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Toronto FC Breaks into MLS Cup Final on Emotional Night in Front of Home Fans
Thursday, 01 December 2016 02:21

TORONTO — As the final whistle sounded after 120 minutes of back-and-forth, unpredictable action in the second leg of the MLS Eastern Conference Final, 10 years of emotion was let out in booming roars from BMO Field. 

Toronto FC defeated the Montreal Impact 5-2 in the second leg—7-5 on aggregate—to advance to the club's first MLS Cup final. 

"I can’t even explain it," midfielder Jonathan Osorio said. "The supporters have been waiting a long time for this. They deserve it. They’ve stuck around through everything this team’s battled through." 

The years-long frustration of botched big-name signings, countless managerial changes and failures to reach the postseason were let out at times throughout the night when the Reds needed it most, with the biggest cheer coming at the final whistle as Toronto clinched home-field advantage in the MLS Cup. 

"All week we spoke about what tonight could be," captain Michael Bradley said. "Nobody knew for sure, but I think we all had an idea it could be a special night in terms of atmosphere and emotion, in some ways, 10 years of emotion coming out in one night." 

“Once I took a step back in celebration, I took a moment to think about how many people were in both stadiums (over the two legs)," Toronto head coach Greg Vanney said. "And the excitement of the two games, the quantity of goals, the amount of attacking, and back-and-forth, and twists and turns. I can’t imagine the experience of emotions that people went through. For me, [it's] the most exciting playoff event I’ve been a part of."

The rollercoaster ride of emotions for both sides began in the 24th minute, as Montreal opened the scoring out of nowhere through Dominic Oduro. 

After enjoying the better of the possession and chances for most of the first half, Toronto finally capitalized with a pair of goals in eight minutes by way of Armando Cooper and Jozy Altidore. 

A second-leg victory and hosting the MLS Cup final seemed to be in the bag for the Reds at the halftime break, but the resilient Impact disrupted those plans in the 53rd minute, as Ignacio Piatti equalized the contest and put the teams level on away goals in the series. 

Nick Hagglund's powering header off a corner kick from what seemed to be 20 feet in the air gave Toronto a 3-2 lead in the match.

“We were real close," Montreal head coach Mauro Biello said. "They found a way through set pieces to get those goals. And that’s the difference in us going home and them going to the MLS Cup final." 

Despite being ahead by a goal in the match, the Reds knew how slim the margins were in the final 20 minutes between extra time and the end of their season. 

"At 3-2, it was on a knife's edge because we were pushing, but we were the team that was, for the most part, getting chances, but one play going the other way and all of a sudden we have a lot to do," Bradley said.

All the heartbreak experienced since the franchise's inception appeared all too relevant in the 96th minute, as Sebastian Giovinco—the designated player who has brought Toronto FC to new heights alongside Bradley and Altidore—suffered from serious cramps. Vanney later said Giovinco will be in line to start in the final.

The one man the Reds could count on to make something out of nothing and score a series-clinching goal was suddenly off the pitch. 

In any other year, Toronto would've succumbed to the pressure without Giovinco and lost in extra time or penalties, but this isn't the TFC we've come to know so well. This is a different Reds side that has plenty of character and resolve. 

Seconds after Giovinco left the pitch, the player who entered for him, Benoit Cheyrou, sent the entire stadium into a celebration they've never felt before. 

Cheyrou, a French veteran with 17 years of experience, connected with a Steven Beitashour cross at the left post to put the Reds in total control. 

"(Benoit)'s a guy with a ton of experience, and he sniffed out something would come to the back post and it was a great service by Beitashour," Toronto boss Vanney said. "You don’t have to tell too much to guys who have been around the block like (Cheyrou)." 

The entrance of a key veteran player off the bench is also something Toronto lacked in years past, along with a productive collection of designated players. 

Cheyrou produced two assists in 800 minutes in the regular season, but the lack of playing time didn't phase him much as he came off the bench on Wednesday night. 

