TFC captain calls MLS schedule a ‘total joke’

6 GAMES IN 19 DAYS

Toronto FC captain Michael Bradley has lambasted Major League Soccer and the Canadian Soccer Association for an overloaded schedule that sees TFC play six games in 19 days.

The logjam is due in part to the two-legged Canadian Championship final with Montreal, which also felt the star midfielder’s ire.

“(A) total joke,” Bradley said after practice Friday. “What more can you say?

“You’re trying to grow a league, you’re trying to raise the quality across the board. You’re trying to give the Canadian Championship the respect that it deserves, because it’s a trophy and we want to win it. And how ultimately you get put in a position where you have to play two games in three days (in Montreal next Wednesday and then at home Friday against New England), it’s beyond me. Laughable.”

The unforgiving schedule starts Saturday at home to D.C. United. Toronto then plays in Montreal on Wednesday, at home to New England and Montreal on Friday and Tuesday, and away in Dallas on Saturday and Orlando on Wednesday.

“Across the board, the Canadian Soccer Association, Montreal Impact, how this gets allowed, you can’t help but shake your head,” said Bradley.

Toronto coach Greg Vanney says there were “many, many discussions” about trying to ease the calendar. But nothing came of it.

Vanney also noted there was pressure to get the Canadian Championship done before domestic talent was needed for next month’s Gold Cup.

“Our motto is one play at a time, one game at a time,” he said. “Let’s just play one game at a time and everybody needs to be ready to get called upon.”