Toronto FC caps historic season with MLS Cup

The MLS Cup has long been a dream for beleaguered Toronto FC fans. For captain Michael Bradley, it was an obsession after losing the championship game last year in a penalty shootout.

“Not just for me but every single guy in our team,” Bradley said.

“I could sit here and try to explain to you guys for the next two hours what it’s like to lose a final on penalties the way we did last year and to have to wake up the next morning and feel like your chance at redemption might as well be 50 years away,” Bradley added Saturday after finally scratching that very big title itch.

Toronto avenged last year’s MLS Cup final loss to Seattle by dominating the Sounders 2-0 in the championship rematch.

Jozy Altidore scored in the 67th minute and Victor Vazquez added a stoppage-time counterattack goal as Toronto completed its record-breaking season.

The home side put on a performance brimming with confidence and intent before 30,584 on a warmer-than-expected late afternoon at BMO Field, where it was 1 Celsius at kickoff.

Seattle was on the back foot almost from the get-go. Toronto grabbed the Sounders by the scruff of the neck and didn’t stop shaking for 90 minutes.

Seattle coach Brian Schmetzer said his team will be taking some pointers from Toronto.

“If you look at Toronto’s year, the start of the year was the loss in the 2016 MLS Cup, and you could tell that that was a motivated franchise, motivated coach, motivated team,” he said.

The win was especially sweet for a Toronto franchise that, while a hit at the turnstiles since entering MLS in 2007, was the league doormat for a long time.

Toronto missed the playoffs for its first eight years and needed five seasons to register a total of 10 away wins.

Saturday’s win completed an unprecedented triple for Toronto, adding the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy to the Supporters’ Shield, symbolic of the best regularseason record — in this case the league’s best regular season ever — and the Voyageurs Cup as Canadian champions.