Are TFC the 100th best club team in the world?

[jabbronies]

We actually kinda agree...
The question is "Are TFC the 100th best club?"
I say basically, no but we're not far off.
150-200 is fair, but that could climb (or drop) based on form from year to year.

I think the only way they climb is if they make a convincing run in Champions League - which includes beating a decent Mexican team with the same ease Mexican teams typically handle MLS teams.
Even then - to be considered a top 100 team should be based on more than a years worth of events. I think a few seasons of sustained success is need to reach Top 150-100 status

[TFC Tifoso]

I think the only way they climb is if they make a convincing run in Champions League - which includes beating a decent Mexican team with the same ease Mexican teams typically handle MLS teams.
Even then - to be considered a top 100 team should be based on more than a years worth of events. I think a few seasons of sustained success is need to reach Top 150-100 status

I see your point, but imo this kind of stuff is always fluid, never set in stone.
Even say the top 10 in Europe can change from year to year based on performance.
Considering the small group there, the names will most likely be the same, just places change.....but when you're talking about such a large group like top 100 or 150, to me, one year can certainly make a difference in ranking that large of a group.

[SirBobSaget]

See that's the thing. I'm not totally convinced teams like Cluj or Panathanaikos or Copenhagen are obviously better than us.

The reason the league's seemingly underpaid players don't go to Europe is because they basically can't. It's extremely hard to get a work visa. IIRC the big point of contention on whether or not you get to go to Europe is either A) having an EU passport or B) played in 75% of international matches over a specific - a think it's a year- period of time. There are tones of half decent players in this league who can't go overseas because they're unable to get a work permit.

Those work permit rules are only for the UK. Most Euro nations are not as strict.

[Initial B]

If you look at the FiveThirtyEight SPI rankings (which I believe are more realtime), they rate TFC with a score of 46.8. Of the leagues they list there, the following number of teams have a higher SPI rating than TFC:

4 (Austria Bundesliga)
19 (English Premier League)
3 (English Championship)
17 (Ligue 1)
2 (Ligue 2)
18 (German Bundesliga)
2 (German Bundesliga 2)
18 (Serie A)
2 (Serie B)
6 (Eredivisie)
1 (Norway Eliteserien)
6 (Portugal Liga Primeira)
11 (Russia Premier League)
1 (Scotland Premiership)
20 (Spain La Liga)
4 (Spain ErediLa Liga 2)
2 (Sweden Allsvenskan)
2 (Swiss Super League)
7 (Turkey Super Lig)
2 (Liga MX)
11 (Argentina Superliga)
11 (Brasileirao)
169 TOTAL

So you could make the case that TFC is at least in the top 170-200 teams in the world.

[Areathrasher]

That list above looks about right - id nitpick a couple but on the whole it's close. I'd probably include Atletico Nacional and Junior from Colombia in it too.

[StokeciTFC]

That list above looks about right - id nitpick a couple but on the whole it's close. I'd probably include Atletico Nacional and Junior from Colombia in it too.

I wold generally agree with that list, too other than a couple of glaring omissions, ie, it suggests TFC is bigger than either Celtic or Rangers. Which we aren't.

[Areathrasher]

I wold generally agree with that list, too other than a couple of glaring omissions, ie, it suggests TFC is bigger than either Celtic or Rangers. Which we aren't.

It's not club size, just form. Celtic are ahead of TFC btw.

List here https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com...ccer-rankings/

Methodology here https://fivethirtyeight.com/features...power-ranking/

[reggie]

Knowing French football, TFC could beat any Ligue 2 side, and could compete with the bottom feeders of the Ligue 1 table. Top teams would beat TFC.

i wonder if TFC could beat TFC

[SirBobSaget]

There's a few league missing that have a handful of competitive teams in the Champions/Europa tourneys; Denmark, Belgium, Greece, Ukraine. Other than that its pretty accurate

[ensco]

Liga MX is underrepresented in that list.

Great thread.

[Shakes McQueen]

The real question is how you rate our non-DP starters, compared to other leagues.

Seba, Bradley and Altidore might be productive on a Top 100 team, but what about some of the guys making a couple hundred thousand a year?

I'd place us around 200-250 internationally, but it can be hard to gauge because MLS lineups are so lopsided talent-wise, with the DP stuff. European teams tend to either have money, or not.

[PizzaEatingYeti]

Plus half of the Mexican, Brazilian and Argentine top divisions would be better.

IMO this is extremely off.

RIGHT NOW 4-4 teams in these 3 divisions are better than TFC, that's 12 teams in these 3 countries.

[Areathrasher]

IMO this is extremely off.

RIGHT NOW 4-4 teams in these 3 divisions are better than TFC, that's 12 teams in these 3 countries.

4 teams? What are you basing that off?

[Gazza_55]

The real question is how you rate our non-DP starters, compared to other leagues.

Seba, Bradley and Altidore might be productive on a Top 100 team, but what about some of the guys making a couple hundred thousand a year?

I'd place us around 200-250 internationally, but it can be hard to gauge because MLS lineups are so lopsided talent-wise, with the DP stuff. European teams tend to either have money, or not.

