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TFC rolls past CD Aguila in CCL Opener

TFCAguila (Reuters)

 

Toronto FC made an impressive run to the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals in the tournament's last installment, and on Wednesday TFC looked every bit like a team determined to make another deep run.

Toronto opened Champions League play on Wednesday with a resounding 5-1 victory against Salvadoran side CD Aguila. Rookie midfielder Luis Silva lead the way, notching a goal and two assists while Reggie Lambe provided two goals of his own to send TFC into first place in the three-team group that also includes defending Mexican champion Santos Laguna.

Silva opened the scoring with a ninth-minute header off a Torsten Frings corner kick, then set up Toronto's second goal when he worked a give-and-go with Lambe that Lambe slotted home in the 17th minute.

CD Aguila was given some life in the 37 minute when TFC goalkeeper Milos Kocic spilled a free kick right to Yaikel Perez, who made the score 2-1. Toronto shook that off just three minutes later when Terry Dunfield re-directed an Ashtone Morgan cross.

Lambe added his second with a low blast early in the second half, and Ryan Johnson provided the capper when he raced onto a perfect long pass from Silva to make the final score 5-1.

The victory sets up TFC with a chance to take control of Group 1 with a victory at BMO Field against the same Santos Laguna side Toronto lost to in the Champions League semifinals earlier this year. Santos Laguna will open group play against CD Aguila in Torreon, Mexico on Aug. 21st.

What did you think of Toronto FC's performance on Wednesday night? Think TFC has any chance of winning the group and reaching the quarterfinals? Still see Santos Laguna bein too tough to beat?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Aguila is by far the worse Salvadorian representative in this years CCL. They let go a lot of important players that made them champions. The club owners also went out of their way to make it hard on the players the team didn’t let the physical trainer or equipment manager travel with the team and to make things worse scheduled a flight that made the players spend the night in the airport. Aguila is a mess Metapan is the best Salvadorian club and they won last night.

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  2. In order for that to happen MLS would have to move their schedule to one that is more in line with most of the other leagues in the world. Almost all other CCL leagues are starting their season now and ending around April and May like the European leagues that schedule their Champions league final around that time. MLS’s unique schedule doesn’t allow CONCACAF to do that.

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  3. Seriously! Zero defense. They really did make TFC look like a quality club. I generally have a healthy respect for Central American teams, but if Aguila is the Salvadoran Clausura winner, what does that say for their league?

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  4. I should be careful what I ask for, but MLSfan, do you care to elaborate and bless us with your superior insight? What do you mean?

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  5. LOL that’s what my sons and I were saying as we watched this game yesterday. My 14-year old was wondering what it would be like if this team faced one of the top-tier MLS teams.

    Watching Anguila get torched by an also sloppy TFC was…just…weird. I mean TFC was slaloming through that D like they had messi on the team. That was some Twilight Zone stuff right there.

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  6. I’m really missing your point. Why then allow a US-based MLS team to qualify based on the USOC? I’m not sure the Welsh situation is a blueprint.

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  7. if they changed the rules about canadian players they could prob change the rules about the teams, until then this is the way it is.

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  8. yes i know this. But look at UEFA. Just because a Welsh team plays in the Premier League it doesn’t mean they can get into the Champions League another way.

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  9. The reason Mexican and American football will never progress as fast as other upcoming nations in CONCACAF is the ignorance of it’s fans & media.

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  10. It is a CONCACAF competition, therefore based on country, not the league. In the absence of a Canadian league, TFC are Canadian champions through the national cup competition, just like awarding the USOC winner a place.

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  11. i think all of CONCACAF needs to get on the same schedule so this tournament could fit into the narrative of the season its played in.

    what i mean by this is the fact that the Champions league final for this season is actually played in March or April. It should be played the week after the MLS regular season.

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  12. well as per usual TFC haven’t got a league run so they might as well focus on CONCACAF – if they beat Santos then i am really going to wonder about the Jekyll & Hyde output….

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