TFC defeat Club America 3-1 in the first leg of the CCL semifinals. Giovinco, Altidore and Morgan with the goals. Think TFC are in tough in the return leg, but they were in tough against Tigres as well.
When Ashtone Morgan scores, it's a good day.
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That was a really impressive win, for sure thought they were going to get a 4th goal even.
Central American soccer has gotta be the whiniest sporting setting on earth. Though Herrara is a special case for sure... always some great indignity. Even when they are winning they are diving and flopping around wasting time like they've been shot.
Azteca is a tough place to play but I actually think it's much better than most of the other stadiums in Mex... for club football anyway. Good facilities and Mexico City is a big place with lots of different clubs/fans and TFC won't have the same feeling of hostility they would going into a one club city. Probably most of the UNAM, Cruz Azul, Toluca, Atlante, etc fans in the city are supporting TFC.
No matter how impressive TFC has been... best moment of a Canadian team beating a Mexican one is still not close to being equalled imo
Tfc get the away goal at azteca... Up 1-0 at half but definately under siege and lost altidore to an injury.
Chivas are through to the final... If tfc is gonna win this they will have to beat the 3 biggest clubs in concacaf. Be another huge series going into guadalajara. I am getting concerned about how many injuries they have racked up as well.
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I think they beat the 2 best teams in Mexico... Chivas are bottom third of the table.
That said Chivas is a massive club and I still think better and deeper than every other mls team excepting tfc. Gotta go into another massive super hostile stadium and get the job done
I think it will come down to how healthy they are. If they are without Mavinga Van Der Wiel Morrow and Altidore .. That is a big ask.
Think they should basically play a tfc II lineup in their mls game this weekend and rest up.
Last edited by Matty81; 04-10-2018 at 10:46 PM.
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It's a really big deal. Liga mex is the best league in north america and probably only behind argentina and brazil in the americas. I think tigres in particular are mid table premier league quality. No mls team has ever won this conpetition in its current format. Mls teams almost mever beat liga mex teams amd tfc has come through 2 of the best.
What's more... If they win the final tie they will play in the fifa world club cup finals and have a shot at the winner of the european champions league and the south american copa libertadores. Big international exposure and a chance at even bigger games.
Gotta get the job done in the finals though in my opinion otherwise it has been impressive but not a landmark.
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To have TFC go into Azteca and nearly come out with a win is a massive result. And as a Canadian supporter, watching Ricketts set up Osorio for the opening goal was just awesome.
Have to think that after beating Tigres and now Club America, they will win the CCL. Of course, now that I'm expecting them to win, surely they'll lose.
Also, if anyone here wants to watch the CCL final, I'm going to set up watch parties at Home & Away for both legs. It's been a great spot to watch Canada games and MLS Cup.
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I'll be there tonight, can't wait! As someone who was a season ticket holder during the Aron Winter era, it's surreal to be attending CCL final and to see how far this team has come. COME ON YOU REDS!!!!!!
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As Toronto FC brace for the start of the 2018 Concacaf Champions League final against Chivas de Guadalajara on Tuesday at BMO Field (8:15 pm ET; TSN2 in Canada | UDN, go90.com in US), the specters of yellow-card accumulation and injuries hang heavy in the air.
Concacaf has not included an accumulation reset, as is the norm in such tournaments to diminish the chances of players missing the final for innocuous reasons, meaning any two yellow cards will see a player suspended for the next match.
For TFC that list includes: Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore, Sebastian Giovinco, Jonathan Osorio and Drew Moor. Should any be cautioned in the first leg, they will not be available for the decisive second because of a two bookings through seven matches.
Chris Mavinga, Justin Morrow, Gregory van der Wiel, and Jozy Altidore could all go. Victor Vazquez is unsure.
C.D. Guadalajara (Mexico), founded in 1906
Second CCL appearance; first appearance in CCL final.
Currently in 16th place in the 2018 Liga MX Clausura (3-6-6).
In liguilla (a championship stage tournament similar to the MLS Cup Playoffs), Guadalajara edged Atlas and Toluca in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, respectively, thanks to their higher seeding following an aggregate draw over two legs. Chivas then defeated Tigres UANL (TFC’s quarterfinal opponent) 4-3 in the final.
Along with Club América (TFC’s semifinal opponent), Guadalajara is recognized as one of the most well-supported and successful clubs in all of Mexico. Chivas have won a record 12 league titles (tied with América), and four Copa MX crowns. The Goats are also known for fielding exclusively Mexican players, garnering the club wide-spread support throughout the country.
To have TFC go into Azteca and nearly come out with a win is a massive result. And as a Canadian supporter, watching Ricketts set up Osorio for the opening goal was just awesome.
Debbie Downer warning - Ricketts was so lucky on that play lol. He was way too slow making a decision, and it was actually the defender that got a leg in to knock the ball off of him, but it went right to Osorio.
Yeah Ricketts is not a guy you want to be relying on as the primary focal point of your attack, he definitely lucked out there. God bless the guy for his service to country and he's a passable sub with pace but I hope Altidore can go tonight. Was hoping TFC would have picked up a better 3rd striker in the offseason, for me it's the biggest gap in the team now with all the depth they have acquired and some of these young guys coming through the academy. That Fraser kid backing up Bradley who just turned 20 looks like a damn good player for TFC and Canada moving forward.
Reading this AM it sounds like BMO turf is pretty messed up after the big storms out east. Should be an interesting one! GO TFC... let's see a Canadian club in the world club cup, something I never thought I'd ever come close to seeing in my lifetime growing up in the A-league era.