Ecstasy for Toronto, agony for Seattle. That’s it from me. Thanks for following.
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The perfect ending to a historic season.
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) December 9, 2017
Congratulations to @torontofc, the 2017 #MLSCup Champions! pic.twitter.com/L7EtBmjUik
Full-time: Toronto 2-0 Seattle
Bedlam at BMO Field as Toronto FC cap an incredible season, sealing the third trophy of a domestic treble. Redemption for Altidore, Bradley, Giovinco et al.
Goal! Toronto 2-0 Seattle (Vazquez 94)
And that’s the icing on the cake for Toronto as the fans go bananas. Victor Vazquez seals the MLS Cup for the Canadians.
BEDLAM.
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) December 9, 2017
It's 2-0 @torontofc! #MLSCup
https://t.co/UVdaNcEA4M
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90 min (+2): Some substitutions. For Seattle, Nouhou is on for Joevin Jones; for Toronto, Cheyrou is on for Delgado. Two more minutes of added time.
90 min: Giovinco goes through and goes down in the area but the referee waves play on.
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86 min: Toronto’s goalscorer Altidore is off and Nick Hagglund is on.
80 min: MLS has the use of VAR technology. So why was it not used on Altidore’s goal? It turns out it was. Thanks to reader Dennis Verweij, watching the Canadian broadcast, for the email.
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79 min: The game has died down a little – Seattle need something and quick.
Summary
A video of Altidore’s goal. Some suggestions he may have been offside as the ball was played through.
At long last.@JozyAltidore gives @torontofc the lead at #MLSCup. https://t.co/CSUcnC5EWV
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) December 9, 2017
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71 min: Seattle make their first change. Jordan Morris, the USA forward, comes on for Victor Rodriguez.
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Goal! Toronto 1-0 Seattle (Altidore, 67)
And the dam is finally broken. Toronto finally get their breakthrough and it is through Jozy Altidore, who took so much heat after USA’s failure to make the 2018 World Cup, who comes up with the goods.
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64 min: Frei yet again comes to Seattle’s rescue with a brilliant diving save to deny Giovinco. How long can Frei keep this up? He is playing out of his skin.
63 min: Toronto win their ninth corner but nothing comes of it.
60 min: Michael Bradley pounces on a loose ball with a long-range volley that Frei keeps out with his body.
57 min: Some controversy as Altidore is held back outside the area before Leerdam slides in on Morrow inside the area. No foul, no penalty.
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53min: Seattle have done nothing up front thus far. If they are relying on Frei once again in a penalty shoot-out they really need to make a switch soon.
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52min: Giovinco is fouled and he takes the free-kick but it’s way, way over the bar.
48 min: And the second half begins as the first half ends, with Toronto in charge. Steven Beitashour hits a long effort over the bar.
“Good day Bob,” writes Travis Giblin. “Just to clarify, the weather doesn’t suck everywhere in North America right now. I’m a Canadian currently in Mexico where it’s 30 Celsius.” Very happy for you Travis. I’m in NYC where it is freezing.
46 min: The second half begins...
Here’s a picture of Stefan Frei making one of his many saves in this game. Can he win the MLS Cup MVP trophy again?
ESPN’s Taylor Twellman interviewed MLS Commissioner Don Garber earlier this week. Garber says the prospect of the Columbus Crew moving to Austin, Texas, is a “unique situation”, possibly allaying the fears of many MLS fans that their team could move, too.
Half-time: Toronto FC 0-0 Seattle Sounders
Two words: Stefan Frei.
Stefan Frei of @SoundersFC has 6 saves, tied for second-most in a half in #MLSCup history (Pat Onstad, SJ 2003, 7)
— MLS Communications (@MLS_PR) December 9, 2017
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44 min: Nearly an own-goal for Seattle after Joevin Jones puts a wild boot on Justin Morrrow’s cross from the left. It could have gone anywhere and, fortunately for the Sounders, it flies to safety.
41 min: It’s Groundhog Day and deja vu all over again. Frei with another big save for Seattle, denying Victor Vasquez.
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Keep your emails coming as this game is not living up to billing thus far...
