Canadian Crossing

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

Toronto FC completes season of triumph with 2017 MLS Cup championship

At long last.@JozyAltidore gives @torontofc the lead at #MLSCup. https://t.co/CSUcnC5EWV

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) December 9, 2017

A bevy of well-timed passes with the last one from Sebastian Giovinco. Jozy Altidore drove down with the ball. Altidore tapped the ball slightly to the left. Stefan Frei pulled out a bit. Altidore drove the ball with his left foot in the 67th minute and Toronto FC finally scored a goal in the MLS Cup.

Victor Vazquez added a goal off a rebound from Armando Cooper's shot off the right goalpost in the 94th minute. Toronto FC got revenge over 2016 with a 2-0 win over the Seattle Sounders in the 2017 MLS Cup at BMO Field.

In 2015, Toronto FC made the playoffs for the first time. In 2016, the Reds came a crossbar away from possibly winning the MLS Cup. In 2017, Toronto FC won the Supporters' Shield, the Canadian Cup, and the 2017 MLS Cup.

The 30,584 fans at BMO Field and a few thousand at Maple Leaf Square saw what ESPN even said was a perfect game by Toronto FC. They also got to see Toronto FC accept the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy. Alex Bono posted a 2-save shutout compared to 11 shots for Toronto FC. Toronto outshot Seattle 22-7.

2017 MLS Canadian teams playoffs results

Date	Teams	Winner	Score
December 9	Seattle @ Toronto	Toronto	2-0
November 29	Columbus @ Toronto	Toronto	1-0
November 21	Toronto @ Columbus	Tie	0-0
November 5	New York Red Bulls @ Toronto	NY Red Bulls	1-0
November 2	Vancouver @ Seattle	Seattle	2-0
October 30	Toronto @ New York Red Bulls	Toronto	2-1
October 29	Seattle @ Vancouver	Tie	0-0
October 25	San Jose @ Vancouver	Vancouver	5-0

 

The 2 Toronto FC goals were extraordinary given Seattle' defence prowess. Here are the streaks that were snapped when Altidore scored in the 67th minute:

• 714 minutes since Seattle had given up a playoff goal (MLS record), all the way back to the second leg of the 2016 Western Conference final against Colorado Rapids.
• 609 minutes since the Sounders conceded a goal, going back to a 2-0 loss in Philadelphia on October 1. The Sounders had posted 12 shutouts in their last 18 games.
• 624 minutes since Stefan Frei had given up a postseason goal (MLS record) with 5 straight playoff shutouts.

This is why the Altidore goal was so huge for Toronto FC.

The MLS Cup Champion Toronto FC Reds will have their parade today starting at Maple Leaf Square at 11:45am and ending at Nathan Phillips Square at 12:30 pm. The ceremony will then take place at Nathan Phillips Square.

Based on the crowds at BMO Field and the folks watching at Maple Leaf Square Saturday night, there should be a huge turnout today.

Seba is 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/ED55b5aC4T

— Toronto FC (@torontofc) December 9, 2017

For such dominance in the regular season, the playoffs had been a struggle. Winning the first round on an away-goals tiebreaker. A lone goal in 2 games in the Eastern Conference final. And a long scoreless streak in the MLS Cup. Toronto FC did play better defence in the 2017 playoffs at perhaps a sacrifice to the offence.

Toronto FC went into the MLS Cup 4-3-2 since mid-September with only a 14-13 scoring difference.

The Toronto FC Reds made it count when it counted in the 2017 MLS Cup. When Altidore scored, a lot of people figured Toronto would win the Cup.

Toronto FC Reds 2017 MLS Cup preview

Toronto FC wins Eastern Conference title and will host 2017 MLS Cup

Toronto FC faces Columbus for chance to go back to MLS Cup

Toronto FC advances in ugly fashion; Vancouver Whitecaps out of MLS playoffs

Vancouver Whitecaps FC win first ever MLS playoff game

2017 MLS playoffs preview

CanadianCrossing.com soccer coverage

Like in 2016, ESPN made an issue of a lack of Toronto championships in major sports. This ignores the fact that the last Toronto championship happened 13 days before in the 2017 Grey Cup with the Toronto Argonauts. Feels odd having British people explain on American television that Canadian football does not count.

Ricky Ray gets 4th Grey Cup win; Toronto Argonauts comeback winners in 105th Grey Cup

By the ESPN definition, which to be fair is a lot of Toronto, the last Toronto championship belonged to the 1993 Toronto Blue Jays. Let's hope the 2017-2018 Toronto Maple Leafs can add to this bandwagon of winning.

