Referee Jair Marrufo blew his whistle for the final time; it was over. After 120 minutes of passion, drama and thrilling action, Toronto FC advanced to their first-ever MLS Cup Final. They eliminated their rivals, the Montreal Impact, 5-2 in the second leg of the 2016 Eastern Conference Final, winning 7-5 on aggregate over the two games. The match -- and series as a whole -- is viewed as one of the very best in MLS history.
And now all that stands in their way of glory are the Seattle Sounders, who won the Western Conference Final, beating the Colorado Rapids 3-1 on aggregate. This is also Seattle's first MLS Cup final, so no matter what, history will be made at BMO Field in Toronto.
And while it would be great to see Seattle win their first MLS Cup after the rough start to the season they've had, it'd be even better to see the Canadian outfit lift the trophy.
Throughout past decades, Canada has grown to love and embrace the culture of sports. The Grey Cup, which is their own version of the Super Bowl, has been contested since its inception in 1909. Hockey has and will always be a mainstay, having seven teams in the NHL as well as having their own league, the CHL, founded in 1975.
Basketball and baseball have franchises up north too, as only the Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto Raptors are the lone representatives of their respective leagues. And last but not least, in the MLS, there are three Canadian teams playing in the American-based league -- Toronto FC, Montreal Impact and the Vancouver Whitecaps. But there's a hidden theme here: when was the last time any of those teams -- aside from the Grey Cup -- won a championship?
The last time a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup was Montreal in 1993. MLB? The Blue Jays winning back-to-back in 1992 and 1993. NBA? Never happened before. NFL? They don't even have a franchise in Canada. MLS? It could just happen Saturday night.
In the 23-year history of Major League Soccer, there's never been a champion from Canada, although the championship was held there back in 2010, when the Colorado Rapids defeated FC Dallas 2-1. The atmosphere wasn't the best at that time, but it'll surely be revved up quite a bit come this weekend. The MLS has made incredible strides since then and having a champion from another country will show fans that the league is more competitive and that soccer in Canada is here to stay.
As for Canada, how great would it be for one of their professional soccer clubs to establish themselves as big-time club in an American-based league? With the acquisitions of Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco, they've had molded into an entertaining team that can score at will and bring in huge talents from around the world. They also have a passionate fan base that'll back their club to no end, which bodes well for them and the league that fans care so much for their teams.
If they win this championship, it'll make for one of the greatest days in Canadian sports history. MLS will benefit hugely from it, history will be made and Canada will have something to celebrate and look forward to for years to come.
"O Canada" will be sung like never before.
