Football
Tom Marshall, Mexico correspondent 6y

Michael Bradley 'couldn't be more proud of' Toronto FC after CCL final loss

GUADALAJARA, Mexico -- Michael Bradley says he is disappointed that Toronto FC couldn't lift the CONCACAF Champions League trophy, but not by the performance or effort of his side.

Toronto defeated Chivas 2-1 on Wednesday night in Estadio Akron to tie the series 3-3 on aggregate, with Chivas winning the resulting penalty shootout 4-2 to win the tournament for the first time since 1962.

"We had to be aggressive, we had to go after them, we had to win the game and I couldn't be more proud of our players," said U.S. international Bradley, who missed the final penalty kick to hand Chivas the title.

"We had a team full of warriors on the field tonight who spilled their guts in the biggest possible moment.

"In the end a few things didn't go our way and that hurts but when you compete at the highest level then you understand that it's part of the deal sometimes."

Bradley also said that he is "absolutely convinced" that this Toronto side will win more trophies.

Coach Greg Vanney was similarly complimentary about TFC, who overcame Tigres and Club America on the road to the final.

"I've no complaints of my team," he said after the match. "This tournament has been a grind and we've battled all the way to the end.

"Congratulations to Chivas, they won the game, I've got nothing to say to my guys other than I'm proud of them and they worked hard."

It was a tough night for 22-year-old Marky Delgado, who shot over in the final moments of the game with only goalkeeper Rodolfo Cota to beat.

"[It's] definitely heartbreaking. We wanted to win to celebrate ourselves but everyone put in a good effort and we shouldn't be too hard on ourselves," said Delgado.

"I take responsibility for missing the last-minute shot. It went over, but you can't help it sometimes."

Delgado felt that in this season's CCL, the MLS outfit has more than matched the Liga MX opposition it has faced.

"The teams we've played we've dominated," said Delgado. "Attacking we capitalize on mistakes and if we have a lead we know how to defend and to handle the situation very well.

"I feel like we handled these teams pretty well. It's just unfortunate that it didn't come out in PKs."

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