3 reasons Seattle will win the MLS Cup

The Seattle Sounders will travel to compete against the Toronto FC for the 2016 MLS Cup, and while the club's raucous supporters won't be available in its traditionally boisterous numbers, there most certainly will be a Rave Green presence Saturday at BMO Field.

Here are three reasons those lucky Sounders supporters who traveled to Toronto will get to celebrate an MLS Cup victory:

Sounders aren't the underdogs

You'd be remiss to write off Seattle's chances, or label the Sounders as underdogs; Brian Schmetzer's side is anything but, and has the record to prove it - they finally ended the Colorado Rapids' unbeaten home streak, after all.

In Nicolas Lodeiro, Seattle also presents Greg Vanney's side with a new kind of threat; the Uruguayan is positioned in the spot behind Michael Bradley, as opposed to in-between central defenders and/or full-backs the way Ignacio Piatti or David Villa played beforehand.

In the No. 10 hole, Lodeiro will be an ever-present threat, and if he can combine with attacking teammates, there will be all sorts of space open, as Dominic Oduro found out a few times in Toronto's previous 401 Derby series. If Nick Hagglund and Justin Morrow aren't careful, there's a young star looking to shine and exploit that very space.

Morris living a rookie fairy tale

It's been a fairy tale year for rookie sensation Jordan Morris, and 2016 has been a very, very good year for fairy tale stories. You don't need to look too far to find it in the world of sports, either; Leicester City and Portugal defied all odds to lift incredible trophies this season.

Morris joined his hometown Sounders with a massive amount of hype, having played for the U.S. national team before he even signed a pro contract; he's lived up to the billing, scoring 14 goals in 39 MLS matches.

That fairy tale rookie season could be completed with an MLS Cup victory.

Rookies Landon Donovan and Dwayne De Rosario played key roles in helping win the 2001 MLS Cup with the San Jose Earthquakes; Morris would be joining some elite company with a win, one of only a few rookies to play a leading role in that accomplishment.

It's too good to be true for Toronto

For a franchise that's suffered - and this franchise has suffered - the idea that things could go this smoothly seems impossible.

There have been no ridiculous own goals or penalty concessions, nor any woeful refereeing calls going against the Reds. There have been no last-minute goals against, no in-fighting, and no strange tactical decisions. There's been no black cats streaking across goal before conceding, or any sign of disaster just around the corner.

Instead, everything is good ... too good to even be true.

Where's the collapse the now-cynical supporters have been anticipating? It didn't happen in Montreal, despite history repeating itself and the Reds finding themselves 3-0 down to their bitter rival. Will it happen against Seattle, when the stakes are highest? When the emotional investment is rawest and realest and the pain would be the worst imaginable?

Perhaps, or perhaps not.

Seattle will be banking on the former.