One for our British viewers. “What I want to know is whether we’ll see Dempsey Make Peace with Bono,” emails one reader. (There was a British TV crime drama called Dempsey and Makepeace in the Eighties).
35 min: Stefan Frei keeps Seattle in the game again after a fizzing effort from Marco Delgado.
30 min: A shot on target from Seattle in the MLS Cup final, a momentous occasion. Why, you ask. Joevin Jones’s effort was the Sounders’ first in 150 minutes of the last two MLS Cup finals (they did not have any last year in regulation).
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Daniel Stauss emails again, latching onto the Bono U2 puns. “It’ll be a Beautiful Day in Seattle if, by the whistle, Bono Still Hasn’t Found What He’s Looking For (an MLS Cup). Of course, keepers are known for their Mysterious Ways...” It goes on but I’ll leave it there. The Toronto keeper is called Alex Bono if you were wondering.
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26 min: A nice chip there from Jozy Altidore, just outside the area, but it comes to nothing, the running theme of this game: Toronto dominance but a struggle with the end product.
23 min: Another shot from Giovinco... another save from Frei, who tips the ball over the bar.
20 min: A free-kick for Sebastian Giovinco, his speciality. But it’s too far out and his effort goes straight into the wall. Toronto remain on top though.
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Another weather email, this time from Mike MacKenzie in London, Canada. “Most Canadians understand both Celsius and Fahrenheit temperatures although Celsius has been used in Canada for a few decades. Of course, we get US weather reports with temps in Fahrenheit.
“All Canadians understand the wind chill factor which was invented by a Canadian. Regardless, it is still rather cold to be playing a final in December in Canada (or the northern US for that matter).”
Why are talking so much about the weather and not the game? Well it is scoreless...
16 min: Toronto keep pushing and Morrow is given offside when a replay indicates he is not. Frei saves his effort anyway.
“Will Bono in goal give Toronto the Edge on the big stage?” asks Justin Kavanagh. “Sorry! I’d get my coat but as it’s freezing here in North America, I already have it on. I agree with Rob Oberemok: December is not a month for soccer in Canada or the US.”
10 min: Huge save by Seattle keeper Stefan Frei to deny Jonathan Osorio... and then Giovinco hits the ball just wide from right of the area.
Oso comes very close to putting TFC up, but guess who was there..... pic.twitter.com/ghiiaeMfp1
— Mitchell Tierney (@mitchelltierney) December 9, 2017
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8 min: Sebastian Giovinco did not have a shot on target in last year’s MLS Cup final. He’s had his first one here. But it was weak and straight at the keeper.
“What is this 34F/20F you speak of?” asks Kevin Smith. “The spacing between games in the play-offs makes as much sense as the Fahrenheit system.”
2 min: Early pressure from Toronto and Drew Moor goes close for the home side with a clear header over the bar following a corner. He was unmarked. Should have done better.
Drew Moor with the first big chance of the match. pic.twitter.com/5fyYHj2qYp
— Total MLS (@TotalMLS) December 9, 2017
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Peeeeep!
The Seattle Sounders get us under way. Will it be revenge (for Toronto) or repeat (for Seattle)? Will VAR come into play? Let’s find out...
Two national anthems today: the Star Spangled Banner followed by O Canada. No protests whatsoever here.
Another email. “I have always wondered why the MLS drags its play-offs and plays the final in December. It loses all momentum,” writes Rob Oberemok. Do you agree?
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It’s currently 34F at BMO Field but it feels more like 20F due to the wind chill, apparently. Brrr!
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Bit of a laboured on-field bit there from the usually excellent Taylor Twellman on ESPN. Not sure that really worked.
Toronto have switched from a back three, which has proved so successful this season, to a back four. “It’s a big gamble from Greg Vanney,” says ESPN’s Kasey Keller.
Here is the prize that Toronto FC and Seattle Sounders are playing for.
The MLS Cup is ready!#MLSCup #SoundersFC #TFCLive #MLSCup2017 pic.twitter.com/EyGycx4Lkq
— MLS Communications (@MLS_PR) December 9, 2017
An email from one Daniel Stauss: “Loving the Sounders lineup. I’m sad (but not surprised) to see El Corazon out of the central midfield, but in Schmetzer we trust. Bruin was a monster in the series against Houston, and Rodriguez was the best under the radar pickup in the league this year.
