Seattle Post-Intelligencer (11/07/19) Booth, Tim

The Seattle Sounders' game against the Toronto FC in the Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup final in their home stadium on Nov. 10 is the culmination of the franchise's transformation of MLS, which has been a decade in the making. Cities are jockeying to join the league, which could announce its 30th team by year's end. "When Seattle came into the league in 2009 it totally repositioned Major League Soccer, both domestically and internationally," said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. "And it showed the major sports world here in the U.S., and it showed the global football world, that the U.S. really understands the game, is passionate about it and will support it at levels that prior to them coming on board was unprecedented." Seattle has distinguished itself by keeping the level of interest and success about the same for 10 years, with the Sounders making the MLS playoffs for all 11 seasons. The final in Seattle is "really going to show MLS and the rest of the sports community in America just what this means to this city and we're all excited," said former U.S. and Sounders goalkeeper Kasey Keller. This excitement was reflected in tickets to the final selling out in just minutes, and prices on the secondary market rivaling those usually associated with championship games in bigger leagues.

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