The Seattle Sounders are MLS champions for the first time in their history, capping off an inexplicable season. They fired their coach mid-season after a series of awful performances left them well out of the playoff race, but Brian Schmetzer quickly righted the ship, and has guided the Sounders to an MLS Cup title. Incredibly, they found a way to beat Toronto FC in Canada without registering a shot on target, winning a penalty shootout 5-4 after a 0-0 draw.
Toronto FC vs. Sounders: Final score 0-0, Seattle lifts MLS Cup after winning penalty shootout
Seattle Sounders have won MLS Cup for the first time in their history, beating Toronto FC on penalties after a grueling game in terrible weather.
John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
In what fans hoped would be a sign of things to come in the final, Jozy Altidore generated a big chance in the 2nd minute. He made some space for himself 12 yards from goal and took a shot that took a tiny deflection off Roman Torres, causing it to dribble just a foot wide of goal. Unfortunately for everyone in attendance, that was the best chance in regulation.
Seattle defended well and had some dangerous-looking moments on the counter, but they didn’t turn them into shots. Their first attempt on goal came in the 76th minute, and it was hardly a shot at all -- Osvaldo Alonso’s rip from 30 yards didn’t even get to the edge of the 18-yard area until it was blocked. The Sounders finished regulation with no shots on target.
Toronto squandered a big chance in stoppage time, during a play that was a microcosm of the game as a whole. The Sounders didn’t get anyone back on a corner kick, leaving Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco in a two-on-one. Incredibly, they never created a shot -- Benoit Cheyrou couldn’t get them the ball.
In stoppage time, Giovinco was hobbled, but tried to play through his injury. Eventually, Toronto realized his quality didn’t offset the fact that he couldn’t move, and he was replaced by Tosaint Ricketts. With more pace on the pitch, Toronto started to create scoring chances.
Altidore probably thought he had the match winner in the 108th minute, but Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei came up with by far the play of the game: a jaw-dropping athletic save to keep Altidore’s looping header out of the back of the net.
WHAT. A. SAVE. pic.twitter.com/sUY2a6JHnp
— Sounder At Heart (@sounderatheart) December 11, 2016
That proved to be a decisive moment in the game, as neither side would get a better chance to score, and they headed to penalties tied up at 0-0.
Both teams converted in the first round before Michael Bradley gave the Sounders an advantage by hitting a weak shot right at Frei. But Alvaro Fernandez hit a similar poor shot in the third round, evening up the shootout again. Seattle and Toronto both converted in the fourth and fifth rounds, leading to sudden death. In the sixth round, Justin Morrow hit the crossbar and Roman Torres scored the decisive penalty, firing the Seattle Sounders to their first ever MLS Cup title.
Toronto FC: Clint Irwin; Nick Hagglund, Drew Moor, Eriq Zavaleta, Justin Morrow, Jonathan Osorio (Will Johnson 77'), Michael Bradley, Armando Cooper (Benoit Cheyrou 85'), Steven Beitashour, Sebstian Giovinco (Tosaint Ricketts 103'), Jozy Altidore
Goals: None.
Seattle Sounders: Stefan Frei; Jeovin Jones, Chad Marshall, Roman Torres, Tyrone Mears, Osvaldo Alonso, Cristan Roldan, Erik Friberg (Alvaro Fernandez 66'), Jordan Morris (Brad Evans 108'), Nelson Valdez (Andreas Ivanschitz 73'), Nicolas Lodeiro
Goals: None.
Three things
- The weather affected the game -- Maybe this would have been a nasty game lacking in chances even if the weather was nice. It was a cup final, after all. But it was clear from the very beginning of the match that tackles hurt everyone a lot. Roman Torres had to step off the pitch for a couple of minute after catching a shot to the face, with the ball likely feeling like a rock. No one ever looked like they were playing at full speed. Outdoor games in Canada in December are bad.
- Frei's save might have been the best in MLS Cup Final history. -- Goodness. Saves don't get better than this. Here's another angle. Watch it again and again and again.
- Seattle finally has their first championship after the most incredible season anyone could imagine. -- At one point this summer, Seattle was in last place in the Western Conference. They lost Clint Dempsey to a heart condition. They fired the only head coach they've had in MLS and replaced him with their assistant manager and old USL manager.
And then he turned things around. They signed Nicolas Lodeiro, one of the most ambitious Designated Player pickups in MLS history. And the Sounders somehow went from last to champions in half a year to win MLS Cup for the first time in their history.
Stefan Frei. Incredible. #MLSCup https://t.co/g544fbC0qs
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) December 11, 2016
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