April 8, 2020

Today, April 8, Behind the Headlines was originally scheduled to cover this year’s National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball championships in the United States. However, the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments were canceled in March because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The tournaments were not alone: nearly all sports leagues and sporting events have been suspended or canceled because of COVID-19, putting sports on hold in all corners of the globe. COVID-19 is a pneumonia-like disease caused by a coronavirus, a type of virus that also causes the common cold and other diseases of the upper respiratory system. To date, COVID-19 has killed more than 80,000 people among nearly 1.5 million confirmed cases.

Dodger Stadium sits empty in Los Angeles, California. Baseball stadiums, usually teeming with people at this time of year, are going unused throughout the world as leagues have been suspended or canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Credit: John McCoy/Getty Images

All collegiate and high schools sports in the United States were suspended or canceled because of COVID-19 (the schools were then closed), and Little League Baseball, too, had to put off the start of its season. In professional sports, Major League Baseball, which had begun its annual spring training, canceled all exhibition games on March 12 and indefinitely delayed the start of the regular season. Minor League Baseball shut down, as did baseball leagues in Japan, Mexico, South Korea, and other countries. The National Basketball Association suspended its season on March 11, and basketball leagues in other countries were also shut down. The recently launched XFL football league suspended its first season on March 12, and the fledgling Basketball Africa League also lost its inaugural season, which had been scheduled to start on March 13.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo until 2021. Credit: Pakpoom Phummee/Shutterstock

Major League Soccer and the National Hockey League suspended their seasons in March, and other hockey and soccer leagues around the world were forced to do the same. Rugby and cricket leagues and tournaments were suspended, as were the upcoming Masters Tournament, PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and British Open golf competitions. In tennis, Wimbledon was canceled for the first time since World War II (1939-1945), and the French Open was postponed. The Kentucky Derby horse race and the Indianapolis 500 auto race were postponed, and the Monaco Gran Prix auto race was canceled. (All three races are usually run in May.) Marathons around the world have been canceled or postponed, and athletes of all types will have to wait for the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, which were postponed a year until July 2021.

This illustration of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) shows the spikes on the outer surface of the virus that appear as a corona, giving the virus its name. Credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of sports continued to be played without fans in attendance, but fears for the safety of athletes quickly led to the canceling of the competitions themselves. Suspended and postponed sports leagues and events have issued optimistic timelines about when they will resume or take place. All timelines, however, depend on the containment or continued spread of COVID-19.

The sports cancellations are part of social distancing, also known as physical distancing, an effort to slow or stop the spread of a contagious disease by limiting contact between people. Social distancing is most effective against illnesses that can be transmitted by coughing or sneezing, direct or indirect physical contact, or through the air. Typical social distancing measures call for the closing of such public places as sports arenas, schools, restaurants, museums, and many offices and stores. They may also call for people to maintain a distance of around 6 feet (2 meters) between them in public places.

February 5, 2020

On Sunday, February 2, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 31-20 to win Super Bowl LIV (54), the championship of the National Football League (NFL), at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes led a furious fourth-quarter comeback to overcome a 20-10 deficit and give Kansas City its first championship since taking Super Bowl IV 50 years ago in 1970. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid earned a long-awaited first title after 366 games over 21 seasons as an NFL head coach.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes runs the ball during Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, on Feb. 2, 2020. Credit: Elsa/Getty Images

The Chiefs entered Super Bowl LIV with one of the most explosive offenses in NFL history, and the 49ers countered with the league’s top-ranked defense. After a brief ineffective possession by the Chiefs, the 49ers got on the board first with a 38-yard field goal. Late in the first quarter, Mahomes capped a 75-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to put the Chiefs on top 7-3. Kansas City then intercepted San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and turned the mistake into three points with a 31-yard field goal. Garoppolo recovered with a 15-yard touchdown pass to fullback Kyle Juszczyk to even the game at 10-10 before halftime.