Vanney also brought in Canadian forward Tosaint Ricketts, who scored the seventh and final goal of the match, and fellow Canadian Osorio in an attempt to further improve the quality on the pitch with fresh legs. 

"That’s something we really worked on over the past year to try and create some depth and also have guys with experience that we could turn to,"  Vanney said. "Different types of players who can bring different things to the equation."

"It’s taken me a little time to get to know how to best use these guys. I think we’re in a position now where we’ve brought in guys who’ve been able to make a difference. It’s a tribute to them because they keep working hard every day." 

The celebrations will go on throughout the night in Ontario, as the reality begins to sink in that the Reds are not only in MLS Cup for the first time, but they're hosting the league's biggest spectacle as well.

Before you rush to crown Toronto as the team of destiny given their struggles in the past, though, you have to look at what the Seattle Sounders have overcome this season to reach the championship match. 

Although the Reds have suffered for much longer without time in the playoffs, the Sounders have searched for the coveted prize for years and have come up short in every way possible.

Under new boss Brian Schmetzer, the Sounders have turned into a different team from the one that crashed and burned through July under former manager Sigi Schmid. 

In 10 days' time, the same fans will pack BMO Field for what will once again be deemed the biggest match in Toronto FC and Canadian soccer history. Toronto's stars will once again be asked to shine against a talented opponent with no fear. 

If the result is the same on December 10, the celebrations will be even louder in Toronto, but the focus has to turn quickly to the Sounders and what they'll bring to the table before the ideas of a parade in the Canadian city can be imagined. 

“This is a great moment for this club, but everybody in this room wants one more victory," Osorio said. 

                

Joe Tansey covers MLS for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand. 

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Ignacio Piatti Key to Montreal's Success in Eastern Conference Final 2nd Leg
Tuesday, 29 November 2016 08:37

BMO Field will be littered with superstars on Wednesday night, as Toronto FC host Montreal Impact in the second leg of the MLS Eastern Conference Final. 

While the focus may immediately shift toward one of Toronto's three high-profile designated players, the most important player on the pitch will be wearing an Impact kit. 

Argentinian midfielder Ignacio Piatti has been arguably the best player in the league this season—and one of the most underappreciated stars at the same time. 

The 31-year-old's name may not stick out on paper right away like the other stars across the league, but he's been more important to his squad than Toronto's trio, David Villa at New York City FC, Bradley Wright-Phillips of the New York Red Bulls and any of the LA Galaxy's big names.

What sets Piatti apart from everyone else on the pitch is his work rate off the ball. Toronto boss Greg Vanney noted that before the first leg, which Montreal won 3-2 at Olympic Stadium.

"In my opinion, one of his greatest strengths is what people sometimes don’t see what he does before he actually gets the ball," Vanney said. "He’s a guy who’s clever in the moments when he’s helping his team defend and sees that the team is about to win the ball, and then he’s quickly transitioning in attacking action before anyone else on the field is transitioning.

"He’s fragments of time ahead of everyone else, and that’s where he gets his separation from defenders and then what we all see is his ability one-on-one and to score." 

Piatti had some type of influence on all three of the goals the Impact scored in the opening leg of the series. 

He wasn't directly involved in Dominic Oduro's opener, but his presence in midfield attracted two Toronto players near him. With Michael Bradley shading in the direction of Piatti, Patrice Bernier moved into space just past the halfway line to retrieve the ball to pick out Oduro. 

In the buildup to the second Impact goal in the 12th minute, Piatti picked out a gap in the Toronto defense on the left wing with a run that caught Steven Beitashour off guard. Before the ball was even directed toward Piatti, he was making a measured run that kept him on onside. What followed was a first-touch pass into the center of the box that Matteo Mancosu finished. 

Although it may not seem like much, Piatti's run from the center of the pitch to the left wing in the 53rd minute occupied a defender and allowed Ambroise Oyongo to blaze into open space before firing Montreal's third into the back of the net. 

