Toronto 0 : 0 Sounders FC
Sounders win 5-4 on penalties
Seattle Sounders FC added a new name to the roll call of MLS Cup winners by beating Toronto FC on penalties in the final. It was their first national league title since they won the USL trophy in 2007.
Manager Brian Schmetzer, the head coach then as now, joins the ranks of men who won the League having taken over in mid season joining legends such as Joe Walsh of Arsenal in 1933 and Cevat Güler of Turkish club Galatasaray in 2008 as just two of the names that have achieved that. The match finished goalless after 120 minutes without Seattle offering a single shot on target. However the men in green won the resultant penalty shoot-out 5-4.
Toronto’s USA international Jozy Altidore scored the first penalty before Seattle substitute Brad Evans calmly followed. Another US international Michael Bradley’s second kick was easily saved by Seattle’s Swiss goalkeeper Frei, before Austrian Andreas Ivanschitz gave Sounders FC the 2-1 advantage after two kicks each.
Benoit Cheyrou scored the third while Alvaro Fernandez failed to beat TFC keeper Clint Irwin, making the score 2-2 after three kicks. Canadian international Will Johnson scored the fourth for Toronto before Seattle defender Joevin Jones scored superbly to level it at 3-3.
Drew Moor put Toronto 4-3 ahead meaning Nicolas Lodeiro had to score for Seattle. He did and did so resoundingly. 4-4 after five and sudden death kicks ensued. Justin Morrow was Toronto’s sixth taker. He hit the bar leaving Roman Torres to win the trophy for Seattle. The Panamanian converted to give Sounders the trophy for the first time in their history in front of 36,045 mostly crestfallen spectators, but to the joy of a large traveling contingent from Cascadia.
TV Commentator John Strong had described the meeting as “a pair of clubs who have raised the bar in MLS” but the first half only lived up to its billing in terms of chippiness.
Toronto were the better side for the better part of regulation. The Reds forced three saves out of their former keeper Frei, who left the club for Seattle in 2014. Only the second of those, diving low to stop a slightly mistimed Altidore header in the 31st minute was really ever in doubt. The Reds were the better side but failed to really test Frei in the first half, with centre half Torres, the eventual match-winner, producing one of his best Sounders FC performances.
By the hour mark, Toronto had 10 shots to Seattle’s 0. This trend continued to full time but the Canadian side was unable to penetrate Frei’s goal, and the game went to extra time.
The first period of extra time produced more Toronto domination but still no goals. Substitute Tosaint Ricketts drove narrowly wide in the 107th minute from inside the area, a minute before Frei’s best save, clawing away an Altidore header from almost behind himself.
And so the game went to penalties, where Toronto, for all their dominance, were to be foiled by Frei for the final time.
To follow: Report interviews and photo galleries.
