So, what to do for an encore? The 2017 Canadian Championship final will go down as one of the best in the history of this tournament. And, for the second year in a row, Toronto FC won the championship on a last-gasp goal.

We’ll have to wait a week to see just how large a part Ignacio Piatti’s penalty miss plays in the Canadian Championship final.

That’s the thing when you’re the heavy underdog. You can’t afford to switch off for any amount of time. The Fury endured two awful minutes, and undid all of the team’s hard work leading up to that point. The Fury’s back line left the door slightly ajar, and TFC kicked it down.

The second stage of the Canadian Championship got underway Tuesday, as the three MLS teams got into the fray. The first legs provided plenty of talking points:

History has shown us that teams that get to championship games and lose, well, they tend to really struggle the year after that. Statistically speaking, Toronto FC’s season was doomed before it even began. So, how do the Reds buck the trend and make it back to MLS Cup — and win?

The spring issue of Plastic Pitch is now live in the app and can also be found at our Shopify store!

Both teams bubbled just under the 270-minute mark when it comes to time played by Canadians.

But, starting this season, each team is required to start three Canadians for each tournament match.

If you're a fan of one of the Canadian teams that play the majority of their road games in the United States (that'd be MLS, NASL and USL), is what's happening in the United States making you reconsider your travel plans for road matches in America?

Understand that the interest in the MLS playoffs was not the product of a steady rise in the ratings. It was a massive spike, with many Canadians watching the league for the first time.