However, Piatti's influence on the match was lost right after Toronto entered Will Johnson into the fray to lock up the acres of space the Reds left open in the opening 55 minutes. 

The challenge for the owner of 17 goals and six assists in the regular season is to break down a Toronto midfield unit led by Michael Bradley and Johnson to earn a vital away goal in the rivalry showdown. 

"For us, it’s about being ready for what Toronto could give us," Montreal head coach Mauro Biello said on Monday. "At the same time, preparing the team so we can unbalance them. In the end, the message to my team is obviously when we don’t have the ball to limit their space and time. When we’re on the ball, it’s about believing that we can score." 

On the line is the first-ever Canadian berth in the MLS Cup final and a chance to gain the upper hand in a growing rivalry north of the border. 

“This is a very important game for us," Piatti said through a translator. "It’s a final and a chance to make history. This is the first opportunity for us to get that far and we are very much ready." 

The Impact enter the second leg with one win at BMO Field in the regular season, a 1-0 victory on August 27 in which Piatti scored the lone tally for the 10-man Impact. 

Piatti's anticipation and knack for the ball were displayed on that strike, as he made a surging run into the final third the second Evan Bush's goal-kick landed just past the midfield line. The run caught Toronto rookie Tsubasa Endoh chasing behind the Argentinian, and it allowed him to pick up the ball without a challenge. 

By the time Piatti was surrounded by two defenders, he already had enough time to plot where he was going to send his shot. It's little things like that that will make a massive difference in Wednesday's match. 

All it takes for Piatti to shine is one moment in which he gains a small advantage over a defender, which is why Vanney considers him as dangerous off the ball as he is in possession. 

“We don’t underestimate (Piatti)," Vanney said. "We know his value to the team and his ability to create and to finish. He’s one of their players that we have to keep an eye on and know where he is at all times." 

If Toronto starts Johnson with Bradley and possibly Jonathan Osorio in central midfield, many would assume that Piatti would struggle due to the presence of an extra defensive-minded player. However, Toronto's potential control of the game through possession could play into Montreal's strengths. 

The Impact have no problem sitting back and waiting for the right time to strike on the counter. Montreal delivered the knockout blow to the Red Bulls in the Eastern Conference semi-final with this approach, as Oduro and Didier Drogba set up Piatti as the Red Bulls defense scurried back to get into position in the box. 

Montreal can employ this strategy for most of the second leg because Toronto are the team in need of a goal. The Impact would have no problem defending for the first 45 minutes and causing frustration in the Toronto attack. 

If the home side are unable to score in the opening stanza, a bit of desperation could seep into the Reds, which would lead to more space on the opposite end of the pitch. A quick, Piatti-led counter is all the Impact need to strike for an away goal and potentially a berth in the MLS Cup final on December 10. 

Regardless of if he's creating space for teammates with his runs, leading the attack himself or tracking back as an extra man in defense, Piatti will have a massive impact on the contest. 

If this season is any indication of what we'll see on Wednesday, the Argentinian will be a key factor in at least one of those facets of the match. 

     

Joe Tansey covers MLS for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter: @JTansey90. 

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand. 

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2nd Leg of MLS Western Conference Final Will Be Won in Midfield
Friday, 25 November 2016 08:52

When the Seattle Sounders and Colorado Rapids take to the pitch at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Sunday for the second leg of the MLS Western Conference final, all eyes will be on the midfield alignment of both sides. 

Both sides play a similar style of the 4-2-3-1 formation, but the Rapids will be forced to tweak their system for the second leg after the yellow-card suspension of Sam Cronin, who picked up his second caution of the play-offs in Tuesday's first leg that was won 2-1 by the Sounders. 

Coming up with a replacement is an easy job for Colorado boss Pablo Mastroeni. The front-runner for MLS Coach of the Year will follow the next-man-up mentality his side has had all year, as he'll bring in Micheal Azira for Cronin. 

