Toronto Takes MLS Cup
December 13, 2017
Last Saturday, on December 9, Toronto FC (Football Club) defeated Seattle Sounders FC 2-0 to win the MLS (Major League Soccer) Cup championship. It was the first title for Toronto—also known as TFC or the Reds—which had lost to Seattle in the 2016 MLS Cup final. Forward Jozy Altidore put TFC up 1-0 with a goal in the game’s 67th minute, and midfielder Víctor Vázquez tapped in a last-minute rebound to further elate the crowd of 30,584 fans crammed into BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario. Altidore was named the MLS Cup Most Valuable Player (MVP).
TFC team captain Michael Bradley grips the MLS championship trophy amidst jubilant teammates after Toronto’s 2-0 MLS Cup victory over the Seattle Sounders on Dec. 9, 2017, at BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario. Credit: © Vaughn Ridley, Getty Images
Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei—last year’s MLS Cup MVP—made save after save before allowing Altidore’s difference maker in the second half. Of TFC’s 22 shots, 11 were on target. Team captain Michael Bradley helped the Reds dominate the center of the field, as did 2015 MLS MVP Sebastian Giovinco, who took seven shots and assisted on Altidore’s goal. Seattle managed just seven shots as a team, leaving Toronto goalkeeper Alexander Bono with little to do but cheer on his teammates.
Toronto’s dominant MLS Cup victory capped one of the greatest seasons in league history. TFC went 20-9-5 during the regular season, easily winning the Supporters’ Shield as the MLS team with the best record. Tough playoff wins over the New York Red Bulls and Columbus Crew SC preceded TFC’s capture of the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy in the MLS Cup final. The team also won its sixth Canadian Championship, that country’s top professional tournament, in 2017. Seattle finished the regular season 14-9-11, good enough for second in the Western Conference. The Sounders enjoyed playoffs wins over Vancouver and Houston on their way to the MLS Cup final.
