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MLS playoffs: Sounders advance to West finals; Impact to play Toronto FC for East title

Sounders defender Zach Scott celebrates with fans after the club advanced to the Western Conference finals on Sunday.
(Jeffrey McWhorter / Associated Press)
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The Seattle Sounders advanced to the Western Conference finals on Sunday night, winning the two-leg series 4-2 after falling 2-1 in the second game.

Seattle will host the Colorado Rapids on Sunday, Nov. 20 in Game 1 of the conference finals. Dallas, the Supporters Shield winner, was just the third team in MLS history to face a three-goal deficit after the first game in a two-leg series — and no team has come back.

Seattle sat back in the defensive end for much of the first half but gave up a goal in the 25th minute. Dallas defender Atiba Harris hooked a cross into the area and Tesho Akindele headed it off the crossbar for his third career playoff goal.

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Seattle got a much needed away goal in the 54th minute from midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro to tie it a 1. Tyrone Mears stole it from Walker Zimmerman deep in Dallas territory and played it across goal for a sliding Lodeiro.

Two minutes later, Maximiliano Urruti gave Dallas a 2-1 lead but it still needed three more goals to move on.

Toronto FC to meet Impact in East final

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Sebastian Giovinco had the fourth hat trick in MLS playoff history and Toronto FC routed New York City FC, 5-0, to reach the Eastern Conference finals.

With a 7-0 aggregate victory, Toronto set an MLS record for the largest margin of victory in a two-legged series since the league started using the playoff format in 2003.

Toronto will face the Montreal Impact in the two-game conference finals, with Game 1 set for Montreal on Nov. 22. They are the first Canadian teams in league history to reach the conference finals.

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In the other East semifinal series, Ignacio Piatti scored his second goal of the game in the 85th minute and Montreal beat New York, 2-1, to advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time on a 3-1 aggregate score.

Piatti opened the scoring in the 51st minute, powering a left-footed shot past goalkeeper Luis Robles.

Eight minutes after New York tied it, Piatti iced it with his right foot. Dominic Oduro raced down the left sideline on a breakaway and waited for help. Didier Drogba trailed up the middle, drew two defenders and found an open Piatti for a close-range shot.

Bradley Wright-Phillips, who won his second MLS Golden Boot in the last three seasons with 24 regular-season goals, scored on a deflected shot in the 78th minute.

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