I don’t want to brush any pixie dust off the shoulders of Toronto FC’s historic win, but some hard realities need to be spoken for.
Bluntly put, at this point, Toronto does not have the depth to contend in both an MLS playoff race and a CONCACAF Champions League push.
Position-by-position, they simply do not have the adequate personnel to fill the roles game in and game out. Players’ legs will tire, and bless their efforts, but Jacob Peterson, Nane Joseph, Raivis Hscanovics and Fuad Ibrahim are all only patchwork players.
Add a string of injuries that have plagued the starters (Chad Barrett, Maicon Santos, Amadou Sanyang and now Nick Garcia) and it’s almost impossible to imagine Toronto starting a competitive squad in both league and Champions League games.
Beating Cruz Azul is undoubtedly a major accomplishment for the club, one that should rank up there with Danny Dichio’s first goal and the Montreal Miracle as far as memories go.
Tuesday night’s win left even the hardened observers walking away from BMO Field with a glazed look — but it shouldn’t blur the road ahead.
Toronto will take on the New York Red Bulls this Saturday, a club now flush with its full lineup, and not one to be confused with the depleted team that beat Toronto 1-0 eight days ago.
Toronto then flies to Panama for a Champions League game three days later, returns to Toronto four days after that to face the reigning MLS champions Real Salt Lake, and then jets off to Dallas and Chicago to play a pair of games within 96 hours — both of which have MLS playoff implications.
It’s a daunting task for any team, straddling the line between Champions League and an MLS playoff push, as both have their appeal. A playoff run would help Toronto FC make a splash in the city’s barren sporting landscape, while the hardcore supporters are likely pining for a Champions League run similar to Montreal’s in the 2008-09 competition.
Head coach Preki has done a masterful job managing the talent he has this season. But making a run at both is beyond anyone’s abilities.
Toronto needs to make a decision now — MLS playoffs or CONCACAF Champions League. Patchwork has helped Toronto contend up until this point, but ultimately it won’t win them games. And wins are what they need.
Failing to recognize that, the club will find itself on the outside looking in — in both competitions.
