Club America vs. Toronto FC: TV channel, live stream, squad news & preview
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The reigning MLS champions look to finish the job and advance to the CCL final, but must overcome a daunting trip to the Estadio Azteca
Toronto FC has one foot in the CONCACAF Champions League final, but there is still a major hurdle left for Greg Vanney's side to overcome.
After winning the first leg 3-1 in Toronto last week, the defending MLS Cup champions face Club America at the Azteca Stadium in Tuesday's semifinal second leg.
The Reds do have a two-goal advantage, but there's plenty left to be decided with America heading home to one of the region's most intimidating venues with an away goal from the first leg.
The winner will face either the New York Red Bulls or Chivas in the CCL final.
Game Club America vs. Toronto FC Date Tuesday, April 10 Time 10 p.m. ET Stream (U.S. only) fubo TV (7-day free trial)
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (U.S.), the game can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial).
New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.
U.S. TV channel Online stream Univision Deportes fubo TV (7-day free trial)
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will not be televised or streamed.
UK TV channel Online stream None None
Squads & Team News
Position America players Goalkeepers Jimenez, Leon, Marchesin, Pineda Defenders Aguilar, Aguilera, Alvarez, Cedillo, Orrantia, Valdez, Vargas Midfielders Arce, Corona, Cordova, Cruz, Da Silva, Ibarra, Rodríguez, Uribe, Zamora Forwards Diaz, Dominguez, Ibarguen, Lainez, Marin, Martin, Menez, Peralta
Jeremy Menez missed the first leg with a hamstring issue and will still be sidelined for the second leg. Attacking midfielder Cecilio Domínguez has been ruled out for 2-3 weeks with a hamstring injury picked up in Saturday's league game against Necaxa.
Potential America starting XI: Marchesin; Aguilar, Valdez, Aguilera, Vargas; Ibarra, Uribe, Rodriguez, Ibarguen; Peralta, Martin
Position Toronto FC players Goalkeepers Bono, Irwin, Patterson-Sewell Defenders Hagglund, Hasler, Mavinga, Moor, Morgan, Morrow, Van der Wiel, Zavaleta, Auro Midfielders Aketxe, Bradley, Chapman, Delgado, Fraser, Osorio, Vazquez Forwards Akinola, Altidore, Giovinco, Hamilton, Ricketts, Spencer
Nick Hagglund is out with a hamstring injury while Justin Morrow is questionable with a calf strain.
Potential Toronto starting XI: Bono; Van der Wiel, Moor, Mavinga, Auro; Delgado, Bradley, Osorio, Vazquez; Giovinco, Altidore.
Betting & Match Odds
Club America is favored to win the match with dabblebet pricing the Mexican side at 2/5. TFC is priced at 5/1 to get an away victory and the draw is available at 7/2.
Click here to see all of dabblebet's offers for the game, including goalscoring markets, correct score predictions and more.
Match Preview
Toronto FC appears to be Major League Soccer's best hope yet of finally winning the CONCACAF Champions League.
The defending MLS champions got past fellow MLS side Colorado in the CCL round of 16 before impressively dispatching Liga MX champion Tigres in the quarterfinal.
Now Greg Vanney's men are 90 minutes from the final after taking care of Club America 3-1 in the semifinal first leg.
Reaching the final, though, is no foregone conclusion.
TFC has never played at the Estadio Azteca and the team's first trip will present no shortage of challenges.
Article continues below
Major League Soccer did give TFC a break last weekend, ensuring Vanney's side had a full week off between the first and second legs.
Club America had no such luxury and it ended up costing the Aguilas. Key midfielder Cecilio Domínguez will miss the second leg after suffering a hamstring injury in Saturday's league match against Necaxa.
Dominguez's absence, along with that of Jeremy Menez, will be tough to overcome but America will hope a boisterous crowd at the Azteca will help propel them to a famous comeback.
AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo
MEXICO CITY -- Three takes as Toronto FC and Club America drew 1-1 in Estadio Azteca to reach the CONCACAF Champions League final 4-2 on aggregate.
1. Toronto deserves the final
Whatever happens in the CONCACAF Champions League final between Toronto FC and Chivas, nobody will be able to look back and say that the Canadian champions didn't deserve to make it this far. This has been an authoritative advertisement for both Toronto and Major League Soccer.
After slaying reigning Liga MX champion Tigres in the quarterfinal, Toronto got past Club America with relative ease over the 180 minutes, deservedly winning the first leg 3-1 at BMO Field and then drawing the second.