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

 

Toronto FC won the 2017 MLS Cup. Vancouver Whitecaps won their first MLS game. Montréal Impact had an off year but could easily bounce back. A really nice year for the MLS in Canada.

Twitter captures: @MLS; @Toronto FC
photo composite: Toronto FC

Toronto FC Reds 2017 MLS Cup preview

Whatever it takes 💪 @JozyAltidore pic.twitter.com/PBWI7RoUSf

— Toronto FC (@torontofc) December 5, 2017

2017 MLS Canadian teams playoffs results

Date	Teams	Winner	Score
December 9	Seattle @ Toronto	TBD	TBD
November 29	Columbus @ Toronto	Toronto	1-0
November 21	Toronto @ Columbus	Tie	0-0
November 5	New York Red Bulls @ Toronto	NY Red Bulls	1-0
November 2	Vancouver @ Seattle	Seattle	2-0
October 30	Toronto @ New York Red Bulls	Toronto	2-1
October 29	Seattle @ Vancouver	Tie	0-0
October 25	San Jose @ Vancouver	Vancouver	5-0

 

The rematch that most of the MLS world wanted is now a reality. The 2017 MLS Cup will feature the same teams that competed for the 2016 MLS Cup in the same location at BMO Field in Toronto. The Toronto FC Reds, winners of the 2017 Supporters Shield, will play the 2016 MLS Cup champions, the Seattle Sounders.

ESPN, UniMás, TSN, and TVA Sports will handle the coverage of the 2017 MLS Cup starting at 4 pm Eastern in Toronto. Canadian Julie Stewart-Binks will be the sideline reporter for ESPN in the MLS Cup. You might remember her history lesson on Montréal and Toronto when she was working for Fox Sports 1.

TSN 1/4/5 will start with a pregame at 3:30 pm. TVA Sports also has a 30-minute pregame.

Toronto FC wins Eastern Conference title and will host 2017 MLS Cup

Toronto FC faces Columbus for chance to go back to MLS Cup

Toronto FC advances in ugly fashion; Vancouver Whitecaps out of MLS playoffs

Vancouver Whitecaps FC win first ever MLS playoff game

If you listened to the ESPN announcers, the Seattle Sounders are underdogs going into the 2017 MLS Cup. On paper, perhaps this is true. But the Sounders are putting together some record-shattering defence.

The Sounders have 6 straight postseason shutouts, a MLS record. Seattle had an easy time with the Houston Dynamo, winning 2-0 in Houston and 3-0 in Seattle. The Sounders have outscored their 2017 playoff opponents 7-0.

Colorado Rapids was the last team to score a goal against Seattle in the first leg of the Western Conference championship 2016. In 6 games in the 2016 playoffs, Seattle surrendered 2 goals to FC Dallas and 1 goal to Colorado Rapids. Seattle posted 4 shutouts in 2016: Sporting KC in the knockout round, FC Dallas in the first leg in the Western Conference semifinals, the second leg against Colorado Rapids, and the MLS Cup.

Meanwhile, Toronto only has a 3-2 goal differential. The Reds have posted 2 shutouts in the 2017 playoffs. Then again, the Vancouver Whitecaps also have 2 shutouts and have been eliminated since November 2.

The stat that will be driven into your heads is that in MLS Cup rematches, the team that won the first year won the second year: Houston Dynamo over New England Revolution (2006-2007) and LA Galaxy over Houston Dynamo (2011-2012).

Toronto FC loses 2016 MLS Cup on penalty kicks

Toronto FC has scored 3 goals in 4 playoff games in 2017. By contrast, Toronto FC scored 17 playoff goals in 2016 — a MLS playoff record — and that includes being shut out in the 2016 MLS Cup.

The frustration in watching the 2016 MLS Cup was that the Seattle Sounders were trying not to score to force penalty kicks. The strategy worked for the Sounders, the defending MLS Cup champions, 5-4 on penalty kicks.

Toronto FC fans may have choices on how the team should win, but can all agree that winning the 2017 MLS Cup is what matters. So Saturday's game will likely be boring, but Reds fans are looking for a good kind of boring where their team wins.

In the 2016 MLS Cup, Toronto FC had 7 shots on goal in the game to 0 for the Seattle Sounders. Maybe one will go in this year.

2017 MLS playoffs preview

CanadianCrossing.com soccer coverage

Toronto has excelled in coming close to winning titles but struggled to win them in recent times. The Blue Jays, Raptors, and Reds have come close in recent times. The CFL Toronto Argonauts was the last team to win a major championship before this year, doing so in 2012.