In the second half, 49ers kicker Robbie Gould nailed a 42-yard field goal for a 13-10 San Francisco lead. The ‘Niners then turned an interception off Patrick Mahomes into a touchdown and a 20-10 advantage. Mahomes threw another interception and the 10-point lead began to look secure for San Francisco. With 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter, however, Mahomes regained his normally excellent form. The young quarterback connected on a 44-yard heave to wide receiver Tyreek Hill and then drilled a short touchdown pass to tight end Travis Kelce to make it a 20-17 game.

The Chiefs defense quickly stopped the 49ers, and the Kansas City offense went back to work. Mahomes connected on a series of short passes before hitting receiver Sammy Watkins on a 38-yard completion. Running back Damien Williams then caught a 5-yard touchdown pass to put Kansas City in front 24-20. A desperate 49ers offense turned the ball over on downs at midfield, and the Chief’s Williams then sealed the win with a quick 38-yard touchdown run and a 31-20 lead with just 1:12 left in the game. After the clock ran down to zero, Patrick Mahomes was named the youngest Most Valuable Player in Super Bowl history–he had turned 24 in September 2019. He completed 26 of 42 passing attempts for 286 yards. The Niners’ Garoppolo connected on 20 of 31 passes for 219 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Williams ran for 104 yards on 17 carries for the Chiefs, and running back Raheem Mostert ground out 58 yards on 12 runs to lead the ‘Niners.

San Francisco’s Super Bowl loss ended an otherwise brilliant season that saw the team turn around a 4-12 record in 2018 to go 13-3 in 2019 and claim the National Football Conference’s top playoff spot. It was the 49ers’ seventh trip to the Super Bowl. The team last won it all in Super Bowl XXIX in early 1995. For Kansas City, it was the team’s third trip to the title game. The Chiefs lost the first Super Bowl to the Green Bay Packers in January 1967. They beat the Minnesota Vikings to win Super Bowl IV in 1970.

September 4, 2019

Tomorrow night, September 5, the Green Bay Packers will play their old rivals, the Chicago Bears, to open the 100th season of the National Football League (NFL). The NFL, the major professional football league in the United States, played its first season in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA). In 1922, the association was renamed the National Football League. Since then, the NFL has gained wide popularity, and the league championship—the Super Bowl—is one of the biggest one-day events in American sports.

The National Football League (NFL) is celebrating its 100th season in 2019. Credit: © National Football League

The NFL will mark its 100th season in a variety of ways. The NFL has produced television series that will fill the rosters of the “NFL’s All-Time Team” as well the “NFL 100 Greatest” players. The league will also broadcast a series of interviews with current NFL stars and members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. An NFL program called “Huddle for 100″ will encourage fans to join players and coaches in giving at least 100 minutes of time to help local charities.

The APFA was formed in Canton, Ohio, and included 14 teams based in the Midwest and in New York. The association’s first president was the legendary athlete Jim Thorpe, who also starred for and coached the APFA’s Canton Bulldogs. The Dayton Triangles hosted the first APFA game on Oct. 3, 1920, when they defeated the Columbus Panhandles 14-0. The Akron Professionals won the first APFA championship. Only two teams from that first APFA season, the Racine (Chicago) Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals) and the Decatur Staleys (now the Bears), remain as NFL teams.

Jim Thorpe, seen here in his Canton Bulldogs uniform, was the first president of the American Professional Football Association, the forerunner of the National Football League. Credit: UPI/Bettmann

The 1922 NFL had 18 teams. The number of teams has since varied as the league has expanded and retracted. In 1933, the 10-team NFL split into two divisions. Later that year, the Bears, the Western Division champion, hosted the New York Giants, the Eastern Division champion, at Chicago’s Wrigley Field in the first official NFL Championship Game. (Before 1933, the team with the best season record was named league champion.) The Bears, led by head coach George Halas, fullback Bronco Nagurski, and halfback Red Grange, beat the Giants 23-21.

The first NFL draft of college players took place in February 1936. In October 1939, the first locally televised NFL game featured the Brooklyn Dodgers (not to be confused with the baseball team) and the Philadelphia Eagles. In December 1951, the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cleveland Browns 24-17 in the first nationally televised NFL Championship Game.