If there is one defining feature from the Toronto side during its CCL run, it is the way the team refuses to be rattled. There is a calm authority and steel about it -- not much seems to bother Greg Vanney's squad.
The acid test of that theory came in the Estadio Azteca on Tuesday. With rain pelting down, fans backing America and Miguel Herrera's side attacking from the start, this was Toronto's biggest challenge in this season's CCL.
When key striker Jozy Altidore was taken off in the seventh minute, perhaps other teams would start to wilt, perhaps doubts would creep in.
But Toronto scored five minutes later. Sebastian Giovinco flicked the ball through to Altidore's replacement, Tosaint Ricketts, who steered it to Jonathan Osorio -- who is gaining quite the reputation this tournament -- for a tap-in.
The early Club America storm had been weathered and Toronto had struck. Clinical.
Las Aguilas pushed but lacked a conductor for its orchestra, a player to speed up and slow down play when required. Playing two strikers like Oribe Peralta and Henry Martin made it easier for Toronto's back three. Club America lacked a player who could move between the lines to unsettle Toronto.
In essence, America lacked a Giovinco, although Coach Herrera can't be blamed for injuries to his two most creative players, Cecilio Dominguez and Jeremy Menez.
America's attacking was haphazard and sporadic, but Paul Aguilar forced a fine save from Alex Bono on a diving header in the 28th minute. Peralta went close one minute later and after the break piled on the pressure.
Las Aguilas should've had a penalty early in the second half, but there was never a sense that the game was theirs for the taking -- and it didn't have to do with extreme luck or an amazing performance from the goalkeeper. Club America's late penalty goal through Mateus Uribe turned out to be a mere consolation.
Make no mistake about it, this Toronto side showed Liga MX's best that it is the real deal.
Eduardo Verdugo/AP
2. Vanney outshines Herrera
The Toronto FC coach is inevitably in the conversation for the U.S. men's national team job and this performance in the Estadio Azteca -- the spiritual home of Mexican football and El Tri -- won't do any harm at all.
Nor will the fact that passage to the final came at the expense of two former Mexico managers -- Ricardo Ferretti and Herrera -- who are considered among the best in Liga MX.
Herrera's outbursts after the first leg in Toronto and in the days leading up to game painted him in a bad light. His chances of returning to the Mexico national job any time soon couldn't have been helped.
Vanney had the aces up his sleeve on the field, as well. Granted, having a player like Giovinco makes planning easier, but Toronto withstood America's first line in the press and picked holes in midfield and up front. At least, that's what happened in first leg and in the early stages in the Azteca. The second half Tuesday was more a case of holding on.
The preparation of Toronto FC also turned heads, with the squad arriving in Mexico five days ahead of the game to acclimate to the altitude. They even took some time in the preseason to play in Mexico, though it wasn't much of a factor, as Toronto was 4-1 up on aggregate for most of the second leg.
Herrera's performance and behavior shouldn't be surprising. He has done it before and he'll do it again. But it was jarring in comparison to Vanney, who looked very competent at this level in a difficult atmosphere.
3. Toronto can't take Chivas for granted
When the quarterfinals were set, Chivas were the least likely Mexican team to make the final and Toronto faced the daunting task of getting past both Tigres and America. Now they'll face off in the final.
Chivas might have struggled to get over the line against New York Red Bulls, but when the Guadalajara team and its fans smell a trophy, the momentum and support rapidly crescendos. And the fact Chivas haven't won a CONCACAF trophy since 1962 increases the importance.
On the other side, Toronto famously has space in its trophy cabinet ready for when the club lifts the CCL title.
The Vanney against Matias Almeyda clash on the bench promises to be fascinating, and a Liga MX vs. MLS final is exactly what this tournament needed.
Shortly after Toronto FC’s victory in last December’s MLS Cup final, club president Bill Manning was swigging from a bottle of champagne while leaning against the wall in a quiet corner of the Reds’ locker-room.
The buzz from his team hoisting the trophy before a sellout crowd at BMO Field hadn’t yet subsided, but already Manning was planning ahead.
“The next step is CONCACAF Champions League. That’s the next step, and we’ve already been talking about it,” Manning told Sportsnet.
