MLS Cup preview: Seattle stands between Toronto and historic treble
This is it. Saturday at BMO Field presents Toronto FC with the final obstacle to completing MLS' first-ever domestic treble - consisting of the MLS Cup, the Supporters' Shield, and either the U.S. Open Cup or the Canadian Championship. Win and Toronto FC cement themselves as one of the greatest teams in MLS history.
Lose and the Seattle Sounders will cross their fingers hoping for a rematch in Toronto every single year.
The Reds must rise to the occasion to complete the fairy-tale season, while the Sounders attempt to erase any doubts of the validity of their first title with another victory.
Sebastian Giovinco, Jozy Altidore, and Michael Bradley have a new star ally in Victor Vazquez, while Seattle welcomes Clint Dempsey back to the fold. Unfortunately, the Sounders will have to do without a couple of star players.
It's rematch time in Toronto, folks.
Injuries and suspensions
Toronto FC manager Greg Vanney has been rather optimistic that Altidore will feature in the final despite picking up an ankle injury in his last match. The player himself left no room for misinterpretation: "I'm going to put every right foot forward I can to make sure I'm in the team and playing that game."
He's training with the team, but Brian Schmetzer doesn't have the same luxury with some of his stars: captain Ozzie Alonso was ruled out of contention with a quad strain while Jordan Morris continues to recover from a hamstring injury. Stefan Frei also had a bit of a problem against Houston, but should be fine for the final.
Projected lineups
Toronto FC: Alex Bono; Steven Beitashour, Eriq Zavaleta, Drew Moor, Chris Mavinga, Justin Morrow; Michael Bradley, Marky Delgado, Victor Vazquez; Sebastian Giovinco, Jozy Altidore
Seattle Sounders: Stefan Frei; Kelvin Leerdam, Roman Torres, Chad Marshall, Nouhou Tolo; Cristian Roldan, Gustav Svensson; Nicolas Lodeiro, Clint Dempsey, Joevin Jones; Will Bruin
What to watch
Will someone actually score a goal?
Finals are never the most exciting football matches purely from the scope of goals and open play - the drama usually comes from the significance of the moment. It's why finals are usually cagey affairs settled by slim margins rather than high-scoring bouts.
But a repeat of last year's 0-0 result would be a great shame.
Related: Why 2017 MLS Cup final will prove a better spectacle than last year
Apart from Frei's miraculous save on an Altidore header, there was very little to remember from Toronto FC's first go-around with the Sounders, and the inevitability of a penalty shootout gave nervous fans even less to remember fondly in the dying embers of the match. For the sake of the onlookers, neutral or otherwise, this match needs a goal or two.
Who will score those goals, though? For Seattle, that hope lies on the feet of Clint Dempsey, who returns from a heart condition that forced him to miss last year's final. Dempsey's 15 goals and Premier League experience make him the sort of striker Seattle lacked last year.
Related: Is Clint Dempsey the X-factor Seattle needs to beat Toronto FC once again?
Toronto FC's steadfast backline will do its best to stop Dempsey in his tracks, while Vazquez, Giovinco, and Altidore work in tandem to try and pry open a Seattle defense that has yet to concede during these playoffs. Vazquez, in particular will be relieved Alonso is absent for this match, even if his direct replacement Gustav Svensson is equally adept at tackling and interceptions.
Altidore is nursing a knock and might not last a full 120 - or even 90 - minutes, and while the Atomic Ant is a free-kick menace, he'll need to deal with the massive Roman Torres and his central-defensive partner Chad Marshall. It'll take a bit of magic to best the two, but no one is arguably more capable of delivering than the Italian ace.
Will form play a major factor?
Toronto FC may have broken the regular-season points record en route to winning the Supporters' Shield, but the postseason hasn't been quite as kind.
The Reds suffered a 1-0 loss to the New York Red Bulls in a 2-2 aggregate draw, but advanced off Giovinco's away goal. Then, a slim 1-0 aggregate win over the Columbus Crew assured Vanney's side a spot in the final. Along the way, Altidore and Giovinco both earned suspensions as emotions boiled over.
Related: 5 key battles that will decide the MLS Cup final
On the flip side, Seattle easily dispatched the Vancouver Whitecaps with a 2-0 win at home, then made short work of the Houston Dynamo with 2-0 and 3-0 wins over the two legs. The Sounders are scoring goals, winning matches, and keeping clean sheets. They enter the final full of confidence and playing better soccer at the moment.
Settling into new systems
While the cast of this MLS Cup may be similar, the systems employed aren't exactly the same. Toronto FC has now fully fleshed out the 3-5-2 that Vanney implemented late in the 2016 season - Justin Morrow and Steven Beitashour bombing down the wings, Vazquez allowing Bradley to drop back to help defend, and Marky Delgado now comfortable as a link-up man. While it's not a new formation, the Reds did settle into their new roles this year.
Related: Joevin Jones is Seattle's danger man, and TFC knows it
Meanwhile, Seattle has undergone more tangible changes. Both full-backs have been swapped out, with Kelvin Leerdam and Nouhou Tolo stepping into the backline. Joevin Jones has gone from left-back to left-wing to great effect, with 51 completed dribbles and 11 assists during the season. Nicolas Lodeiro is no longer an out-and-out No. 10; the Uruguayan has been moved to the right wing, and still recorded 12 assists.
Weather forecast
Bust out the toques and the long johns. It's going to be a cold one (again).
Both teams will be used to the frigid weather along the shore of Lake Ontario, but that won't make it any nicer for the players to play in.
ESPN's Taylor Twellman figures the pitch at BMO Field has held up better this time around, but how will it perform if Toronto gets its first significant snowfall of the winter? Flurries are a possibility Saturday, with the temperature at kick-off projected to be around the freezing mark.
Prediction
Toronto FC 1, Seattle Sounders 0
Improved or not, neither team will yield much in this tilt. There's just too much on the line to risk making silly mistakes. But with bolstered weaponry, the chances of another scoreless 120 minutes are unlikely. It'll be a close one.
But this time around, Toronto FC will feel confident of victory.
After enduring 11 seasons of nearly every kind of adversity imaginable, the Reds have developed the character necessary to see off the Sounders and cap off the best season in MLS history. While Seattle may be in better form, that has rarely been a factor for Toronto FC, a team that always focuses on itself, its own plans, and its own failures. That mentality, coupled with a touch of quality unparalleled across the league, gives TFC the edge.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)