Toronto FC players were still on the field celebrating a victory over the Columbus Crew in Sunday’s series finale when the buzz from the remaining crowd tipped them off to some good news.
The Reds had their eye on leapfrogging the New York Red Bulls and D.C. United on the final day of Major League Soccer’s regular season, but needed other results to go their way to clinch fourth place in the Eastern Conference, a spot that guaranteed home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs. All the games were played concurrently to increase the drama on MLS’s Decision Day.