before so BMO Field was available.

2019 MLS recap: Toronto FC clinches a home playoff game

2019 MLS preview

2018 MLS season wrapup: no Canadian playoff teams

CanadianCrossing.com soccer coverage

The opening round playoff win got Toronto FC something Canadian MLS teams can't seem to get: TV coverage on a English-language outlet. Fox Sports 1 got to be the only U.S.-based network to carry a Canadian-based MLS team on television this season.

The opening round game aired only on TUDN. The SAP signal worked out well. Don't know how much reach TUDN has but playoffs should be covered on ESPN and Fox Sports 1, even if that was online only. MLS should offer all the playoff games to a wide U.S. audience; the league also penalised Atlanta FC, but that game aired on Univision and TUDN.

Wikipedia notes that TUDN coverage was slightly more than 1/3 of TV households with approximately 39.7 million households as of 2015.

The match in New York City gave Fox Sports 1 an opportunity to talk about Toronto FC. Analyst Alexi Lalas spent the first half focused on how bad NYC FC was playing as opposed to how well Toronto FC was playing. Lalas shifted a bit giving credit to the Reds once the team got on the scoreboard. Fox Sports 1 will get another shot at Toronto FC in the Eastern Conference Final.

As we noted earlier, Montréal and Vancouver haven't been on U.S. TV since 2017. Toronto had 4 appearances in 2018; 0 in 2019.

MLS Canadian teams playoffs results

Year	Date	Teams	Winner	Score
2019	October 30	Toronto @ Atlanta	TBD	TBD
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 (OT)
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 (OT)
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: Fox Sports 1; Major League Soccer
Twitter capture: MLS

2019 MLS recap: Toronto FC clinches a home playoff game

Editor's note: This article has been updated to reflect the revised starting time of the Toronto FC playoff game. The game will only air on TUDN and not Univision.

Toronto FC made a late-season comeback to do what no Canadian team did in 2018 and no other Canadian team did in 2019: make the MLS playoffs. The Reds ended up as the #4 seed in the new 2019 MLS playoffs format.

Toronto FC will host D.C. United at BMO Field on October 19. The Reds got home field on the second tiebreaker: goal differential (5-4).

The Reds haven't lost since August 3 at the New York Red Bulls. Since then, Toronto FC has gone 4-0-6. The 10-game stretched reminded fans of the 11-game unbeaten streak in the 2017 championship season.

Some of that second-half push has been helped by additions of Omar Gonzalez, Nicolas Benezet, and Erickson Gallardo. Goalkeeper Quentin Westberg proved valuable. The Reds still have Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore. Toronto FC sold star forward Sebastian Giovinco to Al-Hilal FC in Saudi Arabia in the offseason.

Alejandro Pozuelo led the team with 12 goals, including a free kick to account for the Toronto offence over Columbus yesterday. Altidore had 11 goals. The two combined for 23 of the team's 57 goals. Greg Vanney has been the coach since late August 2014.

Toronto will host the MLS playoff game on October 19 at 6 pm Eastern. TSN will carry the game in Canada. Those hoping for ESPN or Fox Sports coverage are out of luck. The game will air in the United States in TUDN. Good luck with that.

Toronto and D.C. United tied 0-0 at BMO Field in May and 1-1 in the U.S. capital in June. Toronto was 9-4-4 at home; D.C. United was 6-6-5 on the road.

If Toronto FC can get past D.C. United, the Reds will head to New York City FC on October 23 at 7 pm Eastern on Fox Sports 1.

2019 MLS preview

2018 MLS season wrapup: no Canadian playoff teams

CanadianCrossing.com soccer coverage

The Montréal Impact were 10-13-4 on August 22 when the team selected Wilmer Cabrera to replace head coach Rémi Garde. The team fired 2 other assistant coaches and added an assistant coach. At the time, that 10-13-4 record was the best of any Canadian MLS team, and the #7 seed (playoff team).