The creation of the American Football League (AFL) in 1960 meant new competition for the NFL. To eliminate bidding wars between the two leagues for players, the AFL and NFL established a common draft in 1966. As an outgrowth of this agreement, the first Super Bowl was played in 1967, with the NFL champion Packers defeating the AFL champion Kansas City Chiefs. After continuing to operate separately through 1969, the leagues reached a merger agreement. Under the agreement, all AFL teams entered the NFL in 1970. The expanded NFL consisted of two 13-team conferences. The NFL now consists of 32 teams divided into the American Football Conference and the National Football Conference.

February 6, 2019

On Sunday, February 3, the New England Patriots downed the Los Angeles Rams 13-3 in Super Bowl LIII (53), the championship game of the National Football League (NFL). In the lowest scoring game in Super Bowl history, the Rams and Patriots both exhibited stellar defenses, but only the Patriots managed to reach the end zone at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, in Atlanta, Georgia. With the slow-paced victory, the Patriots joined the Pittsburgh Steelers as the only NFL teams with six Super Bowl titles. New England quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick became the first six-time individual Super Bowl champions in NFL history.

On Feb. 3, 2019, Patriots running back Sony Michel scores the only touchdown of Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. Credit: © Maddie Meyer, Getty Images

Sunday’s game was a rematch of Super Bowl XXXVI (36), in which New England beat the Rams 20-17.  It was the 11th Super Bowl appearance for the Patriots, the most of any NFL team. It was the fourth Super Bowl for the Rams, whose only title came in Super Bowl XXXIV (34), a 23-16 victory over the Tennessee Titans.

The game’s opening minutes forecast the offensive doldrums to come. The Rams intercepted Brady’s first pass attempt, ending a promising drive, and the Patriots managed only a 42-yard field goal through the game’s first two quarters. The Rams’ offense struggled even more, barely pushing the ball past midfield and punting on all six first half possessions.

The Rams eked out a 53-yard field goal to tie the game in the third quarter, but Brady and the Patriots responded with the difference-making scoring drive in the fourth. Starting at the New England 31-yard line, Brady completed four quick passes, the last of which found tight end Rob Gronkowski on the Rams’ two-yard line. From there, running back Sony Michel punched the ball into the end zone for a touchdown. The extra point made it 10-3 Patriots.

With more than four minutes remaining in the game, the Rams had plenty of time to mount a comeback. Los Angeles quarterback Jared Goff completed three passes to reach the New England 44-yard line. Taking a shot at the end zone, a Goff pass fell incomplete. On the next play, Goff tried again, but this time the pass was intercepted by Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Taking over the ball at their own four-yard line, New England put the nails in the Los Angeles coffin by eating up three minutes on a drive that ended with a 41-yard field goal and a 13-3 lead. With a minute to play, Los Angeles scraped together a desperate drive that led to a missed field goal and the end of the game.

Playing in his first Super Bowl, Jared Goff completed 19 of 38 pass attempts for 229 yards and no touchdowns. Playing in his ninth Super Bowl, Tom Brady’s just-good-enough stats included connecting on 21 of 35 pass attempts for 262 yards and no touchdowns. With 10 catches for 141 yards, Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.

The 13-3 final score was the lowest in Super Bowl history. The previous record was set in 1973, when the Miami Dolphins defeated the Washington Redskins 14-7 in Super Bowl VII (7).

January 9, 2019

On Monday, January 7, the Clemson University Tigers trounced the University of Alabama Crimson Tide 44-16 to win the College Football Playoff National Championship at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. It was the second national championship in the past three years for Clemson and head coach Dabo Swinney. With the win, the Tigers became the first team in modern college football history with a 15-win undefeated season. Clemson’s victory also prevented legendary Alabama head coach Nick Saban from earning a seventh career national football championship.

