The Champions League for our region (CONCACAF) resumes this evening and the impossible may be as possible as ever. Mexican Primera side Toluca travels to Columbus in a quarterfinal two-leg aggregate knockout round. Major League Soccer sides tend to hold their own against non-Mexican competition, but against our southerly neighbors it hasn't been a contest.
Columbus only has one significant loss. They can no longer count on Alejandro Moreno to draw free kicks and penalties for GBS. When you watch this game you will see a team more experienced than Seattle, but running a similar style. GBS roams behind the striker and flirts with being both a CAM and Withdrawn Forward at the same time.
Toluca is not a historically strong club and only has a few titles in the past half decade. They are currently struggling in League play more than half way through the Mexican Spring season. Eleventh with 11 pts in an 18 team league they do have a +3 Goal Differential. But they are traveling to cold Columbus, a stadium where Mexico players perform poorly.
They say that "Impossible is Nothing" but in this game, and at this stage of MLS, the impossible is a necessity for an MLS side to advance in the knockout rounds of the CCL. Tonight, on FSC, at 5PM Pacific you have the best opportunity for an MLS club to set up the impossible.
For those of you that want a stronger MLS, with more revenue, you need to watch matches that don't involve your own side. That's why TV ratings are strong for MLB, NFL, NBA, EPL, etc. Higher ratings for all matches involving MLS sides means more revenue, more revenue means more salary cap monies, which means better overall talent.
And let's be honest, this is one of those times that you have a clear rooting interest in an MLS side and their best chance to pick up goals against a club from Mexico. Oh, and it gives you a preview of the Crew's strength in this upcoming season.