No faith in TFC: CSA schedules Canadian Championship semis to fall on same dates as CCL final By Steven Sandor Posted on September 28, 2012 1 0 651 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Even the Canadian Soccer Association has no faith in Toronto FC. Today, the CSA announced the dates for the 2013 Amway Canadian Championship, which are in direct conflict with the CONCACAF Champions League final. In 2012, as Toronto FC advanced into the elimination rounds of the CCL, the ACC dates were pushed back, as organizers knew there was the potential for a TFC conflict between the Canadian Championship and the regional championship. That potential, at least today, still exists for 2013, even though the odds are against the Reds. The dates for the ACC semifinal rounds are April 24 and May 1, 2013. The scheduled dates for the CCL final? April 24 and May 1, 2013. In order to survive in the CCL, Toronto FC would need to beat Santos Laguna by two goals when the teams meet for their final group-stage match in Mexico. It’s clear by the scheduling — which would have needed TFC’s sign-off — that there is no faith that the Reds will have a run in 2012-2013 like they did in 2011-12, when Santos Laguna knocked them out at the semifinal stage. Still, scheduling TFC to play on dates that conflict with this year’s CCL show that pretty well everybody in Canadian soccer feels TFC’s “slim hopes” of advancing are actually “no hope at all.” The Amway Canadian Championship final is set for May 15 and May 29, 2013. What we know now is that FC Edmonton, as the NASL representative, is the No. 4 seed and will play No. 1 in the semifinal round. The fact that TFC is the defending champ is irrelevant. The other seeds are determined by finish in the MLS standings. So, TFC will be No. 3 and will NOT play FCE in the first round. That’s for sure. FCE will play No. 1, who will either be Vancouver or Montreal.
