Football: Seattle defeats Toronto 3-1 to capture MLS Cup final

LOS ANGELES -- Seattle defenders Kelvin Leerdam and Victor Rodriguez and Peruvian striker Raul Ruidiaz scored second-half goals to spark the Sounders over Toronto FC 3-1 in Sunday's MLS Cup championship match.

A noisy crowd of 69,274, the largest in the history of Seattle's NFL and MLS stadium, roared in delight at the final whistle as the Sounders collected a second title in four campaigns.

"The atmosphere was amazing," said Spanish reserve Rodriguez, who was named the MLS Cup Most Valuable Player. "I will remember this moment as long as I live. I'm really happy."

It was the third championship match meeting over four seasons for Toronto and Seattle, but their first on US soil.

The Sounders won the 2016 crown on penalties after a goalless draw but the Canadian club avenged the loss by capturing the 2017 title 2-0.

"We are so competitive," Rodriguez said. "We have really good mentality always. And at home with our fans it's a little bit easier for us. I'm proud for all my teammates. We really deserved that."

Dutchman Leerdam's blast deflected in off Toronto defender Justin Morrow but officials chose not to call it an own goal in the 57th minute, the score against the run of play giving the Sounders the lead for good.

Rodriguez took a centering pass from Uruguayan midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro at the top of the box and smashed a right-footed shot into the far corner in the 76th minute.

Ruidiaz added Seattle's final goal in the 90th minute, netting his seventh goal in six career playoff matches.

American Jozy Altidore, who came off Toronto's bench in the second half after missing most of the playoffs with a quadriceps injury, scored in the third minute of stoppage time to avert a shutout for the Reds.

Leerdam, a 29-year-old Suriname-born right back, hit a shot that was going wide before striking Morrow.

It wasn't the first costly mistake by Morrow in an MLS Cup final. In 2016, he missed Toronto's last penalty kick off the crossbar just before Seattle's Roman Torres netted the title-taking kick.

- 'A dangerous team' -

It was the second MLS title for 57-year-old hometown coach Brian Schmetzer, who began his playing career with the original Sounders in 1980.

"It's a good moment for Seattle and the fans and the players, who have overcome adversity all year," he said.

"The first goal, Kelvin got the deflection and that got us started. My team is a dangerous team and that really got us going."

Toronto sustained early pressure, with Canadian Jonathan Osorio and Frenchman Nicolas Benezet forcing saves by Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei in the first 11 minutes and Sounders winger Jordan Morris denied on a counter-attack by Toronto goalkeeper Quentin Westberg.

Frei deflected a Benezet shot with his left arm in the 36th minute and Westberg saved a Ruidiaz right-footed blast from the heart of the box in the 45th minute to keep the game scoreless at half-time.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Altidore, Vazquez seal MLS Cup for Toronto

MONTREAL, Canada -- Toronto FC claimed their maiden MLS Cup crown on Saturday, capping a magical Major League Soccer season with a 2-0 triumph over Seattle Sounders in Toronto.

Jozy Altidore fired Toronto into the lead in the 67th minute and Vazquez sent the crowd at BMO field into a frenzy when he sealed the win in the fourth minute of second-half injury time.

Toronto, who endured a heartbreaking penalty shoot-out defeat to the Sounders in the title match in Toronto last season, became the first Canadian club to win the MLS Cup.

They added the league's ultimate prize to the Supporters' Shield they won as the team with the best record in the league. With their Canadian Championship they completed a historic MLS treble.


"This has been the dream for four years, since the day I got here," said Toronto midfielder Michael Bradley. "And for the last year, the dream has become an obsession.

"For this group of guys to work every single day having to remember last year, to get back here, to play that game in this atmosphere with that on the line -- it's unbelievable."

Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei, the hero for the Sounders in last year's triumph, again threatened to derail Toronto's challenge with save after save.

But Frei, who hadn't surrendered a goal in this season's MLS Cup playoffs, finally succumbed in the 67th as Sebastian Giovinco's pass found Altidore, who eluded Roman Torres and fired over Frei.

The eighth post-season goal of Altidore's career saw him named MLS Cup Most Valuable Player.

Vazquez converted from close range in the waning moments after a shot from Armando Cooper bounced off the right post.

Toronto were on fire early, and only Frei's heroics kept them at bay.

He dived right to deny Jonathan Osorio before closing down Giovinco, who had seized upon a ball from Vazquez but couldn't get the ball over the Sounders keeper.

Before halftime Frei pushed another effort from Giovinco over the crossbar and denied long-range efforts from Marco Delgado and Vazquez.

After the break he denied Bradley's long-range effort and turned away a blistering shot by Giovinco toward the bottom left corner.

Toronto had brought back much of the same team that reached last year's final, with Vazquez and goalkeeper Alex Bono notable additions.

A crowd of 30,584 turned out Saturday at BMO field, where it was the third time in league history that the same two teams faced each other in back-to-back MLS Cup finals.

The Houston Dynamo beat New England in both 2006 and 2007, while the Los Angels Galaxy beat Houston in 2011 and 2012.

source: news.abs-cbn.com