Sounders cement place as MLS giants

On Sunday, the Seattle Sounders and Toronto FC met in the MLS Cup for the third time in four years. After splitting the first two meetings, Seattle emerged victorious, winning 3-1 in front of a record-setting home crowd of 69,274.

• Why it matters: The victory makes Seattle the sixth team in MLS history with multiple league titles, joining LA Galaxy (5), D.C. United (4), Houston Dynamo (2), San Jose Earthquakes (2) and Sporting KC (2).

The big picture: In the three years since Seattle won its first title, MLS has added four new teams — and there are lots more coming.

• As the league continues to rapidly expand, elite clubs like the Sounders will play a pivotal role in maintaining a sense of stability, while also providing a measuring stick for expansion clubs to compare themselves against and a rubric for them to follow.

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