It is unlikely that TFC will ever face a bigger challenge than what is before them Wednesday night when they travel to Torreon, Mexico to face Santos Laguna in the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals. A 1-1 draw in the home leg already has Santos in the driver’s seat with an away goal and Toronto will need to seek out the right balance and approach to avoid the fates of previous Canadian and US clubs who’ve been humiliated at Estadio Corona.
The Reds have struggled to connect during the first three weeks of their domestic season, however, this competition has been a true anomaly as they have played some of their best games in club history against Mexican and Central America teams. This is a different scenario though, as it is not pre-qualifying or the group stage, but a winner takes all ticket to the finals. There is a mountain of obstacles in TFC’s way to finding that slim chance at the result, and for them truthfully pull off a miracle, will need everything to go their way.
Keep Thinking
It is tough to argue with the fact that Toronto are heavy underdogs in this one. All external factors will follow, but to start their roster is without two essential players who can add another dimension and level to their performance. No Frings or Koevermans greatly swings the quality in favour of Santos and takes the approach of ‘no passengers’ to another degree.
Despite this, as well as a terrible start to the MLS season, TFC travel to Mexico with confidence. A handful of times over the last two years, while struggling in the league, Toronto have found a way to put in Mr. Hyde performance in the Champions League. A draw in Mexico City against Cruz Azul in 2010, and after a complete mugging against Pumas last summer, a surprising 1-1 draw at home to kept them alive in their group. Added to that, getting results in Mexico two years ago seemed like the impossible, but since, MLS teams have begun to set a new precedent that it is possible to come home on top.
Ashtone Morgan on TFC's chances against Santos Laguna
However, Santos Laguna right now are on another level from many of the teams in the past. Sitting atop the Mexican Primera, they are on an impressive streak of six games without a loss and are lead by Oribe Peralta, Christian Suarez and Hérculez Gómez, who completely decimated the Seattle Sounders in the previous round of the tournament 6-1 at home. What Toronto need to be most mindful in that result was the score was 2-1 at halftime. Already appearing to be running on fumes, this is a game where every player, especially the defenders, cannot afford to tire down the stretch.
In the opening leg, it was noted how if there was something to be taken from Seattle’s strategy it was that they were able to score all of their goals in the air. Three balls either from corners or crosses is what up until the final forty-five minutes, had these to teams level at three goals. Seattle’s mistake was not having enough men at the back and getting caught out deep on the counter. Toronto have already shown they have difficulties dealing with attackers who come down the middle with pace, and there is no question Santos will look for ways to exploit this area.
Two other areas where TFC will be at a severe disadvantage is first, the magnitude of the match means they will not be in a near empty stadium like they experienced in Mexico City over the last two tournaments. By all accounts, it would look as though it will be near capacity with the entire stadium squarely behind the home team.
The second disadvantage will be what is often the biggest factor when Canadian teams head south of the border and that is the officiating. It is unclear whether what has been noted as an all Honduran officiating team means worse news for Canada or Mexico, but it is probably a safe bet that in Mexico many of the calls that were the right ones in Toronto will likely go the other way.
Toronto will need to stay disciplined in more than one way as just on a competitive level, they will need to punch above their weight against a more technical and crafty side that will cause problems for defenders the entire ninety minutes. As well, they will need to stay disciplined mentally as there is little doubt any physical contact will result in the Santos players writhing on the ground looking to get the call, and they probably will more often than not.
This is where the difficulty lies in the approach to take as the one seen in Toronto was the right one to keep Santos at bay defending, and physically putting them in place throughout the rest of the field. TFC’s best chance is to not be intimidated by the environment or the referee. Playing their game which will probably be a tight formation with bodies at the back, but ready to commit an extra one to the attack will require determination for the full match. Ryan Johnson, Joao Plata, Reggie Lambe and Luis Silva will be able to find their chances, but it will be the pairing of De Guzman and Dunfield that will make the difference. If these two have enough to work box to box, without breaking down, that is Toronto’s best chance of leaving Torreon making history.
In the End
After a poor start to the MLS campaign, getting a chance to play in the Champions League is a needed boost of confidence for TFC. While going to Santos Laguna really shouldn’t be cause for confidence, Toronto have somehow found a way to do the unthinkable over the last six months, especially in this tournament. Santos have been here before and are red hot both in the league and in this competition.
The Reds have a huge task ahead of them, and even without their two best players, have shown they have enough mettle to hang with the best. However, we saw on the weekend the fatigue start to show and Santos are a team with depth and ability to push at the highest level for ninety minutes. It won’t be on the level of Seattle’s humbling, but on this night, Toronto might not have enough in the tank to compete for the full ninety minutes with a team of the caliber of Santos Laguna.
Prediction
Santos Laguna 3 – Toronto FC 1
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