The Seattle Sounders are taking on Toronto FC on Saturday in MLS Cup 2017. Here are three matchups to watch.
Sounders defender Román Torres vs. TFC forward Jozy Altidore
Román Torres is one of the few defenders in Major League Soccer who has the size and physicality to match up with Jozy Altidore, the big bruising American forward who scored 15 goals and added six assists in 27 matches this year. Torres and Chad Marshall have formed one of the best center back pairings in the league, helping the Sounders to 13 shutouts in the last 19 matches. Torres did extremely well in last year’s final at slowing down Altidore and disrupting his rhythm whenever he received the ball, and Torres’ ability to do the same in 2017 will go a long way in determining whether the Sounders can lift their second MLS Cup trophy in as many years.
Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan vs. TFC midfielder VÃctor Vázquez
With Sounders captain Osvaldo Alonso officially ruled out of MLS Cup 2017, there will be an even bigger onus on defensive midfielder Cristian Roldan to step up in the center of the park against a talented Toronto attacking line. It’s nothing Roldan isn’t used to, though. He led MLS in tackles and duels won this season and has had an MLS Best XI-caliber season. Likely pairing alongside Gustav Svensson in Head Coach Brian Schmetzer’s 4-2-3-1 formation, Roldan will need to balance his underrated ability to drive forward — he scored six goals and added three assists this season — with shutting down TFC attacker VÃctor Vázquez.
The Barcelona native and MLS Best XI player Vázquez was a finalist for Newcomer of the Year after finishing second in MLS in assists with 16 and adding another eight goals of his own. He is one three key additions from last year’s Toronto FC side, and to win the match on Saturday Seattle will need to limit his output pulling the strings underneath Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco.
Sounders forward Clint Dempsey vs. TFC midfielder Michael Bradley
These two know each other very well. Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley are Nos. 3 and 4, respectively, on the United States men’s national team’s all-time caps leaders and have been USMNT staples for over a decade. On Saturday, Bradley’s main goal will be trying to mitigate Dempsey as the No. 10 in Seattle’s 4-2-3-1, something Bradley didn’t need to do last season with Dempsey out. Dempsey returned to soccer in a massive way in 2017 following an irregular heartbeat that sidelined him for seven months. He scored a team-high 12 regular-season goals en route to being named MLS Comeback Player of the Year and is the MLS Cup Playoffs leader with three goals in three matches so far.
Bradley was again one of the best No. 6s in MLS this past season, simultaneously plugging holes defensively and catalyzing a Toronto FC attack that scored an eye-popping 74 goals. Dempsey has been a difference-maker all season, and it will be up to his longtime international teammate to change that. If he doesn’t, Dempsey will add yet another accolade to his already decorated career.
Kickoff is at 1 p.m. PT from BMO Field in Toronto (ESPN, UniMás, KIRO Radio 97.3 FM, El Rey 1360 AM).
