Sports

2019 MLS Final: crowing the next MLS champion

Danny Panken, Contributer|November 8, 2019

On November 10^th at 3:00 PM ET, the Seattle Sounders (2^nd seed) and Toronto FC (4^th seed) will face off in the MLS Playoff Finals to determine the best American soccer club in the country. Both teams have had to face off against top contenders in the MLS on their paths to the finals.

Our own Minnesota United FC was eliminated after the first round against the LA Galaxy, headed by the best striker to leave Scandinavian for topflight soccer, Zlatan Ibrahimović. The game was close, but in the end, Minnesota United’s late goal and excessive pressing were not enough to bring the Loons level and Zlatan’s men held on for a 2 – 1 victory.

Seattle and Toronto have put together some convincing runs throughout the playoffs, as both have netted 9 goals in their 3 playoff games so far. The only thing separating these two teams on paper is Toronto’s better plus-minus goal differential which stands at +6 compared to Seattle’s +5.

This game has a lot to offer, and with all the goals these teams have put together, this final match of the MLS season is a must-watch. It will be sure to keep you locked into the television up until the last whistle is blown.

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This made him the only player in Seattle Sounders history to score a hattrick in any playoff game. The final score ended 4 – 3 with Seattle advancing to the next round

So far Seattle’s postseason has come with some challenges, including the first game where a 116th-minute goal by the United States own Jordan Morris was all that separated them from FC Dallas. Not only was Morris’s last goal the decider for Seattle, but it also capped off his hattrick. This made him the only player in Seattle Sounders history to score a hattrick in any playoff game. The final score ended 4 – 3 with Seattle advancing to the next round.

The Sounder’s next two games were less intensive in that they only took a regular 90 minutes. Their second playoff game against Real Salt Lake showcased the dominance of Seattle, and while it took until the second half to get their two goals of the match, Seattle’s defensive skills were showcased in their ability to keep Salt Lake off the scoresheet.

Seattle then played LAFC in the Western Conference finals, where they showed resilience to score 3 goals against LA after going down a goal early in the first half. A bad tackle on LAFC’s leading goal scorer Carlos Vela drew a freekick just outside the 18-yard box which was put away in spectacular fashion by Eduard Atuesta.

Although incredible, Atuesta’s freekick was not enough to keep the number 1 seed LAFC in the tournament, but finishing the regular season with 8 more points than any other team is its own accomplishment.

Toronto’s playoff run has been the opposite of Seattle’s as their first game was the easiest, and the next two were much closer as they had to play both the number 1 and 2 seeds on their way to the championship. Their first game showed off their dominance with a solid 5 – 1 win over Wayne Rooney’s DC United, but this was no ordinary playoff game.

After an early goal for Toronto, it took DC United until the 90^th minute to equalize and bring the game into overtime where Toronto was able to shine. Toronto was able to break down DC on 4 different occasions in the first 15 minutes of overtime to seal the win while a red card given out to one of DC United key midfielders, put the nail in the coffin for DC’s 2019 season.

Toronto’s next 2 games were much more difficult as they only won 2 – 1 while facing off against the number 1 seeded NYCFC and the number 2 seeded Atlanta United. Make sure to tune in on November 10^th to catch the most anticipated match of the MLS season where the best MLS team will be crowned at Century Link Field in Seattle, Washington.