MLS Cup: Power ranking the last five finals
By Drew Hubbard
2. 2017 – Toronto FC Vs Seattle Sounders
The second consecutive meeting between Toronto FC and the Seattle Sounders saw the hosts run out 2-0 victors, handing Canada their first-ever MLS Cup champion. Aside from being the first team north of the border to finish the task, it also capped off the best team season in MLS history. In 2017, Toronto FC won MLS Cup, the Supporters’ Shield, and the Canadian Championship, earning an elusive treble in the process, the first team in history to win those three competitions in the same season.
Aside from everything surrounding the match, the game itself was pure class. Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei finished with nine saves to keep his side in it but could only hold on for so long. Jozy Altidore broke through in the 67th minute after a goal building up from the back and a perfect ball from Sebastian Giovinco to send the American one-on-one with Frei and BMO Field into uproar.
Toronto then put the cherry on top of their season in the dying seconds when Victor Vázquez tapped in off the post to make it 2-0. The 2017 final made the way for Canada’s first champion and ended a historic season for Toronto FC in the second installment of the Seattle-Toronto saga. But like every movie series, nothing beats the original.