Why 2017 MLS Cup final will prove a better spectacle than last year
TORONTO - Most of the players who stepped onto the pitches at Toronto FC's training base reacted with shock, pulling their snoods just below their eyes and collars over their chins. Nothing can truly prepare you for when a Canadian winter first hits, even if you're a born and raised Canuck.
Perhaps the affronting wind that drives around TFC's Downsview Park headquarters helps players quickly acclimatize to the conditions back at BMO Field. Sebastian Giovinco's optimistic reaction when joining Friday's training session at the venue for Saturday's MLS Cup final with the Seattle Sounders was best suited for the balmy conditions of his native Turin. It certainly didn't befit a ground that lurches much too close to the mist of Lake Ontario.
"I think it's better than last year. Which is good," Sebastian Giovinco told theScore.
Giovinco's forecast could be a little optimistic given the feared sub-zero temperatures, but his morale isn't unique. There have been laughs and even pile-ons during training, as the fervor that accompanies the days leading up to an MLS Cup final are now more familiar to last year's runner-up to Seattle.
"I feel relaxed, more than last year," Reds wing-back Morrow admitted. "You know the first time going to MLS Cup for me, personally, it's a big deal to get here. But, to be able to have a second chance in the same environment, same stadium, we're going to know the routine, it's got me feeling more relaxed."
He added: "It's a big chance. I talk about second chances, and that doesn't come around so often for athletes and life in general. We're looking forward to having a second chance and capitalizing on it."
There is cause for buoyancy in the Toronto camp. The acquisition of Chris Mavinga has blessed the defence with composure and technical ability at the back - key qualities if facing a high press from Seattle - and Victor Vazquez can slow time down before playing a forensic pass for Jozy Altidore, Giovinco, or an onrushing wing-back. That was something TFC was lacking in 2016.
It was a renewal Toronto needed after last season's penalty shootout disappointment, and one that is requisite for teams that expect to compete in the upper echelons of MLS.
Related: 3 reasons why Toronto FC will win 2017 MLS Cup
"In this league, you can't stand still. You have to add pieces, you have to get better, the competition is always getting better. We've done that, they've done that," Morrow continued. "It's changed both of our attacks in different ways. It makes us more dynamic, it makes them more dynamic, and it should make for a better game."
On the other side, Seattle's improvements have been meteoric. Halfway through the season its off-the-ball movement was lacking, and its attacks were obvious. That's no longer the case.
Kelvin Leerdam, despite being just 27, offers big-game experience from the Eredivisie. Gustav Svensson is another influential figure, being called into a variety of roles with greater regularity, and was a part of the Sweden side that sensationally blocked off Italy's well-trodden path into the World Cup finals. Nicolas Lodeiro, Clint Dempsey, Joevin Jones, and Will Bruin bring a range of qualities to Seattle's attack, but it's perhaps the addition of Victor Rodriguez that has enlivened Brian Schmetzer's side and taken it to a whole new level.
Related: How will Toronto FC deal with revamped Sounders?
Rodriguez's natural intelligence with the ball, and the way he slides into space when out of possession has upgraded the fluidity of the Sounders. Although it's a small sample size, he's impressively averaging 0.4 goals per 90 minutes. He, along with the personnel changes elsewhere in Seattle and Toronto, has helped swell this tie to being a clash of MLS super clubs. This cannot be another 90 or so minutes of turgid dross - there is simply too much quality on the pitch, and in reserve.
"I think you want a final like this each and every year. Obviously, it's nice to see the underdogs go at it, but, you know, I think it's two powerhouse teams with fantastic quality," Seattle midfielder Cristian Roldan opined to theScore. "We, as well as Toronto, have tremendous depth and I think that's probably the reason why both of us are here."
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)