“My biggest question going into this match, what will Dempsey, Bradley and Altidore have to say to each other after the epic choke that was the WCQ? Will they just do that shrug-and-avert-your-eyes thing? Will the BMO crowd give Clint a hard time? Prepare the popcorn!”
If Harry Shipp scores the winner for Seattle Sounders, it will begin a week of serious festivities for the player.
Seattle's Harry Shipp is getting married next Saturday. Told me yesterday that his bachelor party was supposed to be this weekend. Toronto ain't Vegas, but guessing he won't mind having to cancel if the Sounders pull through tonight.
— Sam Stejskal (@samstejskal) December 9, 2017
The players are on the field and getting ready for kick-off.
Almost time. #MLSCup pic.twitter.com/cPBE4fLefh
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 9, 2017
The teams
Toronto FC Bono; Beitashour, Moor, Mavinga, Morrow; Bradley, Vazquez, Delgado, Osorio; Giovinco, Altidore.
Seattle Sounders Frei; Jones, Marshall, Torres, Leerdam; Svensson, Roldan; Rodriguez, Dempsey, Lodeiro; Bruin.
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On to today’s MLS Cup final (kick-off is scheduled to be 4.30pm ET), victory over Toronto would make Seattle just the fourth team in league history to become back-to-back MLS Cup champions.
DC United won the first two titles in league history (1996 and 1997), Houston Dynamo won consecutive titles in 2006-07 and LA Galaxy went back-to-back in 2011-12.
.@SoundersFC is the fifth defending champion to reach #MLSCup.
— Paul Carr (@PCarrESPN) December 9, 2017
Three of the previous four won back-to-back titles. pic.twitter.com/1eubU2PQ69
Earlier today, meanwhile, incumbent Sunil Gulati – in Toronto for a 2026 World Cup bid press conference – said he has officially withdrawn from the US Soccer presidential race, days after announcing he would not seek re-election.
“I haven’t endorsed anybody, and I haven’t said I have a preferred candidate,” Gulati told reporters. “I’ll certainly think about [endorsing a candidate], but I haven’t made a decision yet. I don’t think there will be [nine] candidates come February, and I don’t think all the candidates will get the requisite nominations.”
There are nine candidates in the race, including controversial former US women’s goalkeeper Hope Solo. In a twist, former USWNT player Julie Foudy tweeted earlier today of Solo: “I am hearing from multiple sources that Hope Solo does not have even one official nomination. She has until Tuesday to secure three.” How about that.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber gave his traditional “State of the League” press conference on Friday in Toronto. Most notably, Garber said it was “conceivable” that David Beckham’s beleaguered Miami franchise, which is still to be finalized despite being announced in February 2014, could fall down in the pecking order of expansion teams to be invited into the league. Two new franchises, from finalists Sacramento, Nashville, Cincinnati and Detroit, are due to be announced next week.
“It is the most complicated in any market that we’ve experienced, at least in my 18 years,” Garber said. “We’ve been working hard on trying to find a local owner for David Beckham. I feel confident that that will come together, so I continue to say that we want Miami in the league. It’s a large market, a gateway city. There are a lot of values to us having a team down there and I’m very confident that we’ll get something done.”
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the 2017 MLS Cup final between heavy favourites Toronto FC and defending champions, the Seattle Sounders. Today’s game in frosty Toronto is a rematch of last year’s final which the Sounders won on penalties after a goalless 120 minutes.
Toronto, for their part, are excited to have “another crack” at Seattle, according to midfielder Michael Bradley. “This was all we wanted,” he added. Toronto foward Jozy Altidore is fit to play despite nursing a hurt right ankle while Jordan Morris is likely to make the Sounders squad after returning from a hamstring injury in the Western Conference final against Houston Dynamo. Seattle midfielder and captain Osvaldo Alonso is out, though.
The biggest factor could be the weather: temperatures are expected around the freezing mark around kick-off, with a 40% chance of snow flurries. The orange ball awaits.
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Bob will be here soon. In the meantime, read why Toronto FC are confident of finally fulfilling their promise after last year’s heartache against today’s opponents, the Seattle Sounders.
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