In the wake of Toronto FC’s penalty shootout loss to the Seattle Sounders in last year’s MLS Cup final, Tim Bezbatchenko felt a mix of numbness and pride, emotions to be expected after the club’s most successful season in history ended in heartbreaking fashion.
But there was something else brewing inside the Reds’ general manager, a feeling maybe less expected: excitement. For this team, he thought, success was repeatable.
“This was a group that can lead (Major League Soccer) which is, in turn, when we go into this year where the goals were: we want to win Supporters’ Shield, we want to win the treble,” Bezbatchenko told the Star last month.