Toronto FC general manager Tim Bezbatchenko does not believe the team’s potential record-setting regular season will be dimished should his team fail to win the MLS Cup this season.
“Does (not winning MLS Cup) diminish the regular season? I don’t think so,” Bezbatchenko told MLSSoccer.com. “They’re two independent things. The regular season stands alone, positions you for the playoffs. Once you reach the playoffs, the best team doesn’t always win those games, as we saw in the [2016 MLS Cup] finals and in MLS along the way.”
Toronto has a commanding lead in the race for the Supporters’ Shield with 62 points, 11 more than the next contender, New York City FC, and only six behind the single-season record set by the Los Angeles Galaxy in the 1998 season.
As the Canadian side chase the record, Bezbatchenko says the team’s focus is on securing first place and home-field advantage in the playoffs.
“It’s fun for fans and the league to talk about,” said Bezbatchenko. “We’re focused on improving. For us it’s about winning the Supporters’ Shield because that guarantees a bye in the first round; puts you in a position to make a deep run into the playoffs.
Four matches remain in Toronto’s regular season schedule before the MLS playoffs begin. The first encounter is Saturday in New England against the Revolution, followed by two home matches against New York Red Bulls and Montreal Impact, and ending at the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium against Atlanta United.