Kelvin Leerdam scored his first career postseason goal on a deflected shot in the 57th minute, substitute Victor Rodriguez connected in the 76th and Raúl Ruidíaz added the capper in the 90th to give the Seattle Sounders a 3-1 victory over Toronto FC on Sunday in the MLS Cup for their second title in four seasons.
And for the 69,274 in attendance, it was an unforgettable match to witness. Lime green-clad fans — a musician even with a blue-and-green beard — showed up hours before game time to bond with other season ticket holders and take in a pre-match concert that featured Macklemore.
It was an uneasy first 50-plus minutes. Toronto dominated possession and seemed the more likely side to find a goal. They controlled possession. They connected their passes more often. They seemed comfortable in the setting, while Seattle seemed uneasy.
Then, playing before the second-largest crowd for an MLS Cup final, the Sounders capitalized on their opportunities in the second half.
The @SoundersFC fans are ready! pic.twitter.com/AH5JM2UhlR
— Ashley Gross (@ashleykgross) November 10, 2019
Seattle became the sixth franchise in league history with multiple titles. The Sounders joined Houston, Sporting Kansas City and San Jose with two titles. The LA Galaxy have five, and D.C. United four.
Meeting for the third time in the past four years in the final, the third chapter was among the most anticipated matches in league history. Seattle helped changed the scope of the league when it arrived 10 years ago and relished the opportunity to host the final for the first time with the home team playing.
What are you doing this Sunday morning? These band members with Sound Wave are getting ready for the big #MLSCup Seattle Sounders vs Toronto FC pic.twitter.com/jgvtbtQSoN
— Ashley Gross (@ashleykgross) November 10, 2019
Ruidíaz had been mostly quiet outside of a great scoring chance in the final minute of the first half that was saved by Westberg. He found enough space at the top of the penalty area to send a diagonal pass to Leerdam. He was initially challenged by Nicolas Benezet, but was able to break free. His ball into the middle of the goal mouth appeared more like a cross than shot, but it didn’t matter when it caught the left shin of Morrow and went past a helpless Westberg.
Seattle’s record crowd erupted after nearly an hour of nervous energy building. It was Seattle’s first goal in a final in 267 minutes after being held scoreless in each of the two finals played in Toronto.
Rodriguez’s goal provided cushion and Ruidíaz set off the wild celebration.
A victory parade is scheduled for noon on Tuesday.
This story was written by Tim Booth of The Associated Press.