Toronto FC, Seattle Sounders meet in a compelling MLS Cup rife with subplots

Between the stars on display and a first-time champion waiting to be crowned, the 2016 MLS Cup final features plenty to whet the appetite.

What a series. What a game. What a night.

The first MLS playoff series played exclusively north of the Canadian border followed up a thrilling first leg with 120 minutes, seven goals and absolute pandemonium on a rain-drenched yet euphoric evening in Toronto.

And now? What an MLS Cup matchup we have to look forward to.

We can only hope that next Saturday’s final (8 p.m. ET, FOX) between Toronto FC and the Seattle Sounders will reproduce half of the drama of Wednesday night’s Eastern Conference second leg. On paper, however, it certainly has the ability to. It will feature two star-laden teams–Toronto will surely hope that the apparent calf injury that forced Sebastian Giovinco out in extra time vs. Montreal will subside in time–that are enjoying unprecedented success. And in primetime with a sizable television audience expected, it’s an opportunity for TFC and Seattle to showcase the best of what the league has to offer.

Toronto FC reaches first MLS Cup after conference final classic vs. Montreal

When they met on July 2, they played to a 1-1 draw in Toronto, but that seems ages ago considering what has transpired for both clubs since. Here’s an early look at three talking points ahead of their Dec. 10 showdown:

Altidore and Morris, the present and future of USMNT forwards

There will be a strong U.S. national team presence at BMO Field next Saturday, and nowhere is that presence stronger than at the head of each team’s attack. Both Jozy Altidore and Jordan Morris put in man-of-the-match performances to propel their respective sides to the final, and they’ll be the talk of MLS over the next 10 days.

Morris’s leading role has been the more surprising of the two. A prime prospect ever since his national team call-up in August 2014, the Stanford product endured an up-and-down rookie year in MLS. He ran away with rookie of the year honors, but bagged just 0.38 goals per 90 minutes, and spurned chance after chance over the season’s first half as the Sounders sunk to the bottom of the Western Conference.

Seattle Sounders advance to first MLS Cup after beating Colorado Rapids

Morris forged on, though, as did the Sounders even without Clint Dempsey, and the young striker has come of age in the playoffs even as he’s battled the flu. He’s scored two, set up one, and generally terrorized Dallas and Colorado from the left wing. As Brian Straus wrote after Sunday’s 1-0 second-leg win in Colorado, in which Morris got the lone goal: "It was yet another milestone for Morris, who’s handled everything that has come his way during a season that’s been far more complicated and challenging than he’d imagined."

In fact, if it weren’t for Altidore’s recent exploits, there might be talk of a changing of the guard up top for the national team. But the 27-year-old has scored in all five of Toronto’s playoff matches—the first player in league history to score in five consecutive MLS playoff games—and he’s arguably in the form of his life. He’s winning individual duels, he’s creating for teammates, and he’s playing with passion, aggression and even at times finesse.

• STRAUS: Altidore healthy at right time, at last | Morris embraces the pressure in Seattle

Altidore, it’s clear, is still very much the present for the U.S. at striker. Morris is the future. But another breakthrough on a big stage for the latter would push him even further into the present as well.  

Bradley vs. Lodeiro will be key

The game’s top individual battle, even more enticing than Altidore’s clash with physical Seattle center back Roman Torres, is in the middle of the park, and it pits two Designated Players who have been pivotal throughout their respective teams’ runs to MLS Cup.

This could end up being more an on-paper matchup than an on-field one. Playmakers are often renowned for what they do on the ball, but Nicolas Lodeiro’s success is often a byproduct of his work off the ball. He’s always on the move, foraging for nooks and crannies in an opponent’s defensive shape. You can’t man-mark him.

Good luck tracking Nicolas Lodeiro. Insane field coverage from a playmaker. #SEAvCOL pic.twitter.com/BcrQmAnmM8

— Matthew Doyle (@MattDoyle76) November 23, 2016

But if anybody can, it’s Michael Bradley, who has the ability to cover as much ground as anyone in the league. He likely won’t track Lodeiro when the Uruguayan drops deep, but he’ll have to work side to side in front of Toronto’s back three to cut off supply lines and force the Sounders to find other avenues forward.

If Altidore and Morris take the crown for top narrative, it’s these two midfielders that will be at the center of the most compelling tactical battle.

