Article by Matt Lichtenstadter
MLS Cup 2016 is upon us. Two teams with different, yet somehow very different stories to tell will collide for MLS’ ultimate prize at BMO Field in Toronto Saturday night. Who has the edge, what players should you watch out for, and what would a win for either team mean for their franchise and for the league? Let’s take a look at all of that in a comprehensive MLS Cup preview:
Ostensibly, one game finals are usually decided by what team can hold their nerve better in the intense pressure of the moment. By simply getting here, both teams are relieved of some of that pressure by virtue of their clubs individual histories. The Seattle Sounders were always the close men of MLS; doing plenty until the playoffs and always tripping up at one of the final hurdles. Toronto FC meanwhile hadn’t won a playoff game until this season despite all of the big names on and off the pitch and the multiple rebuilds, many sacked managers and failed directions all going hand-in-hand. Getting here is quite an accomplishment, but hoisting the trophy Saturday night at BMO Field will be something else entirely.
Both teams have incredibly potent attacks with in-form strikers as well as decisive creative forces. Both teams have seemingly found a set XI they will use and ride with to carry them forward as well as a formation they have found and stuck with. Both teams have flashy and big name players that take most of the headlines, yet are held together by MLS lifers; glue guys in equally key but less flashy positions that become as integral as the stars themselves. In many ways then, both of these teams are very similar, but in actuality are quite different.
Toronto FC’s formation is a 3-5-2, which is relatively new but has become stable for Greg Vanney in trying to maximize all of Sebastian Giovinco, Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore’s talent at the same time. And it has worked to great effect going forward. However, they are still open at the back and vulnerable to the counter-attack when Bradley ventures forward, leaving a lot for both Armando Cooper and Will Johnson to do. When the wingbacks Steven Beitashourand Justin Morrow are trapped up the pitch, TFC is also vulnerable. But with Giovinco and Altidore on fire, TFC may only need its defense to hold enough to allow its attack to click.
Meanwhile for the Sounders, the names you’ll hear mentioned quite often are Morris and Lodeiro, and for good reason. As they go, so too the Sounders. Lodeiro could have easily been MLS MVP for how he singlehandedly helped turn around the Sounders fortunes when they looked as if they couldn’t buy a goal, and Jordan Morris has finished more of his massive volume of chances lately, with the help of Nelson Valdez, who up until these playoffs was one of the biggest DP busts in the history of league. They’re anchored by longtime stalwart defensive midfielder Ozzie Alonso, who has been with the team since they joined MLS, and Cristian Roldan alongside him, who together form a formidable double pivot. But can they contain the many different waves of TFC’s attack? That might be the biggest question on Saturday night.
Since both teams can certainly put the ball in the back of the net, though TFC has a slightly more potent attack, the game may fall on the shoulders of the defenses. Seattle’s rock-solid centerback combo of Roman Torres and Chad Marshall has barely been breached of late, and has silenced some of the league’s best attackers on their amazing run to MLS Cup. Toronto FC has shown frailties, especially against the counter, and veteran hand Drew Moor has a lot to do to organize his two fellow centerbacks against what Seattle can throw at them.
While it seems that on paper, most of the personnel effectively cancels each other out. So who wins might be decided by what star imposes himself on the game the most. Any one of the major stars wearing either rave green or red could pull off that trick. The game really does feel like a coin flip, and could go either way.
As for I think will win: something tells me this is a big moment for Jordan Morris in his quest to become one of the best American players anywhere right now, and if he has a great game, he’ll cement that reputation ahead of some major World Cup Qualifiers, and will also prove a great deal of people wrong about MLS as a league for developing and honing talent, as well as how influential the college game is in American soccer. Something tells me this is going to be his night, and if it is, the Sounders will win.
What has been a fantastic MLS season comes down to one game to decide a champion, and with these two entirely different yet very similar teams colliding at BMO Field Saturday night, it promises to be an amazing evening that will showcase the best this league has to offer.
