In the wake of Toronto FC’s disturbing, dispiriting 0-1 loss away to Arabe Unido of Panama on Tuesday night, great scorn has been heaped on TFC coach Preki for his odd and indifferent lineup decisions.
A third-string goalie here, a banged-up defender who hadn’t played in many weeks there, no DeRo for the first half, no Mista at all, subbing in Gargan and Nane late when the Reds really needed a goal. On and on, etcetera, so there.
As much as TFC’s rabid fans are outraged, there are some deep, serious realities Preki had to address.
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I’m not talking about the ongoing tabloid hype about Preki and Mista not getting along. I’m not even buying that one until it starts coming at me from multiple directions. Rather, those lineup choices may have had far more to do with Toronto’s gruesome Saturday loss to Thierry Henry and the PopCans – and the present dreadful state of the CONCACAF Champions League.
In order of how they occurred:
The loss to New York, coupled with San Jose’s 1-0 win over the Less Astonishing Galaxy two hours later, dumped Toronto out the MLS top eight. Sure, the Reds basically have ten games left to gain a game on Colorado, and that has to be doable. But they also have to hold off an improving Chicago side, and both Kansas City and Houston are edging back into the picture, as well.
Those prospects become a bit more worrying when you look at Toronto’s next three matches:
- Home to the Salt Lake Seagulls on Saturday. The defending champs, bless them, playing well, with a speedy, creative, multi-waved attack, and Nick Garcia starting at centre back thanks to Nana Attakora’s hand-ball red card against New York.
- Away to Dallas a week later. We all love to dismiss and make fun of FC Bouncy Castle, but the simple truth is they have more points than New York – and a game in hand.
- Away to Chicago on September 8. Sure, the Reds roughed them up 4-1 at BMO back in May, but the Fire are improving – now just two points back of Toronto, with two games in hand.
Oh, and both the Dallas and Chicago games coincide – exactly, or within a day – with Canada’s home matches against Peru and Honduras. So, forget about TFC having all their players for either match.
Looking at this, Preki would be well within his rights to hold players back, and throw everything he possibly can at the Salt Lake game. That doesn’t really explain sitting backup goalie John Conway in Panama, but now we’re quibbling.
The loss in Panama seems, on the surface, to be a colossal missed opportunity. But that ignores some chronic, ugly facts.
The CONCACAF Champions League, in its present form, is far loftier as an idea than a real competition.
So, it’s great that Toronto beat a half-speed Cruz Azul a week ago, but we’re all incensed that they stayed in neutral and protected their roster in a loss to Arabe Unido? Is that the same Panama game that was marred by one-sided officiating, dirty play and endless play-acting by the Central Americans?
Right now, with roster restrictions, tight salary cap, brutal fixture backlog and the ongoing laff-a-minit funfest that is being a Canadian or American visiting team south of El Paso, Texas, the CCL is badly flawed. Yes, it gave us a Canadian championship tournament, and that’s been great. Yes, it’s wonderful to welcome new and exotic teams up to BMO and play opponents who feel a lot realer than San Jose and Chivas USA.
But CONCACAF is a tough, enraging sideshow for MLS sides. Especially when you consider – the alternative.
Making the playoffs in MLS is far, far more important, folks. If Toronto gets to the post-season, the matches are pretty much coin flips from there. As Salt Lake proved a year ago, a team that is dead and buried with one week to go in the regular season can actually win the freaking championship!
And this year, that championship game is being played – in Toronto.
Success in CONCACAF is exciting, seductive and great for the ego. It’s also an illusory add-on that puts terrible stress on MLS rosters, and leads to farcical matches like the Panama trip. Toronto was battered and disrespected – by the refs, the Panamanians and heavy time and personnel restrictions inflicted on them by their own league!
As much as I would have loved to see Toronto beat the United Arabs of Panama (who were neither Arab, nor particularly united), I find myself unable to muster much anger at Preki for sending out a vastly undermanned side.
The Salt Lake game is simply too important. The Dallas and Chicago trips look dire, and losing three in a row would all but kill Toronto now.
When CONCACAF and MLS can work out a better way to schedule Champions League games, when there are actually enough players on the roster to do the extra matches justice, and should the experience of being a Canadian team in Central America ever become less of a dangerous, insulting farce, then maybe we can gas-can Preki for resting his troops.
A week ago, I asked you which you would prefer to focus on: the CCL or the playoff race. On Tuesday night in Panama, I humbly submit the Champions League made that choice for us.
Onward!