Toronto FC become third MLS team in history to reach CCL final

Toronto FC joined one of the most exclusive clubs in Major League Soccer history on Tuesday night.

By holding Club América to a 1-1 draw at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, the Reds won their Concacaf Champions League semifinal series with the Liga MX giants and advanced to the CCL final, just the third MLS team ever to reach the continental tournament’s ultimate stage. 

The first MLSers to reach the final were Real Salt Lake in 2011, where they fell just short of the trophy in agonizing fashion, losing to Mexico’s Monterrey 3-2 on aggregate and narrowly missing out on a trip to the FIFA Club World Cup.

RSL’s achievement was equalled, but not quite surpassed, by the Montreal Impact four years later, the Quebec side standing toe to toe with América only to fall 5-3 on aggregate to Las Aguilas. Though the LA Galaxy and D.C. United won the Concacaf Champions Cup, CCL’s predecessor, no MLS side has ever hoisted hardware in the CCL format, adopted by the confederation in 2008.

Toronto FC is the first @MLS team to eliminate two Mexican teams in home-and-home series in a single CONCACAF Cup. 🇨🇦

— Paul Carr (@PaulCarrTM) April 11, 2018

TFC will face off against another Mexican titan, Chivas Guadalajara, in the two-legged, home-and-home final, the Goats having narrowly edged the New York Red Bulls in this year’s other semifinal showdown.