Def ining test at hand for Toronto FC

“It’s an important test for us,” Vanney added. “I think we worked hard and did a lot of things last year and have earned the right to be in this tournament, which was one of our objectives. Now (the objective) is to try and win this tournament.”

Expect Vanney to alter his approach after watching his side struggle to move the ball on the subpar BMO Field surface this past weekend. They’ll be far more comfortable playing a field position game in which chances are created off turnovers rather than the methodical buildups TFC fans became accustomed to during last year’s record season.

“It’s going to come down to not a whole lot of chances,” Vanney said prophetically. “It’s going to come down to really being efficient in order to finish things off.”

It’s also going to come down to containing some of the best acting players in the Americas.

Ex-Premier League striker Enner Valencia, 28, has been extremely productive in his short time at Estadio Universitario. Chilean No. 9 Eduardo Vargas, 28, is a World Cup calibre striker who has played in each of the top four European leagues.

Frenchman André-Pierre Gignac, 32, has been unstoppable since arriving from Marseille three years ago.

“He’s a very, very good striker in the box in terms of finding space, getting open, getting things on goal, clever about different types of finishes,” Vanney said of Gignac. “You deal with him the way you deal with all good players: You have to be aware of him.”

Limiting the aforementioned trio’s touches will prove paramount. Perhaps Vanney gleaned something from how the Crew approached Saturday’s league fixture.

It’s going to be cold and rainy. The pitch will be worse than it has been in years — the perfect recipe to turn Wednesday’s contest into controlled chaos in the same way both Columbus and New York did during last year’s MLS playoffs.

“We know we have to play well and execute in key moments,” Vanney said. “When you get two good teams playing each other it comes down to (finishing) your chances and (protecting) your goal well. Those are key things we need to take care of in this match.”

Do that and the Red give themselves a chance to advance beyond next week’s return leg in Monterrey.