Cyle Larin and Will Johnson have run away and hid at the top of the minutes-played-by-Canadians-in-MLS list.

But, Edmonton, despite the logistical problems its soccer clubs and coaches face, still manages to punch above its weight when it comes to producing talent.

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 final shots on goal? Impact 10, Whitecaps 2. Yes, it finished 5-4 on aggregate, and one more road goal would have given the Whitecaps the tie; but, wow, this second leg wasn’t close.

So far this season, Toronto FC looks to have shaken the “finalists’ curse” that has haunted so many MLS Cup runners-up in the past.

Both Paul Stalteri and Amy Walsh believe that Canadian soccer players — be it boys or girls, men or women — need more chances to play professionally.

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:

There were some other interesting Canadian storylines that developed over the weekend. In the loss to Vancouver, Canadian Tyler Pasher made his MLS debut, playing 45 minutes for Sporting Kansas City.

But, there are days, my word, there are days when you look at MLS like the most annoying girlfriend/boyfriend you've ever had. Being a Canadian fan of MLS is like watching your partner flirt with everyone at the bar, but the second you say you’re done, that person’s back with a gift and a promise that really, this time, (s)he’ll change.

But no one matched Tosaint Ricketts, who scored three times in two matches for Toronto FC. He scored two match-winning goals, as the Reds grew their winning streak to six games.