Oh, Canada! Greetings from Toronto

One of the really great MLS markets hosts this year’s final. In Toronto, a city teeming with cultural diversity, you’re never far from a great Portuguese restaurant, an Italian espresso shop, a rockin’ oyster place, a swank little French bistro, etc. Oh, and you’re never far from a pub or sports bar, where they’ll have hockey on the flat screen and they’ll be pouring the Canadian staples from the tap, along with some regional choices. Last night, for instance, I had myself some Keith’s Pale Ale, brewed not far away in Halifax.

But here’s what you also get in Canada … in November: lousy weather.

Or, well, it’s great weather I suppose … if you’re a caribou.

I ran into a couple of MLS officials this morning, who were wearing faces of concern. That’s because they had just seen the latest weather forecasts, which call for temperatures near 40 and rain on Sunday evening. Perhaps lots of rain. Boo, rain!

Here’s a little something to get you going on your MLS Cup prep … it’s the ONLY game preview you need, my own comprehensive look at position-by-position matchups which was posted on SI.com’s soccer site just this very morning.

I’ll have lots more this week from Toronto … I’ll even throw in some U.S. national team stuff – so long as I don’t go to Jonesing too early for more of that Keith’s pale ale.