Toronto FC fall agonizingly short in the Champions League

A brilliant comeback from Toronto FC led by Sebastian Giovinco fell short as Guadalajara won the Champions League on penalties.

The streak continues; Mexican sides have now won it a total of 11 times. By comparison, an MLS squad has only won continental silverware three times, but Toronto FC were ever so close to making it four.

After being down 2-1 in the first leg, Toronto FC grabbed two goals back through Jozy Altidore and Giovinco to put Chivas on their heels. The Mexican side only needed one though, which brought it to penalties for Chivas to eventually lift the title.

Aside from the Raptors, it wasn’t a great night for Toronto sports fans. In both cases of the Maple Leafs and TFC, their campaigns up until this point were nothing short of brilliant. Expect more from the Toronto area of sports in the near future.

TFC supporters might have thought the tie would be over in the 18th minute. Orbelin Pineda was sent in on goal effortlessly Carlos Cisneros. It was too easy for Pineda to just pace back the back-line of the Reds and force the ball past Alex Bono for the advantage.

Unlike the last fixture, TFC had a very quick response to the first breakthrough. Altidore displayed peer strength to park right in front of the net, as Nicolas Hasler squared the ball for the American to deflect home.

TFC surprisingly surrendered a lot of possession time to try and hit Chivas on the counter. It definitely worked for the Atomic Ant, as Giovinco moved right into the edge of the box and sent a low strike right past the palms of Rodolfo Cota.

https://twitter.com/BTaylorCFC/status/989329889517096961

Despite Guadalajara looking as if they had control of the fixture, the Reds still managed to make the most of each possession they had of the ball. Victor Vazquez got the nod from the bench and sent a power-hitter towards Cota, which seemed lucky to be saved.

The same cheeky attempt that saw Chivas grab their second goal in the first leg was used again on Wednesday night. What looked to be a cross from the far edge, turned out to be a shot on Bono. This time, the Syracuse graduate deflected it up and over the bar.

Nothing brilliant happened until the penalty round. Giovinco started off strong with his goal, but Jonathan Osorio took a riser that went off the bar and out. Chivas scored every goal in the penalty round, so it wasn’t the best guessing night for Bono.

Michael Bradley was surprisingly called on to take a shot. The American skipper’s shot was a real riser that didn’t even come close to hitting the net. That was the game, and most importantly, that was the Champions League for Toronto FC.

Key Stats

Toronto FC

• 9 shots
• 4 shots on target
• 45 percent possession
• Key Player: Sebastian Giovinco

Guadalajara

• 24 shots
• 8 shots on target
• 6 corners
• Key Player: Alan Pulido

Quick Thoughts from the Reds’ Campaign

Overall, what a great run for TFC. It may not be on the surface for supporters now but just making it this far has had some major benefits, ranging from player development all the way to club exposure.

It was an experience the Reds have never really had before. The Champions League was a huge learning curve for the players and management. It may not have ended with silverware, but TFC are on a great path to do some damage in the years ahead.

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Optimism aside, the biggest worry has to be the MLS. A bit shocking, right? Not really. TFC took a huge sacrifice these past few weeks in resting their squad for continental play. As a result, the Reds have some major ground to make up domestically.

That’s probably the biggest takeaway for Greg Vanney. International play is nice, but sometimes, sacrificing some crucial league play might not be worth it. The Reds featured at least five or more players that were either regular bench players, or were promoted from TFC II over the course of recent time in MLS play.

Some could say it’s only being noted since the Reds lost the Champions League. Yet again, however, if TFC want to be the biggest highlight from Americas, they need to keep balance.

More thoughts will follow. For now, TFC have to embrace all that the Champions League has done for them. A couple of Toronto teams may not have ended a campaign the way they liked, but as much as some do not want to hear it, you have to lose some to win some.

Stay tuned.

Next: TFC continue to drop points in MLS for Champions League

Make is your take from the second leg? Overall, do you agree with Toronto FC’s approach towards MLS while they pursued Champions League glory? Share your thoughts in the comments below!