Toronto FC hosts Tigres UANL in the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday night, the opening leg of a battle between league champions in pursuit of a trophy that Mexican clubs have dominated through the years.
It’s being billed as a quasi-final, with two powerhouses going head-to-head early in the tournament. The MLS champion Reds know what they’re up against with Mexico’s Liga MX winners in town, and what they have to do in a game they’ve been looking forward to since last June — when they qualified by winning the Canadian championship.
“This is the best team in Mexico for the last few years consistently,” says veteran TFC midfielder Jonathan Osorio, who might shoulder more responsibility than usual with Victor Vazquez nursing a lower back injury.