Ahead of Saturday's must-win showdown in New York, Toronto FC can take solace in the fact the club has improved in each of its first three years of existence. However, on the opposite side of the continent the expansion Seattle Sounders skewed all future expectations by not only qualifying for the post-season, but also doing it with one game to spare.

The Sounders' methodology in its first year of existence was far from rocket science: Lure a winning coach, actually make use of the expansion draft, select a veritable superstar first overall, sign a marquee playmaker in the designated player slot, unearth a previously unknown young striker, and then let the whole lot mesh as a unit. (OK, good luck is another agent which cannot be ignored.)

Voila; playoffs.

Now, in the case of the two expansion teams that preceded Seattle in MLS (TFC, San Jose Earthquakes) there are instances where the formulaic boxes can be checked for all three. But it is the boxes that cannot be ticked in each column that reveal why one team will most certainly not play beyond the regular season while another is hoping to back in.

In the case of Toronto FC, and like I mentioned above, there is merit in the record of improvement shown from the 25 points earned in 2007. Full points on Saturday in New York will push the Reds over the 40-point plateau; and even if FC Dallas and Colorado do not co-operate, the tally is a sign of progress. There is an ethos in Toronto; as there appears to be one emerging in San Jose. But up here patience is missing, and the face on the milk carton is interim coach Chris Cummins.

I like Cummins, but that appears to be of the minority. However, I imagine the majority had very few kind words for current Sounders coach Sigi Schmid when he failed to lead Columbus to the post-season in successive years. It wasn't until the third year that Schmid won a title with the Crew, and before the majority could express its gratitude, Seattle put him on a plane.

I am not about to compare a coach with 12 total wins to one with 10 times as many, but failure to acknowledge Cummins as a coach with sound soccer knowledge and an innate ability to shuttle young players from the reserve ranks to the starting 11 reeks of simply being selective in delivering judgment.

Sure patience is a virtue, and much like Schmid in Columbus, Cummins appears to understand the overused proverb in Toronto. A glance at the roster selection over the last five games proves it. Gate 4 at BMO Field whirred like a revolving door all summer as the intrepid travels of Mo Johnston brought in as many as it pushed out. The incessant tinkering and 'have a look at' forced the interim staff to, well, have a look. It was not until Danny Dichio retired and Julian De Guzman was brought in that any semblance of lineup consistency was seen within the Reds. In those five games: two wins, two draws and the loss to Los Angeles.

Whether or not the overlords at MLSE chose to do the same and tick off the "let the whole lot mesh as a unit" box is the unknown, but the silence surrounding it speaks volumes.

There are very few Schmids out there to be lured, and it might be too strong a "what if" to leave hanging if Cummins is not allowed a full season -- and off-season for that matter -- in control. Regardless, the salacious sub-plot of what the Reds director/puppeteer will do should be interesting to observe.

Steady Eddy

No. 2 goalkeeper Brian Edwards is a veteran of controversy. As a rookie in 2008, Edwards opened the Major League Soccer season ahead of the incumbent Greg Sutton in a 2-0 loss to Columbus. At the time, John Carver endorsed Edwards as a player who performed well in training and deserved the honour. Fast forward to now, replace Carver with Cummins and Sutton with Stefan Frei and you have the same situation going into the crucial playoff-deciding match in New York.

The hand injury to Frei might make it all a moot point, but if the rookie shot-stopper is available for selection on Saturday, he should accept that No. 2 is now his role and the team belongs to Edwards. Removing a goalkeeper whose play against Real Salt Lake allowed the Reds to live another day is taking a step backwards. In fact, if the stars align and the Reds make the playoffs, the team should remain Edwards'.