The Impact lost 10 of their last 15 MLS games. The team was eliminated in the next-to-last week.

The Vancouver Whitecaps had a poor station resting at the bottom of the Western Conference. Marc Dos Santos made his debut as the fourth Vancouver coach in the MLS era. The Whitecaps avoided the worst record in the league since FC Cincinnati in its first year in the league had fewer points than Vancouver.

Team	W	L	T	Points
Toronto FC Reds	13	10	11	50
Montréal Impact	12	17	5	41
Vancouver Whitecaps FC	8	16	10	34

Last season, the Vancouver Whitecaps had the best record for a Canadian team. Here is how the Canadian MLS teams finished the 2018 season:

Team	W	L	T	Points
Vancouver Whitecaps FC	13	13	8	47
Montréal Impact	14	16	4	46
Toronto FC Reds	10	18	6	36

The Canadian MLS teams managed to avoid the U.S. cameras for the entire season. Toronto FC was the 2017 MLS champion and got no U.S. coverage in 2019.

ESPN+ had every MLS game involving Canadian teams. ESPN, Fox Sports 1, and the Spanish-speaking options said "no" to the Canadian teams.

Few Americans could pick up the CTV coverage of the TSN feeds in the early part of the season. Montréal and Vancouver haven't been on U.S. TV since 2017. Toronto had 4 appearances in 2018; 0 in 2019. Making the playoffs will (hopefully) bring Toronto a TV date.

MLS Canadian teams playoffs results

Year	Date	Teams	Winner	Score
2019	October 19	D.C. United @ Toronto	TBD	TBD
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 (OT)
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 (OT)
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

photos credit: Major League Soccer

2019 MLS preview

The 3 Canadian Major League Soccer (MLS) teams are eager to forget the 2018 season.

Toronto FC starts its 2019 MLS season in Philadelphia on Saturday. Vancouver hosts Minnesota at BC Place and Montréal travels to San Jose for the season openers.

The Reds home opener will be March 17 against New England at BMO Field. The Impact don't open at home until April 13 with Columbus at Stade Saputo.

Marc Dos Santos is the new coach for Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Santos replaces interim coach Craig Dalrymple, who served starting September 25 after replacing Carl Robinson.

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This is likely the final season for Ignacio Piatti in Montréal. Piatti is in the final year of his contract. In 2018, Piatti scored 16 goals and 13 assists in 32 matches.

Piatti did say in a recent interview that if his family is doing well back in Argentina, "I will stay in Quebec." Piatti's father has been in ill health.

A better start will help Piatti and the team. The Impact started 2018 with a 2-11-0 record.

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If you hate freezing in late season Major League Soccer games, you'll enjoy the changes coming to the sport.

The break in between the regular season and playoffs will be 13 days instead of 3 days. The regular season will end on October 6. The 2019 MLS playoffs start on October 19. The 2019 MLS Cup final will be on November 10.

The playoff format will be single elimination with no more 2-leg formats. The number of teams in the playoffs expands from 12 to 14. There is a strong incentive to reach the top of the conference to get a bye. That top team will be joined by the winners of 2-7, 3-6, and 4-5. There will be no reseeding.

MLS will now have 24 teams with the addition of FC Cincinnati.

2018 MLS season wrapup: no Canadian playoff teams

2018 MLS preview

CanadianCrossing.com soccer coverage

Complaining about the number of games on U.S. television feels insignificant since none of the Canadian teams are scheduled to play on U.S. television. That includes ESPN, ESPN2, Fox, Fox Sports 1, Univision, and UniMas. If a Canadian team is doing well, there is flex scheduling for the final 4 weeks of the regular season.

All games will be available via ESPN+. You are set if you already get the service for CFL, NHL, or some other reason.

Toronto FC had 4 U.S. TV dates in 2018, 4 more than Montréal and Vancouver combined.