“Sam’s been a stalwart for us in the middle all year," Mastroeni said in a league conference call. "He’s played pretty much every game. He’s an important piece to the group. There’s nothing we can do about the situation. Now it’s about the next man up."

"I think Azira came into the game last week and did a very good job of getting on the ball," the Colorado boss continued. "Azira will be a natural replacement for Sam. We’ve had a lot of guys missing and we’ve operated like a team and the next man that steps into whoever’s role comes in and does a fantastic job." 

The intricacies of Sunday's tactical game plan are still being sorted out by Mastroeni, but it looks like Jermaine Jones will revive his role in the middle of the park along with either Dillon Powers or Kevin Doyle in the role behind forward Dominique Badji. 

"We definitely have some options out there," Mastroeni said. "We’ve played with a different look at those three central positions all year. We’re going to have to make one change and how we utilize the other guys will be left to the next couple days." 

If the midfield trio is Jones, Azira and Doyle, the Rapids may be left a bit open on the counter due to Jones' tendency to freelance around the pitch. The United States international can be a vital part to the attack at times, but if he gets left too far forward, Seattle has the ability to strike quick with their speed through the middle of the pitch. 

The Rapids have a natural stop gap in Azira in front of the back four, but the technical ability of Nicolas Lodeiro, Cristian Roldan and Jordan Morris could put Azira at risk and put more pressure on the back four to make key tackles in and around the penalty area. 

Jones' physicality will be a blessing and a curse for the Rapids. The midfielder has a reputation for delivering a crunching tackle or two throughout big games, but he has to pick the right time to do so against the finesse of the Seattle players. One bad challenge could result in a free-kick opportunity someone like Lodeiro could bury past Zac MacMath. 

Despite being down a goal in the series entering the second leg, the Rapids have plenty of confidence in their ability to grind out a result on home soil. The Rapids went 11-0-6 at home during the regular season, and they outlasted the Galaxy at home in the Western Conference semi-final. 

All the Rapids need to advance in regulation is a 1-0 victory due to the away goal they earned at Century Link Field. Earning the smallest of possible scorelines has become Colorado's specialty. The Rapids have had 14 1-0 matches in 2016. 

"Our goal going into (the first leg) was to make sure we made the second leg relevant and the away goal did that," Mastroeni said "It’s business as usual coming back home and doing what we’ve been good at all year. We’ve found a way to keep teams off the scoresheet." 

As for Seattle, their success also runs through the middle of the park, where Osvaldo Alonso, Cristian Roldan and Erik Friberg will be camped out in their version of the 4-2-3-1.

Sounders boss Brian Schmetzer, who took over in July and recently had the interim tag removed from his title, noted the two sides only have a few small differences in how they utilize the formation. 

"The only difference is just based on the personalities of the players in each system," Schmetzer said. "If I’m looking at Ozzie (Alonso), Cristian (Roldan) and (Erik) Friberg, that’s different than Jones, Doyle and Cronin."

"I think the tactical demands of each position, the coaches expectations of each position are pretty similar," Schmetzer continued. "We both like to have fullbacks go forward. They have a No. 9 in Badji who can stretch the field a little bit. Nelson Valdez does a really good job of being a back-to-goal No. 9. Just subtle difference based on personalities of the players." 

The emergence of Roldan and the addition of Lodeiro on the wing have put the Sounders in position to secure a spot in MLS Cup, and possibly a home match if Montreal beat Toronto in the second leg of the Eastern Conference final. 

Roldan has not relinquished his place in the starting lineup over the second half of the season because of the confidence he's gained. 

“At the beginning of the season, I didn’t feel like the game was slow," Roldan said. "Toward the second part of the season, the game slowed down and I was able to pick up my head after my first touch and feel less pressure on the ball." 

Seattle's defensive midfielders will play in a similar fashion to Colorado's pair, with Alonso as the bruiser in front of the back four and Roldan given a license to move forward when he can. The one stark contrast between the two is Roldan's surges into the attacking area are limited and measured.

