If all teams are completely equal there is a 1 in 4 chance it is an all LigaMx final. If I had no interest in a bet that 1 in 100000, why would I want odds like that? Its obvious the MLS teams have improved significantly from their first round games, to the second round games. Without seeing how much of change happens from round 2 to 3 and assuming MLS teams have until at least the second round (and are at least out of pre-season) before meeting LigaMx teams I think you find out it will be more like 3 in 5.
Red Bulls just need a mutli-goal win at home, while TFC just needs to keep the game close... Neither is unreasonable. Pressure is huge, though, too. If RBNY weren't expecting a ton of Chivas fans to show up, (reminds me of USMNT hosting CRC in the same stadium not too long ago...) I'd have more confidence in them. But here's hoping for that first all-MLS final!
That's one way to put it... Though I consider advancing through penalties as a "draw" case instead of a "win" case. Same if away goals were to apply. Advancing is advancing, though! =-)
Great job, Toronto! I still don't think MLS will win it all. Drag. Still looking forward to the final.
Wow. Watching Montreal and Toronto years ago, it was always clear that the Liga MX teams were clearly superior, and the MLS (Montreal and Toronto at least) teams had to get lucky. But I'm not seeing that watching Toronto FC this year. There's no question that TFC isn't a far better club than last time it contested the Champions League - but is Liga MX quality the same, or slipping? (though I never figured out why Toronto FC could survive in the Champions League historically, when it was near the bottom of MLS, but other MLS teams seemed to fare didn't seem to fare much better ... do they just not try?)
I don't think Liga MX quality is slipping. America played a terrible game at BMO field while Tigres played harder too late. Chivas will be harder as they'll take TFC seriously from the get go.
On April 25 we will either see a 34 on top or a 1 at the bottom: Code: Countrywise list of winners Mexico 33 Costa Rica 6 El Salvador 3 Guatemala 2 Haiti 2 Honduras 2 Surinam 2 Trinidad and Tobago 2 USA 2 In the latter scenario the thread title has to be changed to USSF. (Titles are officially awarded to national associations - not leagues)
lol What do you think about one of the worst teams in Mexico beating arguably the best MLS team ever? And spare be with the salary narrative when Chivas just won with domestic players.
I hadn't realised there were so few teams in Mexico. I thought Canada was the 1 or 2 league country! Toronto FC won their first-ever game in Mexico tonight, but lost the championship - as they always do - on penalties. After beating the top 2 Mexican teams. I honestly didn't think we had a hope after the Toronto game. Tonight's end result was gutting (ugh, penalties - should be extra time) - but I never expected to win the match, especially after the first goal. The only thing that I don't get, and give credit to, is how Guadalajara did manage to beat Toronto FC at home, in a snowstorm? I bet half of them had never seen snow in their lives - credit for not just standing there mesmerized by the beauty of the large snow flakes in the wind! America looked absolutely miserable in the driving rain just above freezing (though by the end of the match, they'd started to figure out that if you keep running, you don't feel it).
It was mighty close this year but the Mexican stranglehold remains. Two editions remain for MLS to avoid a "20-year anniversary" of non-success. Will MLS manage to win either 2019 or 2020? 2000 LA Galaxy 2001 Club America (Giants Cup*) 2002 Pachuca 2003 Toluca 2004 Alajuelense 2005 Saprissa 2006 Club America 2007 Pachuca 2008 Pachuca 2009 Atlante 2010 Pachuca 2011 Monterrey 2012 Monterrey 2013 Monterrey 2014 Cruz Azul 2015 Club America 2016 Club America 2017 Pachuca 2018 Chivas 2019 ? 2020 ? *no Champions Cup that year
They tried, but they just weren't good enough. League results are not indicative of CL results. Some teams who are doing well in the league can't step it up on the bigger change. Those who do reap greater success.
Atlanta is probably our best shot right now, but like PSG, they will have difficulty defensively. MLS sides are always going to be unbalanced and will rely on trying to keep up with Liga MX scoring-wise. BTW, I do think that Liga MX has regressed, relies overmuch on expensive imports and is becoming slower and slower about bringing up their youth (Reminds me of modern-day Barca; Chivas winning CCL is actually a positive thing to me even though I wanted TFC to win) and even flirting with eliminating p/r was an annoying chapter in your league's history. Don't do that again...
The issue with MLS sides defensive deficiencies remains. One thing that predicated TFC's run was the fact that their depth and low-dollar players outperformed their value and had been doing so for the entire preceding season. That included their outside and center backs. TFC not only had a better attack than MLS sides had before, but they were by far the best defensive side MLS had produced going into this competition. But I don't think that it was something that was necessarily a talent aspect so much as how well they happened to gel as a unit that season, something which was broken for them after losing the final this year and they looked like an ordinary to bad team all season, excluding the Canadian Championship where they seemed to be their old selves. Who the real TFC is is anyone's guess right now. Perhaps they could only get themselves up for another run at the CCL that eluded them?
Atlanta could be interesting, especially if they bring the big crowds from the league. And it definitely beats playing the CCL in a baseball stadium, the scenario if NY City catches them. Oh, and LAFC has broken the CONCACAF curse already... ...at the U-13 level.