It must not have been a very happy flight home for Toronto FC immediately following Tuesday night's 2-0 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Their plan all along was to race to the airport to catch the red eye back to Toronto so they could enjoy the day off Wednesday, relaxing safe in the knowledge the Nutrilite Canadian Championship was theirs. They raced to the airport all right, with their heads down and their tails between their legs.
Instead, it's the Whitecaps who woke up Wednesday to another unusual, hot sunny day in Vancouver knowing that not only do they have a chance -- now they're in the driver's seat. The world is upside down.
Toronto must win, and win big, scoring at least four goals in Montreal on June 18 in order to advance. It all sets up a scenario that Toronto FC and MLSE must find quite distasteful. It was the MLS team which was supposed to waltz into Montreal with a reserve side knowing they'd already clinched the title. It was the MLS team which was going to rest some front-line players for a busy summer schedule. It was the MLS team which had visions of churning through the CONCACAF Champions League in front of wintertime sell out crowds at the Rogers Centre. And it was the MLS team which was supposed to exact a measure of revenge for last year and prove that they do indeed play in a superior league. All that is likely on the scrapheap now.
Instead it's the Whitecaps who look set for a run. Like Montreal a year ago, it is the upstart USL side ready to make headlines.
Speaking of the Impact, fortunately for Toronto that June 18th game means nothing to them. Or does it? There's no question they would like nothing better than to see their junior circuit brothers advance. And they can help make it happen.