Roldan, and Friberg to a certain extent, will be asked to drop a bit deeper on Sunday in order to prevent Colorado from striking early and then sitting back to hold on to a 1-0 result. 

One way the Sounders can counteract the Rapids' search for a tally in the first half is to hold possession and slowly break down the home side's back line. That begins with Alonso, who is one of the most accurate passes in MLS. The 31-year-old completed 92.2 percent of his 64 passes in the first leg, per WhoScored. 

If Seattle gain control of the match through Alonso, they'll be able to hunt for an away goal themselves. The Sounders know firsthand how crucial the away goals rule can be in determining a playoff series. 

"We were the beneficiaries a couple years ago against Dallas," Schmetzer said. "We were on the wrong side of the scoreline as far as road goals with LA in 2014. I think it’s part of the rules and we have to deal with the rules."  Don't be surprised if Sunday's second leg comes down to a 1-0 or 1-1 result given the tactical nature of both sides. What we should expect from the start is a measured battle in midfield that could tip the balance of the contest in an instant.  Joe Tansey covers MLS for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter: @JTansey90. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand. 

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Improbable Playoff Run Hands Seattle Sounders Chance to Earn First MLS Cup
Monday, 28 November 2016 02:30

The Seattle Sounders weren't supposed to be a participant in MLS Cup. 

The winners of the Major League Soccer Western Conference Championship were left for dead at the end of July following a brutal performance against Sporting Kansas City that led to the dismissal of longtime head coach Sigi Schmid. 

The club, led by interim-turned-permanent boss Brian Schmetzer, were the underdogs against Supporters' Shield winners FC Dallas in the semi-final round of the postseason, but they handled the top dogs of the West with ease over two legs. 

Sunday's trip to Dick's Sporting Goods Park for the second leg of the West final against the Colorado Rapids was supposed to be a task as impossible as they come given the Rapids' terrific form at home in 2016. 

But once again, the Sounders rose up from out of nowhere and clinched the first of two spots in the MLS Cup final on December 10.

If that's not enough to impress you, the Sounders did all of this without Clint Dempsey, who was ruled out for the season with an irregular heartbeat at the end of September. 

On top of all that, forward Jordan Morris, who scored Sunday's game-winner to put the Sounders through 3-1 on aggregate, was playing with flu-like symptoms, according to the ESPN broadcast. 

With everything coming together at the perfect time, it's hard not to believe the Sounders are a team of destiny.

Things could get even sweeter for the Sounders if the Montreal Impact come out on top in the second leg of Wednesday's Eastern Conference Championship. An Impact victory would make the soccer-mad city of Seattle the site of the MLS Cup final. 

All of this has occurred in a wild span of three months and spurred by a change that was brewing for quite some time. 

Despite achieving plenty of success under Schmid, including four U.S. Open Cups, the Sounders were never able to get over the hump and reach MLS Cup, even with players such as Dempsey and Obafemi Martins lighting the nets on fire for long stretches. 

Martins left the club in the offseason after receiving a lucrative offer in China, a transfer that thrust the rookie Morris into a headlining role almost immediately. In addition to suffering a blow in attack, the Sounders had to find a perfect recipe for success at center-back, with Roman Torres recovering from an ACL injury. 

Over the first five months of the season, the Sounders were dealt blow after blow, as they earned just 20 points from 20 matches. During that span, Seattle only picked up points in consecutive games twice. 

With tolerance for Schmid shriveling, the Sounders fell flat on their faces in a 3-0 loss to Sporting KC on July 24. In that game, Seattle mustered one shot, which went off target, enjoyed just 35.2 percent of the possession and completed 250 fewer passes than their opponents. 

The introduction of Schmetzer, who was an assistant under Schmid, instantly brought new life into the franchise. And in a league where parity reigns supreme, the Sounders started a charge into the postseason. 

From July 31 to the end of the regular season on October 23, the Sounders lost twice, to the rival Portland Timbers and to FC Dallas on the penultimate weekend of the campaign. 

