In order to beat Miami for their 7th trophy, the Sounders would have to be near perfect. Their defense would need to be smothering, frustrating the Miami attack into making mistakes or hurrying their play. Their attack needed to be a succession of well-timed runs and passes to open up opportunities, and they needed to be ruthless in front of the goal.
The officiating, for all of the complaining by the Miami players, was fair. There were no consistent infringement calls on either team, and cards were reserved for professional fouls. The players had to outdo their opponents to win.