Clemson’s A. J. Terrell returns an interception for a touchdown early in the College Football Playoff National Championship at Levi’s Stadium on Jan. 7, 2019, in Santa Clara, California. Credit: © Sean M. Haffey, Getty Images

On Alabama’s first possession, sophomore quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw an interception that was returned 44 yards for a touchdown by Clemson defensive back A. J. Terrell. But Alabama quickly scored on their following drive to tie the game at 7-7. The teams swapped scores through the end of the first quarter, but Clemson pulled ahead in the second for a 31-16 halftime lead. Clemson dominated the second half, adding two more touchdowns while stopping Alabama on three consecutive fourth-down conversion attempts.

Clemson’s final possession was an epic example of clock domination as they ran 14 plays to move 94 yards. After forcing an Alabama punt with 10:02 remaining in the game, Clemson took over the ball on their own 1-yard line. A series of runs and first downs then slowly shoved the Crimson Tide defense backward as the clock ticked the season away. The game ended following a fourth-down run by Clemson’s Adam Choice, who fought to Alabama’s 5-yard line on the final play.

Clemson freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence finished the game with three touchdown passes and no interceptions, completing 20 of 32 passes for 347 yards. Lawrence shared the game’s most valuable player honors with junior cornerback Trayvon Mullen, who anchored the defense with six tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, and a 46-yard interception return.

Rarely have two teams dominated college football more than Alabama and Clemson did during the 2018 season. Alabama began the year ranked number one in the country. Clemson reached the number two ranking nine weeks into the season. Both teams went 13-0 during the regular season. In the four-team College Football Playoff that began on December 29, second-ranked Clemson easily dispatched third-ranked Notre Dame 30-3 at the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas. Top seed Alabama jumped out early against fourth-ranked Oklahoma at the Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens, Florida, and held on for a 45-34 win to set up the national championship title game.

This was the fourth straight year that Alabama and Clemson have faced each other in the College Football Playoff, and the third time they have matched up in the national championship. Alabama defeated Clemson in the 2016 title game. Clemson beat Alabama to win the championship in 2017. In 2018, Alabama took out Clemson in the playoff before defeating Georgia in the title game.

July 11, 2018

As soccer’s FIFA World Cup winds up this weekend in Russia, Florida’s Pérez Art Museum of Miami (PAMM) is featuring an exhibition on the art of soccer, or, as it is called in many places, football (fútbol in Spanish). “The World’s Game: Fútbol and Contemporary Art,” which runs through Sept. 2, 2018, features works by more than 40 artists who have revealed their love and unique views of the sport through painting, photography, sculpture, and video art. The PAMM exhibition, timed to coincide with the World Cup, is free to youth soccer clubs and teams in the Miami area.

“The World’s Game: Fútbol and Contemporary Art” at the Pérez Art Museum of Miami celebrates the art of soccer. Credit: © Oriol Tarridas, Pérez Art Museum Miami

“The World’s Game” features works by such famous artists as Andy Warhol and Kehinde Wiley, and includes soccer balls (naturally), cleats, player portraits, videos of raucous fans, and miniature figurines dashing about on artistically imagined pitches (playing fields). Warhol and Wiley excepted (they are both connected to New York City), most artists in the exhibition come from the Miami area and nearby regions of Latin America. The exhibition is a celebration of the sport, of course, but it also explores how soccer influences nationalism while also promoting globalism through such uniting events as the World Cup.

“The World’s Game” also reflects Miami’s diverse population through the international appeal of the sport. Over two-thirds of Miami’s population is of Hispanic origin. Cubans make up about half of that group, and they give the city a strong Latin culture. The city also has a large Haitian population. Other population groups include those of German, Irish, and Italian descent. About a fifth of the people in Miami are African Americans.

PAMM focuses on international art of the 1900′s and 2000′s. It is one of the main attractions of Miami’s Museum Park (formerly known as Bicentennial Park) on Biscayne Bay. The museum’s roots go back to the opening of the city’s Center for the Fine Arts in 1984. It was renamed the Miami Art Museum in 1994, and was later renamed again in honor of Miami real estate mogul, art collector, and philanthropist Jorge M. Pérez, whose donations helped fund an expansion and a new building that opened in 2013. The three-story, 200,000-square-foot (18,580-square-meter) museum was designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron.

