September triggers the time for what-ifs.

What if someone other than refereeIsmail Elfath was in charge of Toronto FC’s 1-1 draw with the Philadelphia Union?



More importantly, what if the Reds had taken care of business on the four occasions they played a man — or two — up this season?



Simply put: TFC should have been awarded a late PK Saturday night. Philly’sC.J. Sapongdidn’t expectJozy Altidoreto step between him and the ball as he went to ground inside the box.



Reflecting back, though, the Reds could regret failing to build a cushion heading into the final month of the season. They easily could be three to six points out in front of the rest of the Eastern Conference.



Losses to Vancouver, San Jose and Montreal were unacceptable given the Reds played with a man-advantage for significant portions of those fixtures.



They also failed to find a game-winner in Houston, where TFC played the entire second half with an extra player.



Those results — and some shocking refereeing — could be the difference between hosting the first- or second-legs of the East semis or finals.



Or, perhaps, hosting MLS Cup come December.



UP NEXT



Orlando City bench bossJason Kreis“thought” the Lions were “moving in a very positive direction.”



He thought wrong, apparently. And now Orlando travels to Toronto Wednesday night for what should be another significant beating.



The Reds have absolutely owned Orlando at BMO Field, beating it twice — by a combined score of 9-1 — last season.



It seems the floodgates haven’t closed since then. The Lions were smashed in D.C. over the weekend and have conceded four times in each of their previous three losses.



They’re among the worst defensive teams since 2011, when MLS moved to a 34-game schedule.



“We’ve been working defensively since I got here,” Kreis told the Orlando Sentinel’s Alicia DelGallo. “I thought we were moving in a very positive direction, and things went drastically wrong in the last three matches.”



Orlando’s front four — Cyle Larin, Kevin Molino, Kakaand Matias Perez Garcia — are mid-table dangerous. But the supporting cast has been abysmal.



Orlando City is akin to TFC of yesteryear— a side that refused to build from the back until eventually realizing balance is key.



POSITIVE SPIN



The Reds have lost just once in their previous 11 MLS matches, conceding exactly 1.00 goals per game — which is among the best in the league in terms of goals-against averages.



Back-to-back come-from-behind draws against New York and Philly weren’t ideal, but they had a big impact on the standings.



The results kept TFC firmly in the hunt for a first-round playoff bye while more or less eliminating the Union from achieving a top-two spot in the Eastern Conference.



NEGATIVE SPIN



By collecting just two points from their previous three home games — all against Eastern Conference opponents — the Reds are in a must-win situation Wednesday to stay in Supporters’ Shield contention.



Toronto FC (48 points) remains in Supporters’ Shield contention with five other teams — FC Dallas (53), L.A. Galaxy (49), Colorado Rapids (48), New York City (48) and New York (48).



We know roughly 60 could be enough to finish top of the league, meaning the Reds might need to win out — four consecutive games — to claim the Shield. Not ideal considering the points left on the table.



LAST WORD



Whatever happened to “situational refereeing?”



You know, when the strike zone grows for the home team.



Or, when NBA officials swallow their whistles inside the final two minutes.



In big moments, borderline — 50-50 decisions, you might say — are supposed to go the home team’s way.



Like it or not, home cooking is a thing. And Saturday night’s penalty shout should have been an easy call for Elfath to make.

