For the third time in four seasons, the Seattle Sounders have advanced to MLS Cup. This time, they’ll be hosting their Eastern Conference rival, Toronto FC, in front of a sold-out crowd at CenturyLink Field.
How did the Sounders get here? It’s easy to look at the contributions of Raúl Ruidíaz and Nicolás Lodeiro, who combined for all three goals in Seattle’s convincing 3-1 win over the Supports’ Shield winner, as the decisive factor. But Seattle’s defensive tactics, which restricted the league’s best attack to just four shots on target, completely stifled LAFC.