CTV will have 8 games, all in the early part of the season. The Canadian OTA network carried 9 games in 2018 and 7 games in 2017. TSN will carry all the other Reds and Whitecaps games as well as some Impact telecasts. TVA Sports will have all the Impact games en Francaise.

Here is the CTV schedule, all games on Saturday afternoons:

March 16 Vancouver @ Houston, 3 pm
March 30 Montréal @ Sporting KC, 3 pm
April 6 Chicago @ Toronto, 3 pm
April 20 Vancouver @ Orlando, 3 pm
April 27 Portland @ Toronto, 3 pm
May 4 Toronto @ Orlando, 4 pm
May 11 Philadelphia @ Toronto, 3 pm
May 18 Toronto @ Real Salt Lake, 3 pm

MLS Canadian teams playoffs results

Year	Date	Teams	Winner	Score
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 (OT)
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 (OT)
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

photos credit: Major League Soccer

2018 MLS season wrapup: no Canadian playoff teams

For the first time since 2011, there are no Canadian teams in the MLS playoffs. 2011 marked the Vancouver Whitecaps FC MLS debut and the Montréal Impact were a year away from joining the league.

The fate seemed a lot worse for the MLS Cup defending champions Toronto FC, only the 4th reigning MLS champion to miss the playoffs the following season. The same fate hit both teams that play at BMO Field: the CFL Argonauts and the Reds.

Toronto FC didn't come close, being eliminated from playoff competition with several weeks to go in the season. The Whitecaps were still alive going into the next to last Sunday. Vancouver FC could have won out but a goal differential of -14 with 2 weeks to go made winning a tiebreaker virtually impossible.

The Impact were still alive going into the last game. Montréal lost 1-0 to New England before the Columbus Crew pulled out a win. Montréal started out 4-11, but finished 10-5-4. The team was shutout 6 times in the first 15 games, but only 3 times since.

2015 was the only year all 3 Canadian teams made the MLS playoffs. Toronto snaps a 3-year string of making the playoffs, the best string for a Canadian MLS team. Vancouver did make the playoffs last season while Montréal has gone 2 straight seasons without a trip to the playoffs.

2018 MLS preview

CanadianCrossing.com soccer coverage

The Whitecaps have made the playoffs 4 out of 8 MLS seasons; Impact 3 out of 7 seasons; and the Reds 3 appearances in 12 years with 0 playoff games in the first 8 seasons.

Here is how the Canadian MLS teams finished the season:

Team	W	L	T	Points
Vancouver Whitecaps FC	13	13	8	47
Montréal Impact	14	16	4	46
Toronto FC Reds	10	18	6	36

 

Long-time Vancouver coach Carl Robinson did not last through the season. The Whitecaps fired Robinson late last month. Robinson went 64-59-42 in MLS regular season play since becoming head coach in December 2013. The Whitecaps had their best playoff season in 2017 since the team joined MLS.

Whitecaps FC Academy technical director Craig Dalrymple took over to lead the team for the rest of the season and went 2-2-1.

17-year-old Alphonso Davies finished his Vancouver Whitecaps career with both goals in the 2-1 win over Portland on Sunday. In late July, Vancouver Whitecaps FC sold Davies to Bayern Munich for $22 million Canadian, a record for an MLS player.

MLS Canadian teams playoffs results

Year	Date	Teams	Winner	Score
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 (OT)
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 (OT)
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

 

The miserable U.S. TV schedule for Canadian teams did not improve as the season went along. Both Montréal and Vancouver were in the MLS playoffs chase a lot longer than Toronto but they were shut out of TV appearances. With Montréal and Vancouver not making the playoffs, their U.S. TV schedule for 2019 can't get any worse.

If you were getting ESPN+ for CFL or some other reason, you could easily get Canadian feeds for some games and every game was available. That is not too bad of a deal. I didn't take advantage mostly because the MLS Canadian teams weren't doing well.

photos credit: Major League Soccer

Canada share of 2026 World Cup isn't much

Canada, United States, and Mexico are often caught in NAFTA headlines but the countries will work together to host the 2026 World Cup.