GALLERY: 20 years of MLS Cup winners

MLS Cup Winners Through The Years

1996 — D.C. United

Simon Bruty for Sports Illustrated

1996 — D.C. United (beat LA Galaxy 3-2 in extra time)

1997 — D.C. United

Doug Mills/AP

1997 — D.C. United (beat Colorado Rapids 2-1)

1998 — Chicago Fire

Robert Beck for Sports Illustrated

1998 — Chicago Fire (beat D.C. United 2-0)

1999 — D.C. United

Al Bello/Getty Images

1999 — D.C. United (beat LA Galaxy 2-0)

2000 — Kansas City Wizards

Stephen J. Boitano/AP

2000 — Kansas City Wizards (beat Chicago Fire 1-0)

2001 — San Jose Earthquakes

David Bergman for Sports Illustrated

2001 — San Jose Earthquakes (beat LA Galaxy 2-1 in extra time)

2002 — LA Galaxy

Winslow Townson for Sports Illustrated

2002 — LA Galaxy (beat New England Revolution 1-0 in extra time)

2003 — San Jose Earthquakes

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

2003 — San Jose Earthquakes (beat Chicago Fire 4-2)

2004 — D.C. United

Robert Beck for Sports Illustrated

2004 — D.C. United (beat Kansas City Wizards 3-2)

2005 — Los Angeles Galaxy

Wade Jackson/Icon Sportswire

2005 — Los Angeles Galaxy (beat New England Revolution 1-0 in extra time)

2006 — Houston Dynamo

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

2006 — Houston Dynamo (beat New England Revolution in penalty kicks after 1-1 draw)

2007 — Houston Dynamo

Simon Bruty for Sports Illustrated

2007 — Houston Dynamo (beat New England Revolution 2-1)

2008 — Columbus Crew

Robert Beck for Sports Illustrated

2008 — Columbus Crew (beat New York Red Bulls 3-1)

2009 — Real Salt Lake

Harry How/Getty Images

2009 — Real Salt Lake (beat LA Galaxy in penalty kicks after 1-1 draw)

2010 — Colorado Rapids

Lou Capozzola for Sports Illustrated

2010 — Colorado Rapids (beat FC Dallas 2-1 in extra time)

2011 — LA Galaxy

John W. McDonough for Sports Illustrated

2011 — LA Galaxy (beat Houston Dynamo 1-0)

2012 — LA Galaxy

Andy Mead/YCJ/Icon Sportswire

2012 — LA Galaxy (beat Houston Dynamo 3-1)

2013 — Sporting Kansas City

Andy Mead/YCJ/Icon Sportswire

2013 — Sporting Kansas City (beat Real Salt Lake in penalty kicks after 1-1 draw)

2014 — LA Galaxy

Jae C. Hong/AP

2014 — LA Galaxy (beat New England Revolution 2-1 in extra time)

2015 – Portland Timbers

Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

2015 – Portland Timbers (beat Columbus Crew SC 2-1)

2016 – Seattle Sounders

Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press/AP

2016 – Seattle Sounders (beat Toronto FC in penalty kicks after 0-0 draw)

2017 – Toronto FC

Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press/AP

2017 – Toronto FC (beat Seattle Sounders 2-0)

2018 - Atlanta United

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

2018 - Atlanta United (beat Portland Timbers 2-0)

An MLS Cup of firsts

Seattle’s ousting of Colorado guaranteed us two firsts. The obvious one: Neither Seattle nor Toronto (nor Montreal) has ever won a league title, nor even reached an MLS Cup. Toronto’s 10 years of dysfunction have been well documented, while Seattle, despite considerable regular season success, always folded in the playoffs. Both of those trends have perished.

The league’s 21st title match is also notable for another novelty, however: It’s the first of the 21 that won’t feature one of the league’s charter members.

Toronto FC's stars are shining, but team-wide effort, press are keys to success

Is there any meaning to derive from that fact? Maybe, maybe not. But the Sounders have written the book on how to thrive as an expansion team since joining the league in 2009, and Toronto’s front office has given a clinic in roster construction in MLS’s current climate, supplementing big-money Designated Players with seasoned veterans and affordable contributors.

With the game on broadcast television for the first time since 2008, and with conference finals and semifinals that provided excellent entertainment, it’s fair to assert that this year’s final is emblematic of a lot of what the current iteration of MLS is about.