MLS Cup Final - Seattle @ TFC Saturday Dec 9 4pm All For the One - Again

Looking forward to the Reds taking care of some “Unfinished Business”, please discuss.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnoOwEmFaVw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h93TvvHz4o

As suggested by Magmadragon


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Have at It People

All I have to add right now is:


:scarf: :scarf: :scarf:

:drum:

:flare:

Threads merged

Sorry CB - didn't see it.

Unfinished business indeed.

Oh, and this was a good choice by Hamilton Red I didn't see either.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOFu6b3w6c0

As much as it seems like Seattle are hot right now, which frightens me, the idea that they had to face the Whitecaps and the Dynamo to get to the final makes me feel a little better. I think being in the East and having had a tougher road to the final works in our favour.

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Originally Posted by RealG-TFC

As much as it seems like Seattle are hot right now, which frightens me, the idea that they had to face the Whitecaps and the Dynamo to get to the final makes me feel a little better. I think being in the East and having had a tougher road to the final works in our favour.

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I agree. They have had the easier path and they are pretty confident since they scored a bunch of goals against Houston. Hopefully they come into Toronto over confident. Sounders fans keep posting for the last month that if Seattle meets Toronto then TFC are in for a rude awakening because Sounders are so much better this year. They totally ignore the fact that TFC are that much better this year too, historic season and all that. Would be epic to beat them in regulation time by a couple goals. Will never hear the end of it if we lose. A lot riding on this game.

We beat a 54 and 50 point team, they beat a 52 and 50 point team.

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Originally Posted by RealG-TFC

As much as it seems like Seattle are hot right now, which frightens me, the idea that they had to face the Whitecaps and the Dynamo to get to the final makes me feel a little better. I think being in the East and having had a tougher road to the final works in our favour.

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Agree with this. The East was the stronger conference this year. Last year we came into the final all guns blazing have scored 7 against NYCFC and another 7 against Montreal, whereas this year we've had to scrap and battle into the final, which I think we help us going into this game

i think we should be better prepared for the rematch. last year philly, nycfc and mtl did not play us the way seattle did in the final and as a result we just couldnt muster anything on the scoresheet. this year the second legs of the nyrb and clb games were similar to the seattle game in that the opposition just sat back and tried to suffocate our attacking players but we still found a way through (albeit with a bit of luck from poor finishing by opposition). One thing to note is we have much better goaltending this year in Bono compared to Irwin and we have vasquez (but seattle will have dempsey, bruin etc). Im concerned Altidore may not be 100% for this game which causes a big problem in terms of not having a big man to layoff passes in midfield and the final third (ricketts is not capable of that). needless to say, im a bit worried about this game but hopefully they are motivated to correct what happened last year.

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Originally Posted by Globetrotter

We beat a 54 and 50 point team, they beat a 52 and 50 point team.

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Welcome to the thread; quite the rallying-cry, to kick things off.

To be fair, the points total is skewed, as any one paying attention will tell you the East was the stronger of the two conferences, this season, when you look at head-to-head results… so, the point still stands, semantics notwithstanding.

** * **

I feel like we're due goals, and there's reason to feel we could explode into form, finding another gear, for a game we've been obsessed with getting to.

Waited a whole year for this exact matchup: Seattle, at home, for MLS Cup.

They're playing really well and might be the only team in the league not intimidated by playing here. But there's no other team I'd rather face.

Bring it on. :scarf:

^the comment was neither a pro or con... simply by the numbers.

Much like we allowed the 2nd lowest amount of goals (37) and Seattle the 3rd lowest (39). Just numbers.

If you really want to dive into analysis, look at the games that we should have won, but tied or lost and what do most have in common? Our opponent absolutely clogged the back end of the field, suffocating and frustrating our offense, and we didn't come away with full points.

Colorado, DC to name a couple of bad ones (particularly how DC locked down), and even in the playoffs. NYRB game 2, Columbus both games. When we score, we score 4 per game... hence the 70~ goals this year, but those teams that lock down and play for 1 lucky break have taken points from us.

If I remember correctly, a Seattle team did the exact same thing to us last year. Worked out pretty well for them.

There's every reason to be concerned that they can shut us down and know the blue print to victory.

The positive? Toronto has the best players, overall team, can score 4 goals/game, and playing at home. I think this is a 50/50 game again... as I suppose all finals should be.

We brought Victor Vazquez in specifically for teams playing us like this. He produced the bit of magic we needed against Columbus. Hopefully he does the same against Seattle.

I'm happy that we will actually get to see a real game where winner takes all, not a game dictated by away goals bullshit

Please mother nature, don't be cruel.

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Originally Posted by kodiakTFC

Please mother nature, don't be cruel.

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With our gritty play of late and Seattle playing fluid, I think 2-4cm of snow works in our favour.

