Lowball contract offers. Teams that don’t want to “waste” precious international roster spots on a Canadians. A player being told that he’ll get a chance to make a team once he gets a U.S. green card. These are the realities of Canadians trying to play in North America. In NASL and MLS, Americans are allowed to be treated as domestic players on Canadian teams. But, on the American teams, Canadians are treated as internationals. Here’s a look at the domino effect of roster inequality in North America...

With the MLS season moved up to its earliest start ever, forgive us if we don’t feel 100 per cent totally prepared for First Kick. Judging by the way many MLS teams finished preseason, with tentative matches and still looking at trialists with a week to go before the games count in the standings, a lot of coaches aren’t quite ready for the early start, either.

“After weighing our immediate needs and evaluating the college pool, we felt it was in the club’s best interest to give up a draft pick to secure a talented goal-scorer and an experienced player like Ryan,” said Wilkinson in a release issued by the Timbers.

We looked back at Toronto FC’s disastrous 2012 campaign, but we broke down the games minute by minute. From that, we came up with a goal difference for every player on the Reds, similar to a plus-minus in hockey.

"We come to the end of every game and we don't tense up," said forward Andrew Wiedeman. "We all think this is the game we're going to right the ship. I firmly thought we were going to pull it out and get the win, the way we were peppering the goal. We put them under so much pressure in the second half but we couldn't pull it off."

"It doesn't matter how well you play for 89 minutes, it's the whole game that matters," said O'Dea. "The ability is there. There is no question of that. The team is mentally weak. Tough times in games we don't hold out, we concede late goals."

"If you want to give teams a two-goal stand then carry on, but we’re not that good. We were the architects of our own downfall, playing ridiculous balls in the wrong area of the field. I thought we eradicated that, but obviously some of the lads that have been in the squad haven’t been listening."

"It was a bit of a nothing match, to be perfectly frank," said TFC head coach Paul Mariner.  "It was a bit of a stalemate and then suddenly they got the goal."

But, mistakes from keeper Milos Kocic, who took a knee to the head in the first half and was bleeding from both nostrils, and defender Logan Emory helped undo Toronto FC’s efforts for the evening.

With just 5,324 fans in attendance at BMO Field and no TV broadcaster airing the game, Toronto FC's performance in its CONCACAF Champions League opener against CD Aguila could well become an urban legend.