Seattle Sounders Vs. Toronto FC: Reds Win MLS Cup 2017 On Dominant Performance

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Dec 9, 2017

Final, 2-0 Toronto FC: The Reds win MLS Cup 2017 and confirm their first title in franchise history.

Jozy Altidore and Victor Vazquez scored the decisive goals, giving Toronto a well-deserved victory on home soil. The Reds dominated the contest from start to finish, with Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei preventing a total rout.

Toronto completes perhaps the finest season in MLS history in style.

Seattle will be disappointed with its performance, having fallen flat in front of a global audience.

That’s all for now, and thanks for joining us. Let’s discuss this one on Twitter @NESNsoccer and Facebook. Be sure to keep an eye out for some news, fan reactions, analysis and opinion coming up on NESN.com/soccer.

Postgame analysis: How Toronto beat Seattle in MLS Cup 2017 >>

90th minute +3, 2-0 Toronto FC: Victor Vazquez confirms Toronto’s win with a stoppage-time goal.

90th minute +1, 1-0 Toronto FC: Marco Delgado departs, with Benoit Cheyrou replacing him for Toronto.

90th minute, 1-0 Toronto FC: Seattle makes another substitution.

90th minute, 1-0 Toronto FC: Christian Roldan knocks down Sebastian Giovinco inside Seattle’s penalty area, but the referee declines the hosts’ appeals for a penalty kick.

86th minute, 1-0 Toronto FC: Jozy Altidore exits the game. Defender Nick Hagglund replaces the goal-scoring hero, as Toronto looks to lock down the game in the final four-plus minutes.

85th minute, 1-0 Toronto FC: Armando Cooper replaces Jonathan Osorio in Toronto’s first substitution. It’s a like-for-like change in the Reds midfield.

83rd minute, 1-0 Toronto FC: With fewer than 10 minutes remaining in normal time, Seattle is growing increasingly desperate for the tying goal. Most of the Sounders are in Toronto’s penalty area for a corner kick but they’re unable to convert the set piece into a scoring opportunity.

77th minute, 1-0 Toronto FC: Seattle fans hoping for a reaction to Jozy Altidore’s goal must be disappointed, as Toronto remains on the front foot, having taken the lead.

71st minute, 1-0 Toronto FC: Jordan Morris enters the game for the Sounders, who need the U.S. international striker to make a positive impact.

67th minute, 1-0 Toronto FC: Jozy Altidore finishes Toronto’s counter-attack with a well-taken goal.

The Toronto FC striker runs onto a through-ball and clips his shot over Stefan Frei to put Toronto in front.

Was Altidore offside? The referees say “no.”

Look how much the goal means to Altidore, his Toronto teammates and their fans.

Seattle’s shutout streaks end at long last.

65th minute, 0-0: Seattle’s Roman Torres and Toronto’s Jozy Altidore exchange heated words following Stefan Frei’s save on Sebastian Giovinco. The referee separates Torres and Altidore without issuing a yellow card to either player.

64th minute, 0-0: Toronto’s attacking players combine well, ending with a shot by Sebastian Giovinco, but Frei makes yet another save.

Seattle’s postseason stinginess has reached record levels.

60th minute, 0-0: Michael Bradley makes a late run and volleys a shot on goal from 25 yards out, but Stefan Frei is positioned well enough to save it, although he spills the rebound into his goalmouth.

55th minute, 0-0: The first 10 minutes of second half have been more competitive than the entire first period, as Seattle shows growing comfort on the ball and a willingness to take a few risks going forward, instead of sitting deep in its own half.

49th minute, 0-0: Clint Dempsey tests Alex Bono with a shot from just outside Toronto’s penalty area, but the Reds goalkeeper stops the shot.

48th minute, 0-0: Sebastian Giovinco’s cut-back pass rolls from the by-line all the way to Steven Beitashour, who misses with a curled shot from just outside Seattle’s penalty area. It was a proverbial fullback’s finish.

46th minute, 0-0: The second half of MLS Cup 2017 is under way.

Halftime, 0-0: The referee ends the first half. MLS Cup 2017 is goal-less.

Toronto will be disappointed at the halftime score, given its total domination of proceedings. Seattle seems to have frozen in the pressure-packed moment, while Toronto seems at ease in the biggest game of the season.

Only Stefan Frei’s heroics have kept the score level, and Seattle knows it won’t be able to escape such an imbalance unscathed for another 45 minutes.

41st minute, 0-0: Victor Vazquez hits a low, accurate shot toward the far post, but Stefan Frie dives to his right and blocks it for his seventh save of the first half.

35th minute, 0-0: Toronto’s Marco Delgado shoots powerfully on goal from 25 yards, but his effort is too close to Stefan Frei, who saves it over the crossbar.

30th minute, 0-0: The Sounders needed a half-hour to register their first shot on goal, with Joevin Jones doing the honors. Toronto goalkeeper Alex Bono comfortably saves Jones shot.

Nevertheless, this might encourage Seattle.

26th minute, 0-0: Toronto continues to dominate the action, while Seattle struggles to gain and keep possession in any area of the field. If the game continues in this manner, Toronto is bound to score and win. Greg Vanney’s formation gamble has paid off so far.

23rd minute, 0-0: Sebastian Giovinco creates space inside Seattle’s penalty area with some skillfull dribbling and shoots on target, but Stefan Frei parries his effort over the crossbar.

17th minute, 0-0: Seattle’s defense normally isn’t this generous. Toronto easily could be leading, given the number and quality of its chances.

11th minute, 0-0: Stefan Frei makes leaves his line and makes another save, denying Sebastian Giovinco.

https://twitter.com/TotalMLS/status/939611492906827777

Having made one of the greatest saves in MLS Cup history in last season’s final, Frei seems to be up to his old tricks in 2017.

10th minute, 0-0: Stefan Frei saves Jonathan Osorio’s volleyed shot at the far post.

Eighth minute, 0-0: Sebastian Giovinco shoots from the edge of Seattle’s penalty area, but Stefan Frei easily collects his effort.

Seventh minute, 0-0: After a fast start, the game has settled into an apparent rhythm, with Toronto controlling possession but struggling to find seams in Seattle’s stout defense.

Third minute, 0-0: Toronto fires an early warning shot across Seattle’s bow, as Drew Moor heads his shot just over the bar following a corner kick.

Kickoff: MLS Cup 2017 is under way.

Toronto fans unveiled this message to their players following the U.S. and Canada national anthems.

Pregame: The teams and MLS dignitaries are taking the field for the pregame handshakes, and kickoff is just minutes away.

Below is the Phillip Anschutz trophy, for which the teams are competing.

Toronto FC Greg Vanney has switched from a three-defender setup to a back four, departing from the system it used for most of the regular season. The Reds are gambling with the formation change, and we wouldn’t be surprised if they changed systems if the game isn’t going well for them.

3:30 p.m.: Here are the starting lineups.

Seattle Sounders

Toronto FC

3:15 p.m. ET: We’ll soon learn whether Toronto FC can achieve its big payback.

The Reds will host the Seattle Sounders on Saturday at BMO Field in MLS Cup 2017, a rematch of last season’s title game, which Seattle won on penalty kicks following a goal-less draw.

Toronto is the slight favorite to win, given its home-field advantage, current form and historic success during the regular season.

Seattle also has winners’ pedigree, rock-solid defense and no intention of missing the chance to become just the fourth back-to-back champion in MLS history.

Seattle vs. Toronto will kick off at 4:30 p.m. Join us right here for all the action from BMO Field, as we’ll bring you sights and sounds from MLS Cup 2017.

Click for our Seattle Sounders vs. Toronto FC prediction

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