The sixth season has come and gone for Toronto FC and they once again find themselves on the outside looking in at the playoff picture. Despite success in the Canadian Championship and early season progress in the CONCACAF Champions League, where does Toronto FC go from here?
The latest season of disappointment for Toronto FC was bookended by disastrous results.
The 2012 MLS campaign opened with nine consecutive defeats before they finally earned their first points in a 1-0 home victory over the Philadelphia Union.
After a mid-season improvement in play they once again slumped towards the end of the schedule, failing to win in their final 14 matches.
Not only is that stretch a franchise worst, Toronto FC also posted an all-time club low in points with 23.
In the midst of the early season stumble Toronto FC had another coaching change as Aron Winter stepped down from his position and was replaced by former England international Paul Mariner, who was serving as the team's director of player development.
During Winter's tenure in charge, Toronto FC won just one MLS road game and finished with an overall record of 7-22-15.
Mariner became the seventh head coach in club history but despite an immediate rise in form after he took over the position, he was not able to save the club from its third last place finish in the Eastern Conference. It is also the second time the team has finished last overall in Major League Soccer.
There were, however, some positive moments this season for Toronto FC, especially in tournament play.
They opened the year with an upset victory over the defending MLS Champion Los Angeles Galaxy across two legs in Champions League quarter-final play, including a victory at the Home Depot Centre in Los Angeles and a draw at Rogers Centre in front of 47,000 fans.
They would go on to be eliminated in the semi-final by Mexican side Santos Laguna by a 7-3 aggregate score including a 6-2 road defeat.
Toronto FC also captured their fourth Canadian Championship with a 2-1 aggregate victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps in May.
Despite a mid-season injury, 33-year-old forward Danny Koevermans ended the season as the team's leading scorer with nine goals.
The team suffered through other injuries including one to first-choice keeper Stefan Frei and captain Torsten Frings who went out for the season after having arthroscopic surgery on his hip in September.
So where does Toronto FC go from here? What changes should the franchise be considering heading into their seventh season?
What additions or subtractions would you make if you were in charge?
It's Your! Call.
