Challenge comes to Champions
Reds will face much stiffer test against Mexican club Tigres in quarter-finals
Toronto FC has been itching for the opportunity to test itself against the best teams in the region. And the CONCACAF Champions League, the most prestigious club tournament in North America, Central America and the Caribbean, is just the challenge the Reds were craving.
But the Colorado Rapids, the Reds’ round-of-16 opponents, didn’t provide much of a struggle. The Rapids qualified for the tournament as the 2016 Supporters’ Shield runners-up, but they dropped to second-last in the West last season and are in the midst of a total rebuild.
Things should get more interesting in the quarter-finals, which begin next Wednesday at BMO Field with the Mexican side Tigres UANL visiting. Many analysts believe Tigres could be the toughest challenge the Reds will face in this four-round tournament, which they hope to become the first Major League Soccer team to win.
The team: Club de Futbol Tigres de la Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon was founded in 1960 and is based in Monterrey, Mexico. The club plays in Liga MX, the top tier of Mexican football. The league is broken into two segments, the Apertura, which runs from July to November, and the Clausura, from January to May May. Tigres finished second in the 2017 Apertura and are sixth in the 2018 Clausura, after nine games. Tigres has won the Liga MX title six times.
Tigres has competed in the Champions League three times, finishing as runners up in 2016 and 2017. Tigres beat Costa Rica’s C.S. Herediano 5-3 on aggregate in the round of 16.
The history: Mexican teams have dominated the Champions League since it adopted its current playing structure for the 2008-2009 tournament. Seven of the nine finals since have pitted two Liga MX sides against one another, with the nine trophies split between five different Mexican teams. Real Salt Lake and Montreal Impact are the only two MLS clubs to reach the Champions League final in that time.
The stars: Strikers Andre-Pierre Gignac, Enner Valencia and Eduardo Vargas combined for 25 goals and nine assists in the 2017 Apertura. Gignac already has six goals in this year’s Clausura and Valencia scored a pair against Herediano on Tuesday.
TFC’s approach: Toronto has long had its sights on facing Mexican competition in this tournament. It’s why the team travelled to Mexico City in the pre-season, playing Cruz Azul and Club America. The Reds hoped to get a feel for the attacking style of play the Mexican sides are known for, as well as the atmospheres and facilities.
TFC’s lineup: Reds coach Greg Vanney doesn’t plan to rotate his team much despite playing three games in eight days. With just two competitive matches under their belts in 2018 — compared to the 11 Tigres has played — Vanney believes his strongest 11 needs as much game time as he can afford them.