For the last time Toronto had 2 major championships in a 12-month period, you would go back to the fall of 1950 (Argonauts) and the spring of 1951 (Maple Leafs). For wins in the same calendar year, you have to go back to 1947. The only other year both franchises won championships in the same year was 1945.

The Argonauts won the 1991 Grey Cup followed by Toronto Blue Jays championships in 1992 and 1993.

If the Reds can pull out a win, you can add the Argos title and even the champions Toronto Wolfpack of the Rugby Football League.

Twitter capture: @TorontoFC
photo credit: MLS

Toronto FC wins Eastern Conference title and will host 2017 MLS Cup

The breakthrough!@JozyAltidore puts @torontofc ahead 1-0! #TORvCLB // @audi #MLSCupPlayoffs https://t.co/A60AaxAH7I

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 30, 2017

Jozy Altidore was suspended in a controversial decision for the first leg against Columbus. So the scenario was fitting where Altidore overcame an injury in the 49th minute to score the lone goal in the 60th minute, sending Toronto FC to the 2017 MLS Cup with a 1-0 win.

Toronto FC will host either Seattle or Houston on December 9, but that will likely be Seattle. The MLS Cup defending champion Sounders scored a pair of first-half goals in the opening leg in Houston to post the 2-0 victory. Even if the Dynamo can shut down the Sounders in Seattle Thursday night, the 2 away goals advantage looms large.

In the first leg at Columbus, Toronto did not put a shot on target. Toronto had six shots in the first half and one in the second, all off the mark.

Toronto FC won the Supporters Shield, dominating the MLS schedule. The Reds have had to focus on defence, only scoring 3 goals in 4 playoff games.

2017 MLS Canadian teams playoffs results

Date	Teams	Winner	Score
December 9	Seattle/Houston @ Toronto	TBD	TBD
November 29	Columbus @ Toronto	Toronto	1-0
November 21	Toronto @ Columbus	Tie	0-0
November 5	New York Red Bulls @ Toronto	NY Red Bulls	1-0
November 2	Vancouver @ Seattle	Seattle	2-0
October 30	Toronto @ New York Red Bulls	Toronto	2-1
October 29	Seattle @ Vancouver	Tie	0-0
October 25	San Jose @ Vancouver	Vancouver	5-0

What a feeling. 🏆#TORvCLB // @Audi #MLSCupPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/EEO7Xk3UaF

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 30, 2017

The lone goal in this series started with a goal kick from Toronto FC goalie Alex Bono. A few fortunate bounces later, the ball came to Sebastian Giovinco, who was also suspended in the first leg. Giovinco back passed the ball to Altidore, who gave a nice leading pass to Victor Vazquez. Vazquez set up Altidore with a beautiful pass and Altidore kicked the ball into the far left section of the Columbus goal.

"I couldn't leave the game. I felt like I had more to give," Altidore told Fox Sports 1. "There was a chance coming, and luckily enough the chance came when I was still on." Altidore said to TSN, "This is a testament to the organization."

Altidore did come out in the 68th minute after giving the Reds all the scoring the team would need.

Toronto FC faces Columbus for chance to go back to MLS Cup

Toronto FC advances in ugly fashion; Vancouver Whitecaps out of MLS playoffs

Vancouver Whitecaps FC win first ever MLS playoff game

2017 MLS playoffs preview

CanadianCrossing.com soccer coverage

If the Sounders do win tonight, the 2017 MLS Cup will be a rematch of the 2016 MLS Cup, which Seattle won on penalty kicks.

The 2017 MLS Cup will be at BMO Field on December 9 at 4 pm Eastern on ESPN and TSN. We'll have a 2017 MLS Cup preview next week.

Twitter captures: MLS

Toronto FC faces Columbus for chance to go back to MLS Cup

2017 MLS Canadian teams playoffs results

Date	Teams	Winner	Score
November 29	Columbus @ Toronto	TBD	TBD
November 21	Toronto @ Columbus	TBD	TBD
November 5	New York Red Bulls @ Toronto	NY Red Bulls	1-0
November 2	Vancouver @ Seattle	Seattle	2-0
October 30	Toronto @ New York Red Bulls	Toronto	2-1
October 29	Seattle @ Vancouver	Tie	0-0
October 25	San Jose @ Vancouver	Vancouver	5-0

A rivalry renewed. We're ready to write the next chapter.

Next stop: Columbus#TFCLive | #MLSCupPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/oI2qx70cjk

— Toronto FC (@torontofc) November 18, 2017

Toronto FC might feel like the team has an arm or two tied behind their back in the opening leg of the 2017 MLS East final in Columbus.

Jozy Altidore received a red card for an infraction off the field that, according to the Toronto FC people, was based on an incident where New York Red Bulls captain Sacha Kljestan wasn't supposed to be. Toronto FC appealed the decision and lost.

