But, in terms of “most ironic game of the week involving a Canadian player,” let’s focus on last Wednesday’s 2-2 draw between Fresno and Tulsa.

First, congratulations to Real Monarchs’ forward Mastanabal Kacher, who netted a brace in a midweek game against Sounders 2.

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.

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:

Crepeau was brilliant. Vitoria was troubling — not showing Canadian soccer supporters signs that he could become a starter when Canada faces Mexico in a pair of World Cup qualifiers in late March. In fact, Vitoria’s flat-footed play was, in many cases, the unfortunate catalyst for Crepeau’s brilliance.

Before 40 seconds had expired, the Canadian hopes of hanging in with the host Americans went out the window; all because a group of players started the game like a group of deer caught in headlights. It’s impossible to fault one player on the Americans’ opening goal; you have to fault all 10 men in red on the field.

It says something when the three Canadian MLS teams put a grand total of four players on the national side — and none of those four players are what you’d consider “regulars” for their club sides.

They aren’t getting a lot of MLS playing time just yet, but a group of locally trained players have steadily moved up the ranks all the way to the Montreal Impact’s senior roster. Will they eventually get their chances to play?

There are five Canadian players making US$35,125 this season, while eight more are on the books for base salaries of $46,500 each.

Goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau, who just returned to the Impact after playing in goal for Canada's U-20 team at the CONCACAF Championships, has been moved from the Academy to the senior team.