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Originally Posted by stevep

I'm happy that we will actually get to see a real game where winner takes all, not a game dictated by away goals bullshit

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If you take away "away goals" you end up with more games going to PK's, which is worse IMO.

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Originally Posted by ryan

With our gritty play of late and Seattle playing fluid, I think 2-4cm of snow works in our favour.

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Orange ball? Sure why not! Bring the snow!

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Originally Posted by Couchy81

Orange ball? Sure why not! Bring the snow!

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That and -6 is the current forecast I believe.

I want to see a Seba snow angel pls.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Globetrotter

^the comment was neither a pro or con... simply by the numbers.

Much like we allowed the 2nd lowest amount of goals (37) and Seattle the 3rd lowest (39). Just numbers.

If you really want to dive into analysis, look at the games that we should have won, but tied or lost and what do most have in common? Our opponent absolutely clogged the back end of the field, suffocating and frustrating our offense, and we didn't come away with full points.

Colorado, DC to name a couple of bad ones (particularly how DC locked down), and even in the playoffs. NYRB game 2, Columbus both games. When we score, we score 4 per game... hence the 70~ goals this year, but those teams that lock down and play for 1 lucky break have taken points from us.

If I remember correctly, a Seattle team did the exact same thing to us last year. Worked out pretty well for them.

There's every reason to be concerned that they can shut us down and know the blue print to victory.

The positive? Toronto has the best players, overall team, can score 4 goals/game, and playing at home. I think this is a 50/50 game again... as I suppose all finals should be.

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Just feels like cherry-picking, to me; there were surely games where sides locked down, as you say, that we won… but we're ignoring those.

Parking the bus is a tactic used because even the greatest sides in the world succumb to it, once in a while; hardly the barometer, for me.

I don't think anyone is thinking this will be a cake-walk, if that's your point.

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Originally Posted by Canary10

We brought Victor Vazquez in specifically for teams playing us like this. He produced the bit of magic we needed against Columbus. Hopefully he does the same against Seattle.

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^Everything.

I can't believe this hasn't been done yet, buuuuuut.......lol.....

FIGHT!!!!.....AND WIN!!!!

The Weather Network is saying +1 to -2 for gameday. I could live with that.

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Originally Posted by TFC Tifoso

I can't believe this hasn't been done yet, buuuuuut.......lol.....

FIGHT!!!!.....AND WIN!!!!

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Great...I now have to pick salad bits off from all over my monitor and keyword at work. g:Dg:D

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Originally Posted by Ponderosa

Great...I now have to pick salad bits off from all over my monitor and keyword at work. g:Dg:D

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:D :D.....watching the clip now....man that never gets old lol....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Globetrotter

^the comment was neither a pro or con... simply by the numbers.

Much like we allowed the 2nd lowest amount of goals (37) and Seattle the 3rd lowest (39). Just numbers.

If you really want to dive into analysis, look at the games that we should have won, but tied or lost and what do most have in common? Our opponent absolutely clogged the back end of the field, suffocating and frustrating our offense, and we didn't come away with full points.

Colorado, DC to name a couple of bad ones (particularly how DC locked down), and even in the playoffs. NYRB game 2, Columbus both games. When we score, we score 4 per game... hence the 70~ goals this year, but those teams that lock down and play for 1 lucky break have taken points from us.

If I remember correctly, a Seattle team did the exact same thing to us last year. Worked out pretty well for them.

There's every reason to be concerned that they can shut us down and know the blue print to victory.

The positive? Toronto has the best players, overall team, can score 4 goals/game, and playing at home. I think this is a 50/50 game again... as I suppose all finals should be.

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50/50 game?? oddsmakers have set odds at 70/30 TFC

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Originally Posted by stevep

50/50 game?? oddsmakers have set odds at 70/30 TFC

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still think we'll win but I'd lump on Seattle at those odds if I was a neutral gambler

We have waited a year for this. The boys have all the motivation they need. I fully expect this to be a war. They have a long shut out streak that I hope gets them over confident. These next 8 days will seem like an enternity.

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Originally Posted by JuliquE

Just feels like cherry-picking, to me; there were surely games where sides locked down, as you say, that we won… but we're ignoring those.

Parking the bus is a tactic used because even the greatest sides in the world succumb to it, once in a while; hardly the barometer, for me.

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Sure. One would look at the opponents strengths and weaknesses, and areas to exploit. If there's game footage that clearly shows that one of the more successful ways to gain advantage on Toronto is to use incredible speed on counters, and to clog the backfield when defending - then you work with that sample size... particularly if all the other scenarios looked at lead to much more catastrophic results. Call it cherry picking if you will - but that's what you do; you isolate what you're looking for and plan with that.


Cake walk... not a chance. Seattle hasn't allowed a goal since October 1st. In those last six games, they won 5 (all 2+ goals scored), and tied 1 playoff game on the road 0-0.