It’s been less than 24-hours since the club nailed down its spot in the CONCACAF Champions League quarter-finals, but victory starved TFC fans are already focused on that distant tie.
Those late to the CCL game are asking questions about what happens from here. A breakdown of the most important rules:
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Who will Toronto play?
Assuming Tauro doesn’t get a result in Mexico tonight (a Tauro win or draw sees Toronto finish top of the group; Tauro must win by three goals to advance itself at the expense of Pumas), TFC will finish second in the group. That will mean that the Reds will be randomly drawn against one of the first place teams not in their group.
As it stands at 9 a.m. EDT Wednesday, Monterrey has won group D and Santos Laguna is in a commanding position on top of Group B (Colorado must beat Santos Laguna by three goals tonight in Mexico to take top spot). So, you can assume that the Reds have a 66 per cent chance of drawing a Mexican side, and a 33 per cent chance of following Montreal’s lead by playing Santos Laguna.
Group A is a little more complicated, but the Galaxy can simplify it by winning tonight against Motagua. If L.A. does that it will capture top spot and ensure a 33 per cent chance that a flood of Canadians will be arriving at LAX next March. If L.A. doesn’t win a trip to Costa Rica is in the mix. Alajuelense would capture the group. The tiebreakers are such that a L.A. win tonight would eliminate Mexican side Morelia. The best the Mexicans can finish in the group is in the runner-up spot.
So, to summarize – and assuming Pumas does what everyone expects it to do and wins at home against Tauro – Toronto will play one of four teams: Monterrey, Santos Laguna, the Galaxy or Alajuelense.
When will Toronto play?
Not in February as many keep insisting...
The first leg of the quarterfinals (likely TFC’s home date) is March 6-8. The second leg goes March 13-15.
If TFC were to advance, the semi-finals are March 27-29 (first leg) and April 3-5 (second leg), with the finals going April 17-19 (first leg) and April 24-26 (#MLS4TFC).
The semi-final and final (for leg order) are random draws, so TFC’s opponent is impossible to predict.
Can Toronto add to its roster for the quarterfinals?
Yes. Rule 5.2 states:
Teams will be able to inscribe a second Roster List consisting of a maximum of 30 players (30-player List) no later than seven (7) days prior to their first match, at the start of the Phase 3: the Championship Stage, for the purposes of participating in the remainder of the CCL season. If the initial and succeeding Roster Lists do not include the maximum 30 players, such Roster list may be increased in a manner consistent with these Regulations, including 5.3 and 5.4 below, provided the maximum of 30 players is not exceeded.
TFC could dress 30 entirely different guys if it was so inclined.
So does that mean the cup-tie rules don’t apply (i.e. Can Eric Avilla play?)
Yes they apply; no he can’t play. Rule 5.4:
Once having been properly inscribed on a Roster List for one Team, in any Phase, a player may not be inscribed on the Roster List for any other Team in the CCL in the same season of competition, in any Phase.
So, sorry TFC fans, no Avilla.