Toronto FC: Campeones Cup should be treated with importance

Toronto FC will host their first ever Campeones Cup at BMO Field against Liga-MX side Tigres, and the fixture should come with a massive amount of importance.

As reigning MLS champions, Toronto FC automatically qualified for their first ever Campeones Cup tie. Meanwhile, Tigres won the Campeon de Campeones against Santos Laguna with a dominating 4-0 scoreline, to set up the rematch.

The fixture is set to take place on Sept. 17. The two sides last played in a Champions League tie during March, in arguably the most thrilling pair of contests in this season’s competition.

It’s the first time this new cup has been brought into play. From the looks of it, the fixture will be a test run to see if it’s worth implementing for the future. One of the goals of the Campeones Cup was listed by the MLS website:

"The 2018 Campeones Cup is the inaugural edition of the yearly event that is part of a larger multi-year collaboration between MLS and Liga MX, designed to bring fans together from the US, Mexico and Canada in a show of unity while fueling a rivalry between two of the world’s most competitive soccer leagues. The three countries will host the 2026 World Cup together."

Despite all of the goals and hopes from Mexico, the United States and Canada, some supporters seem unimpressed by the new tie on the TFC schedule. The justification for this is due in part to timing. September is when the MLS campaign becomes more intense and important. Clubs towards the top are eyeing domestic trophies, while fringe clubs are fighting for a spot in the postseason.

With the Reds recovering well lately, there is a good chance they will be in the latter category of fighting for a playoff spot.

Another argument against such a game in September, comes down to how MLS teams taking part will treat the fixture. Managers might elect to start bench players to avoid injuries and essentially treat it as a friendly.

Both are solid reasons, but that shouldn’t sway anybody from catching the fixture and enjoying it. Anytime silverware is involved, it is a chance for Toronto FC to add to a bleak trophy cabinet.

It doesn’t matter what the value of the competition is. The biggest clubs in the world choose to take some big names along to preseason tours, for example, to chase hardware and earn prize money.

The way to become a recognizable name across the planet is to have a winning history behind you. The same goes for TFC, no matter if it’s the Campeones Cup or the MLS Cup final.

Even though this hasn’t been confirmed, there may be money involved for the winning team in the clash. Any sort of dollar amount is valuable to a club. MLS teams don’t boast monster budgets each season, so every little bit helps to improve the overall quality of what is being displayed on the pitch.

Supporters also need to step back and realize what is trying to be done here. The Americas are finally trying to unite through creating more ties and tournaments. It sparks interest from the casual fan all the way to the die hard supporter.

Countries across Europe have been doing this for years. Take Spain for example. The Supercopa de Espana is played by the champions and the runner-up of La Liga. FC Barcelona and Real Madrid usually partake in the tie, and they do anything possible to win it.

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It’s capping off the success of clubs from the prior season, while giving attention to the campaign ahead. Who earns bragging rights in the country? Who will get off to a better start?

The continent of Europe even does it with the Super Cup. Winners of both the Champions League and the Europa League play each other towards the start of every European campaign.

Why shouldn’t the Americas try to follow this? As previously mentioned, becoming united could very well help make the 2026 FIFA World Cup that much better.

As a final point, even if bench players were used in the Campeones Cup, would that be a negative aspect? Getting everybody involved to make them feel special and to play with something on the line is something every athlete wants to feel.

Mark this fixture on your calendars. It doesn’t deserve to be written off, just because it’s never been done before. Give it a chance, because the possibility of the Campeones Cup turning into something special is an exciting aspect to think about.

What are your overall thoughts on the Campeones Cup? Is it worth it for Toronto FC? Let us know in the comments section below.