Moments after the biggest win in Toronto FC history, Tim Leiweke entered the visiting dressing room inside Yankee Stadium.

The former MLSE CEO moved in a circle and congratulated each player — some of them too new to recognize him — on advancing to the Eastern Conference final, then disappeared before the media arrived, unwilling to bogart credit for a group he helped build from basically nothing.

“I’m enjoying watching the pleasure of others who deserve it,” Leiweke told the Toronto Sun this week.

“I’m watching the fans. I’ve never seen a group suffer more or pay a higher price or hang in there when they shouldn’t have. They’ve earned it. That makes me the happiest.”

It wasn’t a victory speech. But it was close.

And Leiweke made sure to divvy credit before mentioning the role he played in TFC’s run.

“I’m capable of making insane comments to get people fired up,” Leiweke admitted. “I said TFC would be the first to compete for a championship.

“Honestly, (MLSE chairman) Larry Tanenbaum and I went through battles. We had good days and bad days. The sheer joy for him and his family right now, it was kind of what he always envisioned. He wanted to get to it. He didn’t know how. So I’m happy for him. He’s put his heart and soul and money into this. I get the most joy from watching everyone else.”

And probably a bit more from the realization that TFC results greatly outweigh the missteps along the way — retaining former bench boss Ryan Nelsen and signing Jermain Defoe.

But even those miscalculations were almost immediately remedied by promoting Greg Vanney to head coach. Defoe was sent packing for Jozy Altidore and, eventually, Sebastian Giovinco.

Then there’s general manager Tim Bezbatchenko, a low-profile executive who has quietly gone about his business of reshaping his club.

“We were kidding with (TFC president) Bill Manning and Tim (Bezbatchenko) about the amount of grief people still give us for signing Defoe,” Leiweke said.

“But the deal was phenomenal for Sunderland — keeping them up — and it probably was the greatest ever for TFC. We got cash and a player that has made a huge impact.”

Altidore has 15 goals and five assists in 21 appearances for club and country since returning from injury. He represents one half of the best strike tandem in MLS.

Behind him, Michael Bradley is competing at a higher level than any holding midfielder in MLS. It’s gratifying, Leiweke said, to see TFC’s big-money signings succeed.

“I saw them all Sunday night,” Leiweke said. “I couldn’t help but get a tear. I love Michael Bradley. He’s special. He’s a captain’s captain. I love seeing Jozy happy. He’s been through rough spots. He’s young. People are appreciating him. Seba is the best player — and David Beckham would say it, too — that has graced MLS with his presence.”

Of course, it helps to have a spendthrift board that’s willing to do whatever it takes to resuscitate a fledgling franchise whose CEO repeatedly told fans to “dream”.

“I’ll never forget when I first talked to Larry,” Leiweke reminisced. “I said: ‘If I walk in and put two DPs down on your desk, are you going to make a decision based on a return, or winning?’

“They promised me it would be about winning. At the end of the day, that’s exactly what the board did. They should be very happy with this.”

The past three years have been about turning TFC into something bigger. All in, MLSE has invested nearly a quarter-billion in player contracts and stadium construction.

“The stadium was gutsy,” Leiweke added. “One hundred and twenty million in renovations!? That game against Montreal is going to be special. That’s worth the money right there.

“These are the moments that change a team and change a sport and a league forever. I don’t think the league understands what they have with these Canadian markets.”

It’s about to sink in north of the border. By next weekend the MLS hype machine will be torqued up to never-before-seen levels.

“I’m happy for all the guys who took chances,” Leiweke said. “It’s a good day for Toronto. I’m amazed. There was a dark cloud that hung over the sports teams. Teams are supposed to give joy. Toronto is one of the greatest cities on earth. People are understanding that because of what these teams have done.”

klarson@postmedia.com