Unapologetic ambition has been one of the many things Manning has infused into TFC since arriving on the scene in 2015. One of his first orders of business, despite TFC’s track record of futility at the time, was to commission the construction of a trophy case that overlooked the main foyer of the team’s training facility, with spots reserved for the MLS Cup, Canadian Championship, and CONCACAF Champions League trophies.
On a rainy Tuesday night at Mexico City’s iconic Estadio Azteca, where some of the sports’ biggest stars have played at one time or another, TFC took a massive step towards completely filling that trophy cabinet. The Reds earned a historic 1-1 draw against Club America to advance to the CONCACAF Champions League final for the first time in franchise history.
Canadian Jonathan Osorio was the hero of the night, scoring in the first half, while TFC goalkeeper Alex Bono made a number of stellar saves throughout the contest. Toronto posted a 3-1 victory in the first leg at home last week, and won this semifinal series 4-2 on aggregate.
Toronto becomes only the third MLS club to reach the Champions League final, joining Real Salt Lake (in 2011) and Montreal Impact (2015). Teams from Mexico have won every Champions League since the inaugural tournament in 2008-09, and seven of the nine finals have been all-Mexican affairs.
Congratulations @torontofc ..
you beat the best team on the continent in Tigres and put on an absolute clinic vs a Mexican giant (America). No doubt in my mind you are the best team in MLS history. @MLS #TFCLive — herculez gomez (@herculezg) April 11, 2018
Not content with dispatching the best on offer in MLS, Toronto FC has now taken to beating the top teams from Mexico’s Liga MX. A two-time winner of the Champions League, Club America is the second marquee Mexican side to fall at the feet of the Reds in this year’s tournament. TFC beat Monterrey-based Tigres, Champions League runners-up in the past two seasons, in the quarter-finals.
TFC will meet another Mexican challenger, Club Deportivo Guadalajara, in the two-legged final. Toronto will host the opener next Tuesday, with the return match scheduled for April 25 in Mexico. Guadalajara beat MLS outfit New York Red Bulls in the other semifinal 1-0 on aggregate.
The magnitude of what Toronto has accomplished can’t be overstated. MLS teams have historically struggled against Liga MX sides in this competition, especially on Mexican soil, while TFC was winless in its previous five games in Mexico in this competition.
Only five years ago, TFC was mired in hopelessness, failing to qualify for the MLS playoffs for an eighth consecutive season after the “Bloody Big Deal” turned out to be a “Bloody Big Bust.” Now they are 180 minutes away from becoming the first MLS club to win the Champions League.
Tuesday’s result had as much to do with TFC’s character as it did with its roster depth. With four key players still out due to injuries – Justin Morrow, Chris Mavinga, Victor Vazquez and Nick Hagglund – TFC coach Greg Vanney was forced into using the same starting lineup for last week’s first leg.
The injury woes continued for TFC in the seventh minute when forward Jozy Altidore hobbled off the field with a foot injury. He was subbed out and replaced by Canadian Tosaint Ricketts.
Five minutes after stepping onto the pitch, the Edmonton native latched onto a sublime, one-touch pass from Sebastian Giovinco and took full advantage of slack defending from the Mexicans before playing a simple ball across the box. Osorio skipped away from his marker and slotted it home past helpless goalkeeper Agustin Marchesin.
Now down 4-1 in aggregate and needing three goals just to force a shootout, Club America furiously ventured forward in attack while Toronto relied on last ditch defending and some good fortune in riding out the Mexicans’ pressure.
Club America looked to level the score in the 20th minute via an Eriq Zavaleta own goal, but it was waived off for offside. Minutes later, TFC’s Alex Bono made a fantastic reflex save on a Oribe Peralta header from in close to rob the Mexican forward of a sure goal.
Vanney made another change at the start of the second half, swapping out Dutch defender Gregory van der Wiel for Liechtenstein international Nicolas Hasler, and switching from a 3-5-2 formation to a 4-4-2 setup.
Bono came up big again in the 63rd minute, tipping Alejandro Diaz’s majestic header over the crossbar and out of danger. That sucked the fight out of the home side, who looked lethargic the rest of the way as they were confidently contained by TFC.
Toronto captain Michael Bradley was called for a foul inside the box, and Club America’s Andrés Uribe converted from the penalty spot deep into injury time to break up Bono’s shutout. But it was far too little too late for the Mexicans, who were second best for most of the night against the MLS Cup champs.
With this semifinal series out of the way, TFC will now fly directly to Denver ahead of Saturday’s MLS road game against the Colorado Rapids.
