So, it’s over.
We all knew it would be eventually. There were enough results to allow us to dream, but the idea that TFC was going to win the CONCACAF Champions League was always absurd. That they came this close makes no sense.
Still, they were 45 minutes away from the final. A scoreless half – and weirder things have happened – is all that it would have taken. For the wheels to come off as they did…well, it hurt. In many ways it would have been better if Santos had just rolled them from the first whistle. Emotionally, it would have been easier to handle. Instead, TFC came out and competed. They tried to play with them and for the most part they did over the first 45.
It’s OK to be proud that they did. It doesn’t make you a bad fan for not demanding more. They weren’t supposed to have a chance. They proved that they could play the game a little. That’s a good thing.
They can’t defend a team as talented as Santos over 90 minutes. That’s less good. It’s also unfortunate that the score got out of hand because it probably doesn’t reflect the overall play. The casual Toronto sports fan is going to wake up tomorrow and hear 6-2 and have their stereotypes reinforced. That’s unfortunate. Really unfortunate.
Hopefully those more tuned in will see it for what it was – a good effort that came undone. Santos had to earn it. That’s something to hold onto.
But, here’s the thing. The fairy-tale has sustained Toronto so far in 2012. That the club is 0-3 in MLS play has largely been forgotten because of the distraction of the Champions League. Now, that’s off the table. Toronto needs to focus on turning around what’s already becoming a mess.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Make no mistake dropping six points at home in the first two games of the season is an unqualified disaster. There is very little room for error over the next two games. If the Reds don’t have six points after the Chivas home game feel free to full on panic.
The Champions League run was a nice distraction, but this club needs to be better in he league. One look at the empty seats last week against Columbus tells you all you need to know. Outside of an increasingly frustrated hardcore, the city has lost patience with TFC. Sure they’ll show up a few times a year to drink beer in the sunshine, but the club will remain a bit of a sideshow when it comes to Toronto sports.
That’s why this loss is hard to take. In many ways it seems like the end of something bigger. And it’s hard to see a way out of the funk.
In five years TFC has gone from the exciting thing to do to just another failed MLSE property. It’s depressing and, for those that have battled to see this sport become part of the mainstream, it’s scary. At the risk of being overly dramatic, it’s easy to see all that was gained over the last five years flushed away.
Ultimately, there is a fear that this was as good as it will ever get. After five years the diehard TFC fan struggles with the idea that the club can ever win. This Champions League run almost seemed like a gift from the football Gods for our patience – a sort of condescending pat on the head for signing so loud for such a bad team.
Now that it’s done…well, now what?
The TFC and has to hope Aron Winter knows what he’s doing and the 0-3 start is not representative, that’s what. It’s hard to feel that hopeful. There is a lingering feeling amongst many – the informed many, it must be said – that Winter has put together a talented team, but a team that cannot win in MLS. There is a bit too much flare and not enough grit.
That’s terrifying. It’s especially bad news because the club really has no other option but to ride this out and see what’s there. A re-make at this point would be idiotic.
So, we stare down the possibility of another 18-months of frustration with the realization that tonight was a highlight we’re not likely to reach again anytime soon.
It all starts Saturday against Montreal. Let’s not consider what it might feel like to give the Impact their first win.