In the third meeting of Seattle and Toronto for the MLS Cup, one club will get a perfect end to the trilogy
No two franchises have played each other in the MLS Cup final more often than Seattle Sounders FC and Toronto FC.
Sunday afternoon, the clubs will meet for the third time in four years — and this time on Seattle’s home pitch at CenturyLink Field — to settle a playoff series locked up at 1-1.
When the confetti flies, one club will get a perfect end to the trilogy and solidify one of the best stretches in MLS history. The other will become more of a footnote. Should the Sounders win, at home in front of a sold-out crowd, they might be deserving of the label of dynasty for what they’ve built in a decade of existence.
“We have to win this game,” Sounders general manager Garth Lagerwey said. “It’s a big swing from historical perception if we win this one or we don’t. … We’re going to be prepared for every contingency, and I believe in the players. I think this is the best team we’ve ever had in Seattle.”
Surely it will take the best team in Seattle’s history to knock off Toronto, which arguably has overmatched the Sounders for much of the first two championship meetings in this budding postseason rivalry.
In 2016, the Sounders’ first appearance in the title game, they held off Toronto for the entirety of regulation and overtime — backed by a superior performance from goalkeeper Stefan Frei — and escaped with the trophy in a shootout.
Roman Torres knocked in the decisive penalty on Seattle’s sixth attempt, and the visiting sideline erupted.
But, Toronto responded the next season, again hosting Seattle in the championship. There were no surprises this time, just a commanding performance by the home team, which settled the match, 2-0, in regulation.
Frei, who is one of six Sounders expected to play in his third MLS Cup with the Sounders this weekend, gave a lengthy, poignant summation of the impact those first two meetings had and the opportunity a third presents.
“It was a such a high to win in 2016 and to really make history and soak it all in,” he said. “It was unbelievable, and you really wanted to live in that moment and feel it. And then, at some point, it faded away. You start training, and you go, ‘Wow, how awesome would it be to feel that feeling again?’ But, you realize that the chances are very slim of you ever having a chance to even get to that point again.
“For us to have that opportunity the following year again was ridiculous. It’s a huge, huge opportunity, and then obviously to lose was brutal. It’s one thing to get the opportunity. It’s another to not seize it and falter a step short. That was tough because, again, as I realized once we won in 2016, the same realization came in after 2017 — ‘That might be the last time you ever have that chance.’ So, that was rough.
“To be back now, again, it’s amazing. … For me to get a third chance as an individual, but for the Sounders to get, in such a short time, another chance at it is unbelievable. I really hope that we can take the opportunity this time.”
Frei noted how few players — be they superstars or not — get to play in an MLS Cup in their careers. And playing in three, especially in such a short span, is indeed rare.
Seattle is one of only four franchises to advance to three championship games in four seasons, joining D.C. United, which appeared in the first four from 1996-99, the L.A. Galaxy, which accomplished the feat twice between 1999-2002 and 2009-12, and, of course, this Toronto squad.
“We’ve got to win it and see if we can assert the upper hand,” Lagerwey said. “Again, I think if you’re able to win this game, you get some real respect in terms of MLS teams that have accomplished something.”
The Sounders have never missed the playoffs in their 10-year MLS history, while it has taken Toronto longer to establish itself as a contender. Toronto failed to qualify for the playoffs its first eight seasons but has surged lately with four appearances since 2015.
“It’s hard to be consistent in this league, first and foremost,” Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan said. “The fact that Toronto didn’t make the playoffs last year and all the sudden they’re back in the MLS Cup, it’s hard to do. And to get back to MLS Cup for the third time in four years is pretty incredible in a league that is so parity driven.
“It’s two clubs, two franchises that are willing to take chances on players and willing to spend a bit of money. But, at the same time, it’s the mentality within the locker room, the front office to say, ‘Hey, we’re going to go for another trophy.’ It’s really nice and pleasing to see.”
This year in particular, the clubs have shown similarities.
Both endured frustrating stretches, and neither finished the regular season at the top of their conference. But, much like Seattle did against LAFC last week, Toronto upset top-seeded Atlanta on the road in the conference finals to get here.
“They are a loyal team,” Sounders midfielder Gustav Svensson said. “They fight for each other, much like us. And that’s always more difficult, especially in a game like this, where it might be just one mistake that will determine how this game will end up.
“So, the more you can fight for each other, the easier it is. That’s what we’ve got to do more than them. We’ve got to make sure we outrun them, outfight them, and then hopefully we will have more quality than them.”
Toronto also has a few players — possibly including striker Jozie Altidore, who hasn’t yet appeared in the playoffs due to injury — expected to make their third appearance in this four-year stretch.
Sounders coaches and players assure they have prepared for every possible scenario.
“Toronto is a very, very good team,” Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer said. “You saw what (Toronto coach) Greg (Vanney) did against Atlanta, some of his tactics, all that sort of stuff. … We want to make sure that we put every effort into the game, the preparation for the game, to make sure that we give ourselves the best chance of winning the game.”
Frei and several of his teammates said Toronto deserves respect, and the Sounders will surely give it to them. But, ultimately, the Sounders want to focus on their own squad and make this 2019 meeting its own occasion, separate from the past two.
It’s good to have a mix of players who remember the ecstasy and the agony of the 2016 and 2017 MLS Cups, and some who weren’t there to experience either one.
“I think it’s good to have people who will want a sense of revenge,” Frei said, “who will remember how it felt (to lose in 2017). … But then, at the same time, I think it’s also good to have people who weren’t there in ’16 or in ’17 because it gives them an opportunity to write themselves into the history of this franchise.
“We talk a lot about ’16, we talk a lot about ’17 as an opportunity. This is an opportunity to talk about ’19 for years to come. I’m happy that this opportunity is presented to guys who are new to the squad because I think these are moments that when you’re done playing, and when you’re dead, these are the moments that last.”