THAT'S IT! The referee blows his whistle, and the game is over. What an incredibly gutsy performance from Toronto FC to hold off wave after wave of vicious Club América attackers. The last-minute penalty was kind of ridiculous, taking away the win TFC really wanted in Mexico, but nonetheless they're on to the Concacaf Champions League final to play Chivas Guadalajara.
This is insane. Absolutely crazy. The Reds just stifled a team with a 101-year history at one of the most historic stadiums in the world. They stopped them from scoring a single open play goal.
TFC will open the final next week against Chivas, we'll try to confirm when exactly as soon as we can.
We can lament the injuries in the coming days. But in the meantime, drink it up TFC fans. We're going to the final.
91' Club América 1-1 Toronto FC — Penalty to América as Michael Bradley comes through the back of an attacking player. Andres Uribe puts it into the bottom right corner to equalize the game, but his side has hardly any time to score two goals. This one is over.
87' — How did he miss that?! Nico Hasler had one on a plate pretty much unmarked, but he put it over the bar with the keeper Marchesin rushing him fast. We remain at 1-1.
81' — Greg Vanney uses his last substitution of the game, bringing Jordan Hamilton on for Tosaint Ricketts. Also, Drew Moor picks up a yellow card for a rough standing challenge on Bruno Valdez.
60' — We're at the hour mark now, and the second half has been pretty uneventful so far. Referee Ravshan Irmatov has a strong grip on this game.
Also, Auro had a green laser pointer shined in his eye during a throw-in. Tick that one off.
46' — A flurry of substitutions at the half. Nicolas Hasler comes on for Gregory van der Wiel, which is fairly concerning. Looks like the Reds might be moving to four at the back, as well. SAmérica bring on youngsters Alex Díaz and Diego Lainez for Henry Martin and William Da Silva.
HT — The Reds make it into halftime unscathed, despite a few very nervy moments. Alex Bono is surely the hero of that first half, despite Jonathan Osorio's goal. The keeper has truly kept TFC in it.
Also, shoutout to the referee from Uzbekistan. He's done a phenomenal job so far, especially as the América players begin to up the antics a little bit. He may have missed a Valdez elbow on Bono, but other than that zero complaints.
28' — Alex Bono makes one of the best reaction saves I've ever seen a Toronto FC keeper make to keep it at 1-0.
20’ — HUGE break for the Reds as Eriq Zavaleta heads one into his own goal, but the assistant referee rules it offside. Zavaleta gets a reprieve, and it'll stay 1-0.
12’ Toronto FC 1-0 Club América — GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL! Jonathan Osorio has given the Reds an away goal, it is 4-1 on aggregate! Holy crap! Tosaint Ricketts lays off a beautiful chipped pass from Seba and Oso smashes it home.
It's not the prettiest but it could prove to be one of the biggest goals in TFC's history. pic.twitter.com/bpxBQsip2q — Mitchell Tierney (@mitchelltierney) April 11, 2018
6’ — Nightmare here as Jozy Altidore goes down with what looks like a muscular injury. Referee immediately signaled for a substitute, doesn’t look like he’ll be continuing. Tosaint Ricketts comes in to replace him.
0’ — We’re off! It’s rainy, it’s miserable, but we are kicking off on time.
JUST KIDDING!
Looks like we’re going off without a hitch. https://t.co/k0vvqf8rOc — Ben Baer (@BenBaer89) April 11, 2018
Oh no...
Lightning at Azteca. Looking at a delay. #CCLFever — Ben Baer (@BenBaer89) April 11, 2018
I was unable to sleep last night, and not because I drank a pot of coffee at 8 p.m. in order to power through an essay (okay maybe because of that actually). Still, the anticipation before Toronto FC’s first ever appearance at the Estadio freakin’ Azteca is palpable.
As has been drilled into everyone’s heads, TFC’s 3-1 aggregate lead does not necessarily make them safe in this Concacaf Champions League semifinal against Club América. If they want to advance to the final, they’ll probably need an away goal, especially because it’s very hard to imagine any scenario in which América don’t score.
Just for clarity’s sake, here’s a visual representation of all the most plausible scenarios, and who would advance from each.
As you can see, TFC would advance with any win or draw, and any one-goal loss. It gets a little hairier if they lose by two; a 2-0 América win would put the home side through, a 3-1 win for América would give us penalties, and any other two-goal win would put TFC into the final.
