MLS Cup 2019

Lore & Background

The match marked the conclusion of the 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs, which was contested by fourteen teams under a new single-elimination format that replaced the former two-legged ties. As a result, this was the earliest calendar date for the MLS Cup showdown since 2002. The defending MLS Cup champions, Atlanta United FC, were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals by Toronto FC. As MLS Cup champions, Seattle qualified for the 2020 CONCACAF Champions League and the later-cancelled 2020 Campeones Cup.

In Their Own Story

The Los Angeles sun had long set, replaced by the harsh glare of stadium floodlights reflecting off the wet grass. In the stands, thousands of Seattle fans, huddled in green scarves against the cool night air, held their breath as the ball rolled toward Jordan Morris. The crowd's silence was deafening for a split second before erupting into a primal roar as he slotted the ball past the keeper. It wasn't just a goal; it was the release of years of pressure, a moment where the entire city seemed to exhale in unison, knowing history had been written once again.

Reader's Guide

Seattle Sounders FC played in their third MLS Cup final in four seasons, having won in their first appearance in 2016 under manager Brian Schmetzer. The team had qualified for the playoffs in all of their eleven MLS seasons and finished as runner-up in MLS Cup 2017. In 2018, the team finished second in the Western Conference through a late-season winning streak but were knocked out by the Portland Timbers in the Conference Semifinals during a penalty shootout. During the 2019 offseason, the Sounders lost defensive midfielder and captain Osvaldo Alonso, who was released into free agency and signed by Minnesota United FC. The Sounders made few offseason moves; they signed several homegrown players for use by their affiliate team and went winless in preseason matches. The team lost just one of its first thirteen matches of the season. In early May, the Sounders signed center-back Xavier Arreaga as a Designated Player and left-back Joevin Jones upon his return to the team from the 2. Bundesliga. Later that month, center-back Chad Marshall retired. The team lost several players to injuries and international call-ups in June and had a three-match losing streak before recovering to win four matches in late June and early July. In early August, defender Román Torres received a ten-match suspension for violating the league's performance-enhancing substances policy. Also that month, the team went winless for four matches before a win against the Portland Timbers. Seattle won four of their last seven matches and clinched a playoff berth; they finished second in the Western Conference behind Los Angeles FC (LAFC), who won the Supporters' Shield and set league records for points and goal differential. In the first round of the playoffs, Seattle hosted FC Dallas. Goals from Raúl Ruidíaz and Jordan Morris allowed Seattle to take a 2–1 lead in the first half; Dallas's Matt Hedges tied the match in the 64th minute, but Morris briefly restored the Sounders' lead before the match was tied 3–3 by the end of regulation time. In extra time, Morris completed his first career hat-trick with a goal in the 113th minute to cap a 4–3 victory. Seattle went on to host Real Salt Lake in the Conference Semifinals, winning 2–0 with a goal and assist from Nicolás Lodeiro in the second half. Gustav Svensson opened the scoring in the 64th minute by heading in a corner kick taken by Lodeiro. In

Did You Know?

• The match set a new stadium attendance record at CenturyLink Field with 69,274 spectators.
• Víctor Rodríguez was named the match MVP after scoring a goal as a substitute.
• This was the third MLS Cup final between Seattle Sounders FC and Toronto FC in four years.
• The 2019 MLS Cup was the earliest calendar date for the final since 2002.