Toronto FC: Time to panic was a long time ago

Toronto FC are in deep trouble. They have 18 games to haul their way up the Eastern Conference and into the playoffs. But the warning signs have been there for a while. The time to panic was a while ago.

The CONCACAF Champions League was a rare opportunity for Toronto FC. They were not foolish in their desire to prioritise the competition. It was a unique chance for an MLS club to rival the Mexicans, it offered a passage in the Club World Cup, and it would have been a historic achievement, even more so than defending their MLS Cup.

But the risk backfired. They rotated their squad in the early part of the season, they didn’t provide a long enough period of rest during the offseason for many of…