It seems the past four games in this competition have all been the biggest in TFC history. This is no exception; a result at the Azteca would leave an impact that Mexican soccer fans wouldn’t soon forget. América are an extremely historic club, founded all the way back in 1916; that gives them a 91-year age gap over Toronto FC.
It will be incredibly difficult for TFC to slay this particular dragon. Both teams are dealing with some heavy injuries; TFC could be without such important pieces as Victor Vazquez, Chris Mavinga and Justin Morrow. América will be missing key midfielder Cecilio Domínguez after he came off injuring during their 1-1 draw against Necaxa on the weekend.
The altitude and the atmosphere will also be brutal. The Azteca sits 7,280 feet above sea level, quite a bit higher than Toronto’s 249. To compare with TFC’s last two away dates in the CCL, Monterrey’s elevation is 1,770 feet, and Denver is 5,280 above sea level (a full 2,000 lower than Mexico City).
The Reds have been training in Pachuca for a few days though, which is even higher than Mexico City, and they’ve been working out with oxygen masks for weeks. They know the altitude is a factor, and they’re probably as well-prepared for it as they possibly could be.
I’m not sure just how full the Azteca will be tonight, but it sounds like the home side are trying to fill as many seats as they can by slashing ticket prices. The cheapest seats on Ticketmaster right now are going for just under $7 CAD. From playing around with it a little bit, the only place I was able to find five tickets (the maximum allowed) in a row was in the sixth level. There are over 100 left on Stubhub, though.
I’d expect a pretty decent crowd, likely more than there would’ve been if TFC hadn’t won (and hurt their pride a little bit) last week. The media storm around Miguel Herrera has certainly helped drum up interest as well. The Reds also have quite a bit more star power than the 2015 Montreal Impact.
TFC have made it pretty clear over the past few days that they plan to take the game to América, and not just sit back. I’d expect to see the 3-5-2 again, even though they were seen training in a 4-4-2 the other day. That’s because they probably don’t expect to have the majority of possession, and so will need to be solid defensively with a counter-attacking threat in their back pockets.
Refereeing may also be a factor; this game is going to be staffed by Ravshan Irmatov, an Asian Football Confederation referee from Uzbekistan. He has a strong pedigree, working at the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups (he oversaw Gregory van der Wiel’s Netherlands side in their 2010 semifinal against Uruguay). He’s been AFC referee of the year five times since 2006.
So, it may be just a little less Concacafy than usual.
How are you feeling? TFC have shown time and again how capable they are of bringing their best into the biggest games. Hopefully this time is no different, although they will never have faced a threat quite like this.
If they lose, well, it’s still been an incredible run, and they’ll have given Mexico something to think about. But if they win? Then they’re history, and América won’t forget it.
Team news: injuries & suspensions
Toronto FC: Justin Morrow and Victor Vazquez remain questionable with their injuries, although of the two I’d say Vazquez might be the more likely to be involved. Chris Mavinga and Nick Hagglund have been pretty much ruled out, though, as it seems both have long-term injuries that need to be addressed.
The Reds have some big names at risk of suspension. Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore, Sebastian Giovinco, and Jonathan Osorio would all miss the first leg of the final if TFC were to advance and if they were to get booked again.
Club América: The home team will still face the major injuries they had last week, with Frenchman Jérémy Ménez still out. They’re also going to be missing Cecilio Domínguez, which is a huge loss for them.
They went into last game with a ton of yellow cards, and received a few more, but still nobody has been suspended. At risk of missing the next game: Emanuel Aguilera, Carlos Vargas, Paul Aguilar, Alejandro Diaz, Mateus Uribe, and Guido Rodríguez.
Pre-game reading
Predicting Toronto FC’s lineup against Club América (Leg 2) (Benedict Rhodes)
Toronto FC have been preparing for the Azteca all year (Mitchell Tierney)
Toronto FC have history against them at the Estadio Azteca (Charlie O’Connor-Clarke)
Gregory van der Wiel’s ability on full display against Club América (Charlie O’Connor-Clarke)
Also, don’t forget to get your picks in before kickoff for the Prediction League! Bonus points on the line this week!
How to watch
Match date/time: 10 p.m. EST, Tuesday, April 10
TV: TSN 1 & 4 (Canada), RDS 2 (en français), Fox Sports Cono Norte (Mexico), Univision Deportes (USA)
Live stream: TSN Go (Canada), go90.com
Radio: TSN 1050 (Toronto)
Lineups
Toronto FC:
Club América:
