Sunday brings us a familiar title bout, as the Seattle Sounders and Toronto FC will meet in Washington in bids for their second MLS Cup title.
The first two finals took place in Canada, with Seattle outlasting TFC via penalty kicks in the 2016 final before Jozy Altidore and Victor Vazquez struck to lead the Reds to a 2-0 win a year later.
[ RECAPS: Man Utd 3-0 Partizan | Wolves 1-0 Slovan Bratislava ]
Sunday will be the 702nd days since the two sides squared off in 2017, and this time Seattle will have a sold out CenturyLink Field buzzing for the “three-match.”
Some things to watch:
— Like the regular season, please? While TFC and Seattle played two pretty cagey finals, they staged a 3-2 thriller earlier this season. Jozy Altidore and Will Bruin had it 1-1 at half in the same venue as Sunday’s final before three goals in six second half minutes allowed for a nutty win for the Sounders.
— Will Jozy play? It’s the subplot that seems unlikely but could turn this game from having a heavy favorite in Seattle to holding heavy drama. Altidore said it would take a “miracle” for him to play, but Seattle thinks the forward is playing mind games.
— USMNT v. USMNT: On one side, Toronto FC has Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley as American stars who returned home after adventures abroad. On the other you’ll find Jordan Morris and Cristian Roldan, who so far have resisted that temptation. The Reds also have Omar Gonzalez, so the bragging rights are there for the taking.
— Can Toronto hold onto the ball? TFC is one of a handful of teams to hold more than 50 percent possession both home and away, but Seattle’s midfield can be a collection of menaces. How disruptive will the Sounders be?
— Playmakers at volume: Each side has a supreme playmaker, capable of the sublime. In a cagey affair like this one, it’s fair to say that the abilities of Nicolas Lodeiro (Seattle) and Alejandro Pozuelo (Toronto) to unlock defenses from distance may make the difference.
— Goalkeepers on different paths to hero roles: Stefan Frei came over from Europe through U.S. college soccer to have a good enough career that some MLS fans fantasize about him repping the USMNT. Quentin Westberg made his name in France before coming to Toronto and taking the No. 1 shirt from Alex Bono. Both have been and can be outstanding. It’s safe to say either is capable of being the Man of the Match.
— How big of an upset would it be if Toronto won? Well, it wasn’t too long ago that the Reds were the best team in Major League Soccer, and Alejandro Pozuelo isn’t a massive drop in quality from Sebastian Giovinco, but right now it looks like TFC will either not have Jozy Altidore or not have a full-strength Jozy Altidore. If the Reds manufacture a win without him, then Greg Vanney should get a lifetime contract.