A 2-1 win over Real Salt Lake on Decision Day handed the Sounders an improbable home game in the knockout round against the same Sporting KC side they faced on one of the darkest days since their entrance into MLS in 2009.

That's when the Sounders started to trigger the thought that they are a team of destiny. Nelson Valdez, a forward known for his lack of productivity in front of the net, provided the club with an 88th-minute winner. The tally was the first of 2016 for Valdez and only his second in 35 MLS contests. 

Then came the eight-minute onslaught at home in the first leg of the Western Conference semi-final that was led by Morris and midseason acquisition Nicolas Lodeiro. The Uruguayan designated player scored twice after Valdez, the unlikely hero of the postseason run, opened the scoring at CenturyLink Field.

Lodeiro was the driver of Seattle's late-season surge. The 27-year-old is a rare outlier among midseason signings. Normally, new faces to the league struggle to adjust right away, but Lodeiro did his research. He was given a subscription to the league's streaming service, MLS Live, beforehand to see exactly what he was going to be dealing with. 

The attacking midfielder hit the ground running and never looked back, as he scored four goals and provided eight assists in 13 regular-season appearances.

It came as no surprise to anyone that the three key cogs in attack provided the knockout punch in the 56th minute on Sunday.

The electric transfer from South America played a ball to the head off the castoff, who fed the hardworking rookie in the buildup to what will go down as one of the most important goals in club history.

The goal came after a first-half performance that drew comparisons to the lackluster summer afternoon in Kansas City. But just like they did in the regular season, Seattle rose from the ashes to earn the long-coveted place in MLS Cup. 

There's still one match to be played, and an important one at that, but after everything the Sounders have fought through in such a short period, it's hard to argue that they are not a team of destiny. 

     

Joe Tansey covers MLS for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter; @JTansey90. 

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Slender Leads in MLS Conference Finals Leave Everything to Play for in 2nd Legs
Wednesday, 23 November 2016 03:49

The 16-day layoff between the Major League Soccer conference semifinals and the first leg of the conference finals allowed all four clubs to produce excitement on fresh legs on Tuesday. 

The Montreal Impact opened Tuesday's two-game slate with a 3-2 win against rival Toronto FC in front of over 61,000 fans at the Olympic Stadium. 

Montreal could've entered the second leg at BMO Field on November 30 with a three-goal advantage, but a tactical switch helped the Reds secure the middle of the park and score a pair of second-half strikes. 

Seattle will take a slim 2-1 edge into the second leg against the Colorado Rapids on Sunday. As he has been since his summer arrival, Nicolas Lodeiro was in the middle of the action for the home side at CenturyLink Field. 

Despite taking one-goal leads into the second leg, both Montreal and Seattle have plenty of work left to do to preserve their respective advantages and move on to the MLS Cup final on December 10. 

The Impact appeared to be on the brink of a berth in the final through 53 minutes, as they sunk three goals into the Toronto FC net before the Reds woke up from their slumber inside the cavernous Olympic Stadium. 

Dominic Oduro, Matteo Mancosu and Ambroise Oyongo all took advantage of the poor marking in midfield by the visitors to power the home side into a 3-0 lead. 

But instead of delivering the knockout blow to their biggest rival, the Impact fell victim to two strikes inside the box to put them on notice heading into the second leg in Ontario in a week's time. 

Toronto's sudden change in style and motivation came after the introduction of Will Johnson in the 57th minute. The Canadian's entrance four minutes after the third Montreal goal locked down the middle of the park, as he played alongside Michael Bradley, who scored the final tally of the night in Quebec. 

Johnson occupied the space left open by Bradley when the American moved forward, and he made sure the Impact had no space to counter, as they had done with great success in the first half. 

Ignacio Piatti plowed through the middle of the park with ease on a few occasions, and he benefited from Steven Beitashour's poor marking to set up Mancosu for Montreal's second. Oyongo, Montreal's left-back, was allowed to prance into the same vacant space in the buildup to his 53rd-minute strike that should've been stopped by Clint Irwin. 

