The Colorado Rapids spent the preseason in their familiar training territory of Arizona, playing MLS sides and a few lower league teams like Sporting AZ and Phoenix Rising FC.
The treble-winning side from Ontario threw their team into the proverbial soccer deep end in scheduling a two-week road trip to play top Liga MX teams in midseason form rather than other MLS sides easing into the year. Granted, those Mexican teams sometimes kept their top players on the bench for some or all of the match, preferring to play their reserves. Nevertheless, it is clear that Toronto created their preseason schedule with a long march through CONCACAF Champions League in mind.