"The burden of proof for us was to unequivocally prove that what we think and what we understand to have happened did happen," said Toronto coach Greg Vanney. "We weren't able to do that conclusively with the video because there's still little gaps in the video."

I'm definitely not the biggest fan of this sport but from a casual fan standpoint, the whole incident is bizarre. An official follows the players up the tunnel in case something happens. Kliestan had knocked down Altidore on the field. Kliestan may or may not have been in the wrong place. The Red Bulls behaviour was absolutely shameful to any organised sport, and there doesn't seem to be any pushback to their actions. 

The hope is that Toronto FC can recover from these actions, but the impression is that if the Red Bulls had come to play soccer that afternoon in Toronto, both Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco would be playing in Columbus tonight.

Giovinco, who has half of the 2 Toronto FC goals so far in the 2017 MLS playoffs, got a second yellow card on November 5 and will not play in the game in Columbus.

Tosaint Ricketts and Victor Vazquez, who has the other Reds 2017 playoff goal, will be key people to step up for Toronto FC.

Columbus has played inspired soccer to this point, getting past a hot Atlanta United in the knockout round and a strong NYC FC team in the East semifinal. The team and fans are also rallying behind since the Crew's owner has threatened to move the team to Austin, TX.

The teams haven't played since May 26. The Reds went 1-1 in the Ohio capital with a convincing 5-0 win at BMO Field on May 26. In that large home shutout, the Reds were without Giovinco (injury) and Altidore (suspension).

Toronto FC-Columbus times and networks

Date	Site	Time	U.S. TV	Cdn TV
November 21	@ Columbus	8 pm	ESPN	TSN, TVAS
November 29	@ Toronto	7:20 pm	FS1	TSN, TVAS

 

The Trillium Cup is an extension of the rivalry between the Reds and the Crew. The teams compete for the Cup based on goals scored in the regular MLS games between the squads. The trillium is the official flower of Ontario and the official wildflower of Ohio.

Columbus dominated the rivalry early on since 2008 while Toronto FC has won the Cup 3 of the last 4 seasons.

This time, the teams are competing for the right to play for a more impressive Cup.

Toronto FC advances in ugly fashion; Vancouver Whitecaps out of MLS playoffs

Vancouver Whitecaps FC win first ever MLS playoff game

2017 MLS playoffs preview

CanadianCrossing.com soccer coverage

If Toronto FC pulls off the win, the Reds would host either the Houston Dynamo or the Seattle Sounders. The Reds would host the 2017 MLS Cup for having a better record. The winner of the Supporters Shield is the team with the most points in the whole league.

Twitter capture: @torontofc

Toronto FC advances in ugly fashion; Vancouver Whitecaps out of MLS playoffs

2017 MLS Canadian teams playoffs results

Date	Teams	Winner	Score
November 29	Columbus @ Toronto	TBD	TBD
November 21	Toronto @ Columbus	TBD	TBD
November 5	New York Red Bulls @ Toronto	NY Red Bulls	1-0
November 2	Vancouver @ Seattle	Seattle	2-0
October 30	Toronto @ New York Red Bulls	Toronto	2-1
October 29	Seattle @ Vancouver	Tie	0-0
October 25	San Jose @ Vancouver	Vancouver	5-0

 

Toronto FC got caught up in an attempt by the New York Red Bulls to drag the game down. Unfortunately for the Reds, the team will be without Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco in the first leg against the Columbus Crew in the MLS 2017 East final.

The Reds advanced to the next round with the advantage in away goals thanks to a 2-1 win in New Jersey on Monday.

In the first game, Victor Vazquez got a quick goal for Toronto FC at 8'. Sebastian Giovinco added to his free kick prowess at 72' to snap a 1-1 tie at 72'. Giovinco set a league record with 6 free-kick goals in the regular season.

Toronto FC went 2-1 against Columbus, all before May 26. Columbus won at home 2-1 on April 15. Toronto won 2-1 in Columbus on May 10 and 5-0 at BMO Field on May 26.

The first leg will be in the Ohio capital on November 21 at 8 pm on ESPN, TSN, and TVAS. The second leg is in Toronto on November 29 at 7:20 pm on FS1, TSN, and TVAS.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC win first ever MLS playoff game

2017 MLS playoffs preview

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The Vancouver Whitecaps MLS division playoffs pattern: Play a Cascadia Cup rival. Have a scoreless tie in the first game. Lose 2-0 in the second game.

The Whitecaps pulled that off in the 2015 MLS playoffs against the Portland Timbers. In 2017, the same pattern held with the Seattle Sounders, the other Cascadia Cup rival.

