Toronto Stomped in '19 CCL Opener

Toronto FC's competitive season started last night with a trip down to Panama that saw them get played off the pitch 4:0 to Independiente in CONCACAF Champions League play. This comes just a few weeks after Eric Wynalda's Las Vegas Lights beat them down 5-1 in preseason play.

After a miserable 2018 MLS season, there is no question as to the trouble that TFC now finds themselves in.

Questions should be asked about the motivation of key players like team captain Michael Bradley, Belgian international Laurent Ciman and head coach Greg Vanney. A sinkhole has opened up beneath the team. There is simply no excuse for last season and the start to this season.

Toronto's payroll likely eclipses the entire Panamanian league. Hell, Bradley and Altidore's yearly wages are likely more. Excuses come fast and plentiful during the CCL competition each year. "MLS is still in preseason," and "Concacaf refs and away surfaces" top the list of most common. But the true reasons for Toronto, and MLS, struggling in this league comes down to the effort and the moss that grows on players from the low wattage MLS competition. They are simply not sharp enough or motivated enough to compete at in a high-intensity environment.

Despite having the highest paid player in the hemisphere, MLS has never had a team win the current iteration of the CCL.

Highlights 📹: @caipanama stuns @TorontoFC with a 4-0 win over the 2018 finalists#CAIvTOR #SCCL2019 pic.twitter.com/od3Nt5s7Sl

— Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League (@TheChampions) February 20, 2019