January 9, 2018

Last night, on January 8, the University of Alabama Crimson Tide needed a magnificent performance by an unlikely hero to grind out a second half comeback and a 26-23 overtime victory over the University of Georgia Bulldogs in the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. The victory gave Alabama head coach Nick Saban an unprecedented fifth national football championship in the past nine years. The win also established the Crimson Tide as the first great college football dynasty of the 21^st century.

Alabama receiver DeVonta Smith catches a 41-yard touchdown pass in overtime to give the Crimson Tide a 26-23 victory over Georgia in the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on Jan. 8, 2018. Credit: © Mike Ehrmann, Getty Images

Up against a stout Georgia defense, Alabama trailed 13-0 at halftime. But Alabama’s top-ranked defense kept the game within reach, stunting the Bulldog’s vaunted running game and twice intercepting Georgia freshman quarterback Jake Fromm. To start the second half, Saban pulled sophomore quarterback Jalen Hurts, who had started most of Alabama’s games during the season. Saban sent in freshman backup Tua Tagovailoa, and the Hawaiian quarterback quickly led a third quarter touchdown drive to close the gap to 13-7. Georgia struck back with an 80-yard touchdown pass from Fromm to make it 20-7. Alabama notched two field goals to make the score 20-13 before the confident Tagovailoa drove the Crimson Tide downfield for the tying touchdown. Alabama missed a field goal that would have capped their comeback win in regulation time.

Georgia, who had defeated Oklahoma in double overtime in the college championship playoff a week ago, got the ball to start overtime play against the Crimson Tide. The Bulldog drive stalled, but kicker Rodrigo Blankenship made good on a 51-yard field goal. The Alabama possession started off poorly as Tagovailoa was sacked for a 16-yard loss. But on the next play, he hit freshman receiver DeVonta Smith on a 41-yard touchdown pass to complete the epic comeback. The win gave Saban a total of 6 national championships (his first came with Louisiana State University in 2003), equaling the title total of legendary Alabama head coach Paul “Bear” Bryant.

In the four-team college football playoff, Alabama avenged their defeat in last year’s title game by beating the defending national champion Clemson Tigers 24-6 in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on New Year’s Day. Clemson enjoyed a 12-1 season and had gone into the NCAA playoff ranked number 1 in the country. Alabama went 11-1 during the season, but the team barely made the playoffs as the number 4 seed. Many football fans thought that spot should have gone to 11-2 Ohio State instead. Southeastern Conference champion Georgia (12-1) entered the playoff as the number 3 team against the second-ranked Oklahoma Sooners. The Bulldogs needed double overtime to scratch out a thrilling 54-48 victory over the Sooners at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on New Year’s Day to set up the national title game. It was the first overtime game in Rose Bowl history.

December 29, 2017

This Sunday, December 31, is the 17th and final week of the National Football League (NFL) regular season. The Arizona Cardinals will wrap up their season with a contest against the Seattle Seahawks. With a 7-8 record, the Cardinals will miss the playoffs even with a win, ensuring that they will add to their NFL-longest title drought of 70 years. The Cardinals, the NFL’s oldest franchise, last tasted success in 1947, when the then-Chicago Cardinals downed the Philadelphia Eagles 28-21 to win the NFL Championship Game. (The first Super Bowl was not played until 1967.)

The Chicago Cardinals’ Billy Dewell (41, at left) chases a pass from quarterback Paul Christman (44, at right) during the team’s 28-21 victory over the Eagles in the 1947 NFL Championship Game at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Credit: © Bettmann/Getty Images

The Cardinals’ long case history began way back in 1898 with the Morgan Athletic Club on the south side of Chicago. The amateur team took on any comers, changing into their “cardinal red” jerseys as the Racine (a Chicago avenue, not a Wisconsin city) Normals in 1901. The team—which became known as the Cardinals—kicked around long enough to join the Decatur Staleys (now the Chicago Bears) and 12 other teams to form the American Professional Football Association in 1920, a league that became the NFL in 1922. The team entered the NFL as the Chicago Cardinals to avoid confusion with another team in Racine, Wisconsin. In 1925, the Cardinals won their first NFL championship. That team was led by Pro Football Hall of Famer John “Paddy” Driscoll, a former Northwestern University and Navy football star who played both quarterback and running back.

