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Goals from Altidore, Vazquez push Toronto FC past Sounders to win first MLS Cup

From the moment Toronto FC stepped off the field following the 2016 MLS Cup final, the focus has been on redemption. They got it on Saturday while sealing a place among the best teams in MLS history by claiming the club’s first MLS Cup and winning a historic treble.

Jozy Altidore fired the opening goal before Victor Vazquez added another in stoppage time to cap off a historic 2017 with a 2-0 MLS Cup victory over the Seattle Sounders on Saturday at BMO Field. The win sees TFC exact revenge after falling to the Sounders in last season’s finale while also completing a treble including the Supporters’ Shield and Canadian Championship.

After 187 total scoreless minutes and chance after chance through two matches, TFC finally broke through via Altidore, who sent BMO Field into a frenzy as TFC took a well-deserved lead. After beating the offside trap, Altidore got onto the end of a Sebastian Giovinco pass to get in alone on Stefan Frei. The finish was a simple one, as Altidore looped a shot over a sliding Frei for the all-important goal.

In stoppage time, TFC added another on a quick counter attack through Vazquez, who was in the right place at the right time to fire home a shot off the post.

Toronto FC dominated the opening half after coming out in a surprise 4-4-2 formation. The tactical switch produced sustained possession and a whole slew of chances, but none of them were good enough to get past Stefan Frei. After proving the hero in 2016, the Sounders goalkeeper single-handedly kept his team alive in the 2017 edition with six first half saves.

His first came just 10 minutes in on Jonathan Osorio before an additional stop on a Sebastian Giovinco shot just a minute later. Giovinco fired three shots on goal throughout the first half after failing to register a shot on target last season.

Despite Frei’s heroics, the Sounders nearly conceded just before the half on a mishit Joevin Jones clearance that went just wide of the post.

The second half nearly started with a bang on a Steven Beitashour curler, but the fullback’s shot went just over the crossbar.

As the second half continued, though, Frei remained the story, making a series of stops to open the second stanza. One of his better ones came in the 64th minute on a diving stop of Giovinco on what was one of TFC’s more concrete chances of the match.

Eventually, though, there was nothing Frei could do to prevent Altidore from scoring the game-winner as TFC sealed the team’s first ever MLS Cup title in the team’s 11th season, becoming the 12th club to win the league crown.

Comments

  1. Altidore and Bradley getting it done only when they are comfortable and its easy. Kings of Average. Both these players failed in EPL, when the true USA greats survived and even thrived in EPL. Dempsey, Donovan, McBride, Bocanegra, Cameron, Friedel, Reyna, Howard, etc.

    There is a reason why we are not going to World Cup this cycle.

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