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Toronto FC rewrites record book as it heads towards Supporters Shield

Sep 19, 2017 | 12:15 PM

TORONTO — With five regular-season games remaining, Toronto FC continues to rewrite the record book.

A win over the Montreal Impact (10-12-6) on Wednesday and Toronto (18-3-8) ties the Major League Soccer record of seven consecutive wins (Sporting Kansas City, 2012) in the post-shootout era.

The league record for most consecutive victories is 15, set by the Los Angeles Galaxy over the 1997, ’98 seasons in the shootout era. The Galaxy won eight straight games in both the ’96 and ’98 campaigns, without resorting to the shootout.

A victory Wednesday will also set a Toronto franchise mark for home wins (12) in a single season with two more matches remaining at BMO Field.

And a Toronto win, coupled with a New York City tie or loss, will assure Greg Vanney’s team of the Supporters Shield, which goes to the team with the best regular-season record. And irregardless of NYCFC, victories over Montreal and New England on Saturday will assure TFC of becoming the first Canadian franchise to win the Supporters Shield.

Toronto can also extend its club-record single-season undefeated run, currently at 11 games (8-0-3), dating back to July 5. TFC’s all-time undefeated record streak is 17 matches, from June 9, 2009, to Aug. 7, 2010.

Toronto has not lost since July 1 when it dropped a 3-1 decision at FC Dallas.

And Toronto can add to a regular-season undefeated record at home (12-0-4) that stretches back to Oct. 1, 2016.

TFC has already set single-season records for total wins (18), away wins (7) and points (62).

Over the last 12 months, Toronto is 23-6-11 in regular-season and playoff action. One of those losses came in the two-game aggregate win over Montreal in the post-season while another was the penalty shootout defeat to Seattle in the MLS Cup.

Along the way, Toronto is scoring goals in bunches.

TFC is the first team in league history to win six consecutive games by multiple-goal margins (4-1, 3-1, 3-0, 3-1, 4-0 and 4-0). They have scored 21 goals in that stretch, tied for the second-most in league history over six games.

This season, the club leads the league in goals (63) and goals per game (2.17) while boasting the second-stingiest defence with just 26 goals yielded for 0.90 a game.

But Toronto midfielder Jonathan Osorio says his team isn’t keeping track of the numbers.

“Those records don’t mean anything if you don’t win in the end … If we don’t win (the) MLS Cup, it really doesn’t matter,” he said.

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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press