Toronto FC show great character in championship win
After suffering heartbreak in last year’s MLS Cup, Toronto FC did not deviate from the plan and were rewarded for it with a title win.
Leading up to the MLS Cup, Toronto FC knew they were fortunate to get a second chance at a championship, especially to go up against the team that took it from them last season.
This made their win over the Seattle Sounders much more enjoyable, and it did not come easy. The final score does not come close to show how much TFC dominated at both ends of the pitch. All the talk about their being pressure on the team to avoid another heartbreak did not affect this group one bit.
The score could have gotten out of control early on in this one had Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei not stood on his head. With every save he made it would have been easy for doubt to start to sinking in but it did not this time around.
Heading into halftime, it would have been easy for the Reds to let frustration take over but the character of this team prevailed in the end. The team stuck to their gameplan and eventually it
would pay off with a brilliant play that ended with Jozy Altidore’s goal.
Giovinco to Jozy and BMO explodes #TFCLive #MLSCup pic.twitter.com/PQg3L0amfe
— Richard Lee-Sam (@RLeesam) December 9, 2017
After years of disfunction it took a serious makeover to get TFC in this position and it shows the culture change of sports teams in this city. It was no longer about making the playoffs to earn more revenue, teams in this city want to win championships on a consistent basis.
The Toronto Blue Jays back-to-back ALCS appearances and the Toronto Raptors trip to the Eastern Conference finals were a prime example of that. The lessons that these teams can learn from TFC is that having the end goal of winning a championship is all that should matter.
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Sebastian Giovinco was asked what it would mean to score a goal in the final after not getting one the year before and his response was that he only cared about the team winning. The Atomic Ant did not have a goal in this game but he played a part in both goals and that proved to be more valuable then him putting it all on his shoulders.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are in a similar trajectory to what TFC went through, they might suffer heartbreak in their pursuit of a Stanley Cup but that might be the necessary step. Losing in the first round against the Washington Capitals was one of those experiences.
When TFC added Victor Vazquez it was not a necessity for the roster at the time but the team knew that they needed a playmaking midfielder. That in the end would be a major boost for the Reds much like the Leafs hope Patrick Marleau adds a similar impact for the Leafs.
Next: TFC finish off remarkable season with first MLS Cup trophy
If the Leafs, Raptors and Blue Jays want to get to that next level that TFC achieved, it takes the entire team to buy in from the start. The Toronto Argonauts and TFC broke the ice when it comes to the curse of Toronto Sports teams not being able ti win the big game, the real question is who is next on the list?