Clint Dempsey scored both goals for Seattle. Dempsey had been suspended for the first game in Vancouver.

In 2015, Vancouver didn't need the knockout round game. In 2017, the Whitecaps did win the knockout round game. Treasure those 5 goals in the off-season.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC win first ever MLS playoff game

The Vancouver Whitecaps were the first Canadian MLS team to make the playoffs (2012) and the first to get a bye in the playoffs (2015). Until Wednesday night, the Whitecaps were the only Canadian MLS team never to win a MLS playoff game.

Fredy Montero scored a header off a corner kick to give the Whitecaps a 1-0 halftime lead. Vancouver kept adding insurance, scoring 4 goals between 57' and 80'. Nicolas Mezquida had the final 2 goals within a 2-minute span at 78' and 80' to seal the 5-0 decision, having come into the game at 68'. Cristian Techera and Kendall Waston had the initial goals of the second half for the Whitecaps. Techera (corner kick) and Waston (header) helped out on the Montero goal.

San Jose actually dominated the first half in the Whitecaps 5-0 win but didn't have goals to show for their effort.

The Vancouver Whitecaps have little time to celebrate with the West semifinal starting tomorrow night with their Cascadia Cup rival Seattle Sounders. BC Place will be the home of the first leg at 8:30 pm Eastern on Sunday.

2017 MLS Canadian teams TV schedule

Date	Teams	Time	U.S. TV	Cdn TV
November 5	New York Red Bulls @ Toronto FC	3p	ESPN	TSN 1/4
November 2	Vancouver @ Seattle	10:30p	FS1	TSN
October 30	Toronto FC @ New York Red Bulls	7p	FS1	TSN4
October 29	Seattle @ Vancouver	8:30p	ESPN	TSN 1/4

Times are Eastern.
All games on TVAS except for TVAS2 on October 29.

The second leg in Seattle at Century Link Field was moved up to Thursday since the NFL Seattle Seahawks are at home on November 5, the date for the rest of the MLS second legs in the division semifinal rounds.

Vancouver went 1-1-1 with Seattle this season. The Whitecaps won at home 2-1 on April 14, played to a 1-1 draw at home on August 23, and lost in Seattle 3-0 on September 27.

Seattle veteran Clint Dempsey is suspended for one game as the result of a red card in the regular season finale. Dempsey will miss the game in Vancouver Sunday night. The Whitecaps need to take advantage.

The playoff meeting of Cascadia Cup rivals is the second for the Whitecaps. Vancouver FC didn't fare well against Portland in 2015. There is extra excitement outside of the Pacific Northwest to see how these teams will battle against each other in the playoffs.

2017 MLS Canadian teams playoffs results

Date	Teams	Winner	Score
November 5	New York Red Bulls @ Toronto	TBD	TBD
November 2	Vancouver @ Seattle	TBD	TBD
October 30	Toronto @ New York Red Bulls	TBD	TBD
October 29	Seattle @ Vancouver	TBD	TBD
October 25	San Jose @ Vancouver	Vancouver	5-0

We found out Wednesday night that Toronto FC will face the New York Red Bulls in the East semifinal.

Toronto FC will play the New York Red Bulls in the East semifinal. The Red Bulls manhandled the Chicago Fire 4-0 Wednesday night.

The Reds went 1-0-1 against the Red Bulls this season. The teams played to a 1-1 tie on May 19 in New Jersey. Toronto FC won 4-2 at BMO Field on September 30.

The teams have never met in the MLS playoffs. The Montréal Impact handled the Red Bulls in the 2016 playoffs.

Playing the Red Bulls gave a guarantee of not facing 70,000 potential Atlanta United fans in the division semifinal, even though the Columbus Crew advanced to the next round.

2017 MLS playoffs preview

A key reminder to casual MLS fans: away goals are significant since they are the first tiebreaker if the teams are deadlocked after 2 games. The Whitecaps weren't able to take advantage in 2015.

In 2015, the Montréal Impact gave up 2 away goals to Columbus. The Impact got those 2 goals back in Columbus but had to score a 3rd goal in overtime.

Toronto FC scored 2 OT goals with Montréal in the East final in 2016 since the teams were tied in overall goals and away goals.

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I signed up for a free preview of MLS Live to watch the Whitecaps game. I do get a UniMas signal but the SAP wasn't working during the early game. The SAP worked beautifully in the nightcap.

The MLS Live feed was about 30 seconds behind the TV feed. The really nice 10-seconds backward and forward buttons were very helpful. The MLS Live feed came from TSN, a nice bonus.

photo credit: TSN