TORONTO — Jozy Altidore opened the scoring in the 67th minute Saturday and Toronto FC beat the Seattle Sounders 2-0 in the MLS Cup to become the first Canadian champion in league history.

Toronto also denied the Sounders a repeat triumph, avenging a penalty-shootout loss to Seattle last year in the title game.

Toronto FC players celebrate their second goal against the Seattle Sounders in the final minutes of the MLS Cup final in Toronto on Saturday. Toronto FC won the title, 2-0. The Canadian Press/Frank Gunn

RECENT CHAMPIONS

2017: Toronto FC

2016: Seattle

2015: Portland

2014: LA Galaxy

2013: Sporting Kansas City

2012: LA Galaxy

“Lifting this trophy has been an obsession for the last 364 days, not just for me but for every single guy on our team,” Toronto captain Michael Bradley said. “No other word for it.”

Sounders Coach Brian Schmetzer pointed to a single statistic, duels won, to illustrate the disparity between the teams. Toronto won 58 duels to Seattle’s 24.

“We picked the wrong time to have a game that was below our standards,” Schmetzer said. “We put our best attacking lineup out there but we weren’t able to keep the ball in any part of the game. That was not one of our stellar performances.”

In the 67th, Sebastian Giovinco’s pass from just inside the Seattle half helped Altidore split a pair of defenders. Altidore took a few steps to his left and fired the ball over goalkeeper Stefan Frei.

Altidore’s goal snapped Seattle’s streak of keeping opponents scoreless. The Sounders had not been scored on since a 2-0 loss to Philadelphia on Oct. 1, seven games ago.

Victor Vasquez made it 2-0 in injury time from close range after Armando Cooper’s shot rebounded off the post.

Altidore was the Cup MVP.

Toronto’s 69 points this season are the most in league history, and the team won its first Supporters’ Shield as regular season champion.

“I think we had the greatest season in the history of the league,” Toronto Coach Greg Vanney said. “I don’t think it’s debatable.”

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