Toronto FC vs Seattle Sounders: Which Unexpected MLS Cup Finalist Will Prevail?
The early hours of past Thursday morning saw the MLS Cup Conference finals come to an end, confirming which two teams will face off to lift the MLS Cup on December 10th. Surprisingly, it was Toronto FC joining Seattle Sounders in the final - two teams that weren’t deemed to be among the frontrunners to lift the cup when the knockout rounds began.
Seattle finished up fourth in the Western Conference and overcame favourites FC Dallas on their way to the final, while Toronto FC finished up third in the Eastern Conference and demolished league rivals New York City FC to reach the final. Both teams started in the preliminary Knockout round, yet have made it all the way to the end. Though, given their tantalising attacking form, it is certain to be an entertaining match.
It is in the final third that the game is likely to be won. Both teams have scored bags of goals in throughout the knockout competition and neutral fans can only hope that they continue to do so in the final match.
Toronto go into the final in the better form, having produced 7-goal aggregate victories over their last two opponents, NYC FC and Montreal Impact, and have been performing remarkably well at home, scoring 10 goals in their last three matches at the BMO Field. With home advantage in the final, Greg Vanney will be confident that his team can bring home the trophy.
Much has been made of Sebastian Giovinco’s role in the Toronto side this season. As chief goalscorer, Giovinco is often the man that they club turn to to carry them to victory. His 17 goals and 14 assists this season show just how important he is to the side, yet there are plenty of others in Vanney’s squad that can make the difference.
In their last match, the 5-2 home victory over Montreal, Armando Cooper, Jozy Altidore, Nick Hagglund, Benoit Cheyrou and Tosaint Ricketts all found the back of the net, proving that there are plenty of others on hand to guide Toronto to victory if Giovinco fails to perform.
Seattle will have to be at their best defensively if they are to avoid an onslaught for Toronto’s superior attacking line. The club failed to keep clean sheets against FC Dallas and Colorado and will face a much tougher test against Toronto. However, even if they concede, Brian Schmetzer will be confident that his side can score a few of their own.
Nelson Valdez, Nicolas Lodeiro and Jordan Morris have all found the net two or more times for Seattle over the course of the play-offs. Yet, the club’s best form undeniably came at home. Snatching the win against a home side that are firing on all cylinders will be a big ask, but Seattle Sounders have surprised us by getting this far and could pull off another shock in the final.
Whichever side wins, it is bound to be a nerve-wracking affair for both sets of fans. Both sides make use of marauding fullbacks to break forward and stretch opposition defences, which are bound to cause problems at both ends of the field. Whichever team can stay tight at the back will ultimately walk away with the prize and the title of MLS 2016 champions.
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