The Canadian portion will be 10 early round games in Edmonton, Toronto, and Montréal. The sites will be Commonwealth Stadium (Edmonton); BMO Field (Toronto); and Olympic Stadium (Montréal).

The 10 games would be early in the soccer tournament but the 10 allotted games and the sites are not guaranteed. The FIFA council makes those calls on number of games as well as sites.

The United States is scheduled to host 60 games; Mexico is down for 10 games.

When Canada hosted the 2015 Women's World Cup, one major concern was forcing the women to play on artificial turf. The men were supposed to be too good to play on turf. BMO Field has grass while Commonwealth Stadium has had field turf since 2010. The Olympic Stadium turf isn't even close to field turf. FIFA put in artificial turf for the women's 2015 World Cup, including a grass field in Moncton. Olympic Stadium may get a temporary grass field inside the dome.

Home of the 2015 Women's World Cup final, Vancouver didn't put in a bid for the 2026 World Cup. FIFA excessive demands and cost uncertainties were cited by Vancouver and Chicago in refusing to participate in the 2026 World Cup bid.

Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montréal, and Moncton were the host cities for the 2015 Women's World Cup.

U.S. uses sun, speed to win 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup

2015 Women's World Cup notebook: Canada eliminated in quarterfinals

CanadianCrossing.com soccer coverage

Part of the charm is that normally the host country automatically qualifies. Canada has only qualified in the men's World Cup in 1986. So if Canada gets an automatic berth, that will improve the chances of casual Canadians carrying more about the World Cup.

The beauty of cohesive immigration is that Canada cares about the World Cup often because of the country of their origin or family's origin. Will Canada care more once the World Cup is on Canadian soil will be an exercise that is a mere 8 years away.

photo credit: 2026 World Cup/FIFA

2018 MLS preview

The 2018 MLS season for Canadian teams offers some promise. A MLS Cup title for Toronto FC. A playoff win for the Vancouver Whitecaps. The Montréal Impact have a good chance to be competitive.

U.S. television isn't so convinced ordering up 4 Toronto FC games in 2018, the same amount as in 2017. Montréal and Vancouver each had a scheduled TV appearance in 2017. In 2018, neither team is scheduled to be on U.S. television. How does a playoff team get shutout of TV appearances?

Toronto FC starts its 2018 home schedule facing the Columbus Crew, the team the Reds defeated in the East final. The game at BMO Field is Saturday at 1 pm Eastern. Montréal travels to Vancouver on Sunday for the start of the season for both teams at 6 pm Eastern, 3 pm local time.

Here is the highly limited U.S. national telecasts for 2018:

May 9 Seattle @ Toronto 7:30p FS1
July 1 New York Red Bulls @ Toronto 4:30p FOX
August 4 Toronto @ Atlanta 4p ESPN
August 12 New York City FC @ Toronto 4p ESPN

Games can be added down the stretch to the U.S. TV schedule.

TSN will carry Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps games. TVA Sports will carry Montréal Impact games.

CTV continues with an early-season package of Saturday afternoon MLS telecasts. The Canadian network has 9 games, up from 7 in 2017.

March 10 Columbus @ Toronto 1p
March 17 Toronto @ Montréal 3p
March 31 Vancouver @ Columbus 3p
April 14 Toronto @ Colorado 3p
April 21 Toronto @ Houston 3p
April 28 Chicago @ Toronto 3p
May 5 Vancouver @ Minnesota 3p
May 12 Philadelphia @ Montréal 3p
May 19 Vancouver @ FC Dallas 4p

If you are looking for MLS Live, the out-of-market rights for TV games has been shifted to ESPN Plus, not to be confused with Watch ESPN or ESPN3. Reportedly, the cost of ESPN Plus will be $60/year ($5/month) compared to $79 for MLS Live. Games airing on national TV would not be available on the service.

photos credit: Major League Soccer