Supporters’ Shield holders Toronto FC won the Eastern Conference Championship on Wednesday as Jozy Altidore’s 60th minute goal was enough to oust Columbus Crew SC, 1-0, on the night. The first leg of the East Championship ended 0-0, so there was everything to play for at BMO Field.
Altidore’s strike put the Reds up 1-0 on aggregate and TFC managed to withstand a late Crew SC push to move on to its second consecutive MLS Cup. Toronto will host the Western Conference champions in the MLS Cup on Dec. 9.
Out west, Seattle is set to host the Houston Dynamo in the second leg of the Western Conference Championship. The Dynamo trail on aggregate, 0-2, and it won’t be easy to come from behind as the Sounders will be electrified by the atmosphere at CenturyLink Field.
Western Conference Championship - 2nd Leg
Seattle Sounders (2) vs. Houston Dynamo (0)
Thursday, Nov. 30, 10:30 p.m. ET
Broadcast: ESPN
The comeback is a tall task for Houston. However, at 0-2, the feat is not insurmountable. The Sounders should be energized by their home crowd and will be vying for a chance to hoist its second straight MLS Cup. Last year, Seattle beat Toronto in penalties (5-4) after the evenly-matched opponents failed to score from open play in regulation and extra time. Toronto would not shy away from MLS Cup revenge against the Sounders, but Houston might just have something to say about that.
Will there be a rematch of 2016? Or will the Texas challengers come from behind to win the west? Tune into ESPN this evening and watch the action live.