January 11, 2017

The Clemson University Tigers stunned the seemingly invincible University of Alabama Crimson Tide 35-31 on Monday night, January 9, to win the College Football Playoff National Championship at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Trailing for nearly all four quarters, Clemson’s junior quarterback Deshaun Watson completed a pass to wide receiver Hunter Renfrow in the end zone with just one second left in the game to secure the victory. The upset denied favorite Alabama and head coach Nick Saban an unprecedented fifth national football championship in the past eight seasons. For Clemson, it was their first national title since 1981 and only the second in school history.

Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson eludes Alabama defenders to score during the second quarter of the College Football Playoff National Championship at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, on Jan. 9, 2017. Clemson defeated Alabama 35-31 on a last-second touchdown. Credit: © Kevin C. Cox, Getty Images

Watson passed for 420 yards and 3 touchdowns and rushed for 43 yards in several spectacular scrambles. Watson did all this against the most fearsome defense in college football. Over the season, the Crimson Tide allowed the fewest yards per game, the fewest points per game, and the fewest rushing yards of any team in the nation. Standout tackle Jonathan Allen led an Alabama defense that did not allow a touchdown in all of November.

Monday’s game was a rematch of last year’s title game won by Alabama. It was the first rematch of a Division 1 college football championship since the title game was introduced at the start of the BCS (Bowl Championship Series) era in 1998. Ranked No. 3 going into this season’s NCAA college football playoff, Clemson was well-positioned to be the first team to defeat Nick Saban in a national championship game. In the four-game college championship playoff, Clemson crushed No. 2-ranked Ohio State 31-0 in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve in Glendale, Arizona, to earn a shot at the championship. Alabama easily dispatched their playoff opponent as well, downing newcomer Washington 24-7 in the Peach Bowl in Atlanta to set up the title game rematch. It was the 26th consecutive win for Alabama.

For Clemson and head coach William “Dabo” Swinney, the game was a chance for redemption. In last year’s championship game, the two teams combined for more than 1,000 yards in total offense, plus almost 300 yards more in punt and kickoff returns, as the teams scored 40 points between them in the fourth quarter alone. Many fans felt Clemson outplayed Alabama, only to fall 45-40 late in the game after several big plays and an Alabama onside kick that swung the game’s momentum.

December 15, 2016

On Saturday, December 10, Seattle Sounders FC (Football Club) won its first Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup, defeating Toronto FC 5-4 on penalty kicks after the game ended in a scoreless tie. It was the first championship for the Sounders, who won despite being the first team in history to finish an MLS Cup final with zero shots on target. The Sounders managed three shots total (the fewest in MLS Cup history), but it was their cool and luck in the penalty shootout that brought the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy home to Seattle for the first time.

At BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario, Román Torres hoists the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy shortly after his penalty kick won the MLS Cup for Seattle Sounders FC on Dec. 10, 2016. Credit: © Dan Poss, Seattle Sounders FC Communications

The Sounders’ victory disappointed most of the 36,045 fans crammed into BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario—a buzzing scene all season that saw the hometown Reds finish third in the Eastern Conference. Toronto forward Jozy Altidore led the Reds’ romp through the playoffs, scoring in every match until being shutout in the final by Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei—a worthy recipient of the MLS Cup Most Valuable Player award. Altidore and Toronto star Sebastian Giovinco pressed the Reds’ attack, taking 10 of their team’s 19 shots.

Seattle finished fourth in the Western Conference before taking down the top two teams in the west—FC Dallas and the Colorado Rapids—during a dominant playoff run. The Sounders’ offense sputtered in the final, however, and the championship fell on the strong shoulders of Panamanian defender Román Torres during the fourth penalty shootout in MLS Cup history. After the high tension of back-and-forth hitting, saving, and missing, the entire season came down to a penalty kick by Torres—delivered deftly up and to the right of Toronto goalie Clint Irwin, hitting the back of the net to win the title for Seattle.