But to be fair wouldn't you have to take the top 3 players off the teams you are comparing to TFC as well? And what players are you replacing Gio, MB and JA with? Vasquez type players or Morrow type players?

[Gazza_55]

Yes but to only a certain extent. I think TFC could beat some of the lower end EPL teams at home. Same with Serie A and La Liga and Bunduliga. I would put TFC at anywhere around 90-110. 65-70 in Europe, about 25-30 in South America and Mexico and a handful elsewhere.

This. I have TFC around 80 to 140. Hopefully we will get to see them in the WCC next December.

[Defoe]

According to this we are 508th, (FC Dallas is 425th top MLS) http://footballdatabase.com/ranking/world/11

335th here (FC Dallas is 184 - top MLS) https://www.clubworldranking.com/ran...7/name/toronto

According to this; Olimpia (yes, the team you may recognize in CCL) is ranked 106. They are ranked ahead of 15 + Liga MX, all MLS Teams, West Ham United, Wolfsburg,Galatasaray etc.

[SirBobSaget]

According to this; Olimpia (yes, the team you may recognize in CCL) is ranked 106. They are ranked ahead of 15 + Liga MX, all MLS Teams, West Ham United, Wolfsburg,Galatasaray etc.

Thats the olimpia from paraguay not honduras. Seeing 2 estonian clubs in the 50s discredits this list to me.

[ensco]

I am now way outside my swim lane here, because I really don't watch Serie A, but I suspect TFC probably could give a decent game to the bottom feeders there. The academy systems away from the big clubs have apparently withered there, and the payrolls of minnows have dropped drastically.

I do watch La Liga, and there is no way TFC could compete at the bottom end there. The brilliance of the two big teams kind of blinds you to how good the overall quality is there. The pressure on the ball, and the overall pace, are at another level.

[kodiakTFC]

i wonder if TFC could beat TFC

Toulouse FC vs. Toronto FC

Dream match up.

[ManUtd4ever]

This club, as currently constructed, can definitely crack the top 100 club teams in the world in my opinion. I would go as far as to suggest that in a one off, we could hold our own against any club outside of the top clubs in Europe.

[69Chevy396]

I would rather watch and support TFC as a 200th ranked club, than the Leafs, who rank 20 or 30 in hockey.

[ensco]

I would rather watch and support TFC as a 200th ranked club, than the Leafs, who rank 20 or 30 in hockey.

Anyone on here who has been around as long as you have feels the same way!

I think it says more about "us" than "it"!

Not it that it matters

[PizzaEatingYeti]

Then there's the top teams from the Euro C leagues from ukraine, Poland, Austria, Greece, Romania

Please, please, please.... for the love of God don't say such ridiculous things!

I'm Hungarian, but born and spent over 32 years of my life in Transylvania (ancient Hungarian land, given to Romania, when Hungary was savagely dismembered, being on the loser side after the 1st world war).

I have watched tons of Romania first division games, live too, ...my home city's team was many years in that division. Romanian 1st league was a lot better 10-15 years ago, and beyond that. Right now not even a single team from Romania can come even close to TFC.

[Fort York Redcoat]

This thread title is what holds back most casual sports fans in Canada. The Leafs comment above comes closer to it as well. Most would rather watch a low number in a less played sport because they don't see past the national fishbowl.

I'm all for supporting ones own. Just keep a little perspective.

Same goes for Womens vs Mens National Teams.

[Cuppy]

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com...ccer-rankings/

moved up up last week to 163rd

[Initial B]

^ I really like that 538 makes all the changes pretty much in real time. Interestingly, we are sandwiched between Hull City and Pescara above us, and Parma and Huddersfield below us. I have a feeling that before the season is done, TFC will rank in the top 150.

[BelfastBoy]

How would TFC rate against the USMT or Mexico?

[Detroit_TFC]

Now at 176, but says +11, not sure what happened, unless they added more teams and reindexed it.

[Initial B]

They just added the Europa League and Champions League teams that aren't a part of leagues included in the table, like Slavia Prague and Viktoria Plzen (both in the Czech First League and higher rated than TFC ) .

Just for comparison, TFC would be ranked ahead of 2 teams in Champions League play (NK Maribor [Slovenia] and Qarabag [Azerbaijan]) and ahead of 16 teams (out of 80) in Europa League play.

[Greatest Ripoff]

Please, please, please.... for the love of God don't say such ridiculous things!

I'm Hungarian, but born and spent over 32 years of my life in Transylvania (ancient Hungarian land, given to Romania, when Hungary was savagely dismembered, being on the loser side after the 1st world war).

I have watched tons of Romania first division games, live too, ...my home city's team was many years in that division. Romanian 1st league was a lot better 10-15 years ago, and beyond that. Right now not even a single team from Romania can come even close to TFC.

I am going to have to disagree with you. I've seen Astra Giurgiu play live twice in the previous two Europa Leagues. They aren't even the best club in Romania and they knocked out West Ham two years straight. In the Europa League last season they even came second in their group and made the knockout round. I think you very much under estimating the current quality of Romanian clubs.