But, for the third time since Canada began sending a team to the CCL, our representative has been knocked out of the competition thanks to a loss in Torreon. Montreal gave up two injury-time goals to lose there back in ’09, then TFC twice in 2012.

At halftime, TFC defied critics by being tied 2-2 with a team that hasn’t lost at home this season. But, by the 64-minute mark of the game, it was all but over.

As the final whistle blew, an altercation between Reds defender Ashtone Morgan and Santos striker Darwin Quintero led to a full-on scrum between the two teams. Both benches cleared and, while no further blows were thrown, both sides left knowing that the final score would be settled next Wednesday.

“Very good team I think,” said Assistant Coach Bob de Klerk who ran Tuesday’s practice. “If you watch our game against Pumas in Mexico (last year), we had a difficult time over there, very difficult match. And they’re in the league in Mexico and higher than Pumas. That says enough.”

The club confirmed Tuesday that Designated Player Torsten Frings will miss the next four to six weeks with a right hamstring strain.

If, last July, someone was to predict that Toronto FC would be the last MLS team standing in the CONCACAF Champions League, they’d have been offered some pretty sweet odds.