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Toronto FC enters the second leg of its Eastern Conference semifinal trying not to take a spot in the finals for granted after a 2-1 away win in the first leg.
The New York Red Bulls visit Canada Sunday insisting they still have a chance.
Top-seeded Toronto's victory Monday means New York must win and score multiple goals at BMO Field to have any chance of upsetting the Eastern Conference Champion. TFC suffered only one home defeat in 17 regular season matches in 2017.
Although New York outshot Toronto 12-6 on Monday, it appeared tactically flummoxed as Toronto sat back and countered.
Even so, Toronto coach Greg Vanney expects a formidable challenge from the Red Bulls at BMO Field.
"There's one school of thought that says they just weren't themselves and there's another school of thought that says we took them a little bit out of their game and their comfort zone," Vanney said. "I think they'll work hard. I think they're not going to change who they are as players."
There's also the question of whether TFC will have the services of Victor Vazquez, their Spanish assist leader this season and the scorer of the opening goal Monday, as well as veteran defender Drew Moor.
Vazquez left Monday's game in the 65th minute with an abdominal injury. Moor departed at halftime with an ankle ailment. Both trained fully during a light session on Saturday, but weren't locks to be included in Vanney's 18-man roster.
"We feel very good about the group that we have," Toronto FC captain Michael Bradley said. "The fact that over the course of a long season, we've relied on so many different guys in so many big moments. That will need to continue to be the case."
Meanwhile, the sixth-seeded Red Bulls will be looking for another shocking away victory after winning 4-0 at third-seeded Chicago in the knockout round.
Facing an uphill battle mistakes from goalkeeper Luis Robles for Toronto's first goal Monday and defender Michael Murillo on the second, New York held a players-only dinner later in the week.
Coach Jesse Marsch said he expects the meeting was not so much about clearing the air as building each other's spirits.
"No one wants the season to end," Marsch said. "I think that what is most poignant is that everybody feels like it's a great group. They love being together. Even after 10, 11 months, there's no fatigue in terms of the camaraderie of the group. So we're going to have to use that. We're going to have to use that to make sure we continue to push in the toughest moments when we're in Toronto."
Red Bulls captain Sacha Kljestan admitted his side were out of rhythm in the first leg, scoring only through a penalty kick after a foul by Moor, one replays suggested involved minimal contact.
"They came in and they kind of had the game more on their terms, letting us have the ball and try to break down their blocks," Kljestan said. "I think in this game we need to just be a little bit more proactive and play at their end."
