TORONTO — There will be several big-time players on the field on Saturday night when the Seattle Sounders take on Toronto FC in the MLS Cup Final. The one person in that group that you might not want to bet against, however, is not 2015 MLS MVP Sebastian Giovinco or U.S. Men’s National Team veterans Michael Bradley or Jozy Altidore.

Rather, it is Nicolas Lodeiro and not just because he’s been red-hot since arriving in MLS.

Since beginning his professional career a decade ago, Lodeiro has claimed hardware almost everywhere he has been. He won the Uruguayan first division with Nacional. He took back-to-back Eredivisie titles as well as a KNVB Cup crown with Ajax. He hoisted Brazil’s Campeonato Carioca trophy with Botafogo. He helped Boca Juniors prevail in both Argentina’s top division and cup tournament. He also took home a gold medal with Uruguay after coming out victorious in the 2011 Copa America. His lone blemish came at an ill-fated and brief stop at Corinthians.

Lodeiro is a proven winner in every sense, and he only wants to add to that reputation by capping his first season with the Sounders with a championship.

“I’ve won everywhere I’ve been at, in all the countries, and I want to keep winning,” Lodeiro told SBI. “I have the chance to help this club make history since it has never won a title before and I want to be a part of that. I’ve been preparing in the best manner and I’m very eager to be a champion.”

That both Lodeiro and the Sounders are in a position to possibly lift the MLS Cup trophy at BMO Field is due in large part to the performances of the 27-year-old Uruguayan international. Since arriving from Argentine giant Boca Juniors in late July, Lodeiro has been arguably the best player in MLS. He has scored goals, delivered assists, and just made an overall big difference en route to helping the Sounders turn around what was looking to be a doomed season.

In fact, the Sounders were in second-to-last place in the Western Conference before Lodeiro arrived. They fired long-time head coach Sigi Schmid a day before Lodeiro was signed, and the situation the talented playmaker arrived to was different from the one he had expected.

“It was difficult, because I had talked to Sigi and he was the one that convinced me to come over here,” said Lodeiro. “But I was already here and I was convinced that I was going to help turn things around. I never imagined that there would be another head coach, but even when one appeared my confidence and mentality of helping the team reach the playoffs never wavered. We quickly reversed and corrected the situation.”

The Sounders might not have been able to do that had Lodeiro joined the club any later. His arrival came weeks before fellow Designated Player and main scoring threat Clint Dempsey went down for the season with a heart ailment, and right when the Sounders needed a major attacking boost on the field.

While players arriving in midseason have historically struggled in MLS, Lodeiro quickly found his groove. He made an immediate impact on the field, which he attributes in part to the Sounders being so attentive and diligent in settling his family into Seattle, and he made the players around him better. Much better.

It was glaringly obvious to anyone who was watching the Sounders during the latter half of the season, but his contributions were not just limited to his game-changing abilities on matchdays. Fueled by his hunger to win, Lodeiro also served as a mentor in practice by sharing his wealth of knowledge and experience.

“Right from the first day Nico got here, he had obviously watched some of our games so he knew how we played, but the first thing he said to me was, ‘When I get the ball, just run,'” said forward and MLS Rookie of the Year Jordan Morris. “I almost like to describe him as a quarterback. For a player like me who likes to make runs in behind, stretch opposing defenses, things like that, he puts the ball on your feet. He makes me a better player and he makes the players around him much better.

“He’s obviously been huge (on the field). Again, it’s more than that. It’s taking the time to talk to the younger players and help us through tough situations and things like that.”

All of Lodeiro’s hard work in his impressive first season in MLS will likely not be remembered in the same light if it does not come with a fairytale ending on Saturday. The club and its ardent fan base have long been craving an MLS Cup, the one major domestic title the Sounders have yet to win, and ending another season with disappointment after getting so close would only serve as further frustration and anguish.

Thankfully for the Sounders, Lodeiro plans to tap into the experience that has helped him and the Sounders make it this deep into the postseason. The same experience that has helped him be so successful throughout his career.

“Having been in other finals helps a lot, especially with passing onto my teammates what it’s all about,” said Lodeiro. “But the urge to play the final is the same as always and I am very eager to win it. It feels the same as with any other final, so I want to play well in this game and try and use the previous experiences to help me improve in this match.

“It’s going to be a tough game, a final, but once you step onto the field to play, you forgot who is home, who has the crowd support and who doesn’t. We just have to prepare to have a great performance and play the soccer that has gotten us to this point. Just as importantly, we have to enjoy the experience of playing a final, and approach it with much concentration.”