Rematch against Seattle just what Toronto wanted
TORONTO — Toronto FC needs to beat the defending champion Seattle Sounders to cap its record-breaking regular season with an MLS Cup title.
In a rematch, Toronto will host the Sounders in Saturday's MLS Cup. Seattle won last year's game in a penalty shootout after neither team could score in regulation or 30 minutes of extra time.
The memory of Sounders players celebrating on his home field remains painful for Toronto striker Jozy Altidore.
"It was not great, so it's good that we have a chance to hopefully reverse that feeling," Altidore said.
Led by Altidore, fellow U.S. international Michael Bradley and 2015 league MVP Sebastian Giovinco, Toronto set a league record with 69 points this season. That's one better than the 1998 Los Angeles Galaxy.
Toronto won 20 of 34 games, matching the 2014 Sounders for most victories in the league's post-shootout era, and scored 74 goals, tied for the second-highest total.
Bradley said he and
his Toronto teammates are "all excited that it's Seattle again" in the decisive game.
"This was all we wanted, to give ourselves another crack," Bradley said.
Seattle has steamrolled its opponents in the playoffs after finishing second in the Western Conference during the regular season. The Sounders posted shutouts in all four postseason games so far.
"You want a final like this each and every year," Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan said. "It's two powerhouse teams with fantastic quality."
An injured Altidore was replaced in the final minutes after scoring the goal that helped Toronto beat Crew SC in the second leg of the Eastern Conference final. He hurt his right ankle in a collision with Crew defender Harrison Afful.
After practice on Thursday, the striker insisted he would be ready to go against Seattle.
"I'll play," Altidore said. "It's good."
Seattle midfielder and captain Osvaldo Alonso failed a fitness test on his strained right quadriceps muscle on Thursday and has been ruled out.
The prognosis was better for Sounders forward Jordan Morris, the league's rookie of the year. After missing two months because of a hamstring injury, Morris came off the bench late in the second leg of the Western Conference finals against Houston and could reprise his substitute's role against Toronto.
Seattle's potent offense gets plenty of attention because of players such as Clint Dempsey, Nicolas Lodeiro, Will Bruin and Morris. But the Sounders' biggest strength late in the season and during the playoffs has been the defense. They haven’t allowed a goal since a 2-0 loss to Philadelphia on Oct. 1. That's six games since a shot got past starting goalkeeper Stefan Frei or backup Tyler Miller.
Temperatures are expected to be around the freezing mark at kickoff, with a 40 percent chance of snow flurries. No MLS Cup game has been played in the snow. If the flakes do fly, the referee has the discretion to switch from a white ball to an orange ball.