Johnson brought the stability that Jonathan Osorio and Armando Cooper were unable to provide in midfield, and after his arrival on the turf, Montreal did not attempt a shot on goal. 

Given the stark contrast in results, the Reds will probably line up Johnson next to Bradley to start the second leg. That means Toronto could easily shift into some sort of 4-4-2, or even keep the 3-5-2 with Osorio or Cooper remaining in the midfield trio.

However, it will be tough for Toronto boss Greg Vanney to defend using the 3-5-2 again after Montreal controlled the opening 55 minutes of play, due in part to the problems endured by the Toronto full-backs. 

Even though Toronto will play the more progressive brand of soccer in the second leg, the Reds aren't the surefire favorites to become the first Canadian team to advance to the championship match. 

Montreal's defend-and-counter strategy earned them a road victory over D.C. United in the knockout round and a 2-1 road triumph at Red Bull Arena in the second leg of the Eastern Conference semifinal. 

Letting in two away goals to a dynamic attack led by Sebastian Giovinco and Jozy Altidore was less than ideal, but the Impact have the defensive mettle to shut down a high-powered forward line in the playoffs.

All you have to do is look at the job they did against Bradley Wright-Phillips and Sacha Kljestan of the New York Red Bulls to see what the Impact are capable of. 

If Montreal's game plan succeeds, there's a good chance Didier Drogba will make a cameo off the bench in attempt to seal a position in the final. The Ivorian might receive an earlier introduction if Toronto open the scoring. 

Given the attacking firepower on both sides, it's hard to see the second leg being a defensive showcase, but if an easy goal is scored on either side, both teams may throw out tactical minutiae and go for the win in regulation time. 

The same can't be said for how the second leg of the Western Conference final will play out. 

Seattle did enough to create plenty of momentum entering Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Sunday, but the Sounders will be tasked with breaking down the sturdy Rapids back line at home, something few clubs did with great success during the regular season. 

Brian Schmetzer's men controlled play and had the better chances over 90 minutes on Tuesday, but they only put in one tally from the run of play—and that came off a rebound off the left post. The second Seattle goal came from the spot by way of Lodeiro, who moved his playoff tally to four. 

Outside of the two goals, Seattle couldn't capitalize on the space they found in the organized Rapids defense. That could be seen as a positive for Colorado, but they will be missing midfielder Sam Cronin for the second leg due to yellow-card accumulation.

Cronin is the glue that holds it all together in front of the back four. Without him, the Rapids will turn to Michael Azira to partner Jermaine Jones, who is a bit of a freelancer when it comes to his position on the pitch. 

Even if they put an early goal into the back of the net at home, the Rapids won't have the luxury of replacing Jones, with Azira available due to Cronin's absence. If Seattle finds a way to get under the skin of Jones from the first whistle, there's a chance the Sounders could create some dangerous set-piece opportunities for Lodeiro. 

The players who line up directly across from Jones and Azira will be the key to Seattle's success in the second leg. Everyone in the league knows what Osvaldo Alonso is capable in defensive midfield, but the emergence of Cristian Roldan as his partner has changed how teams approach the middle of the park. 

As he showed on Seattle's equalizer, Roldan is capable of breaking forward to become another weapon in attack when all eyes are focused on Lodeiro and Jordan Morris. Roldan's shot off the left post bounced right to Morris, who easily beat the offside trap to finish from close range. 

Sunday's second leg could be won in the middle of the park, as it was on Tuesday. Roldan is on the verge of a call-up to the United States men's national team, and if he performs well next to the always-reliable Alonso, Colorado might not get many chances to pounce in the final third. 

If the first legs are any indication of what we'll see in the upcoming days, all it will take is one decision by a manager, or one small breakdown, to change the tides in Colorado and Toronto. 

          

Joe Tansey covers MLS for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter; @JTansey90. 

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