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This wholesome bet over the Major League Soccer Championship is what we need right now

We know who we’re rooting for.
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Last year, the Toronto Football Club came up against the Seattle Sounders in the Major League Soccer Championship. At the time, Toronto mayor John Tory bet Seattle’s then-mayor Ed Murray some “real beer” and Tim Horton’s coffee that Toronto would take the MLS Cup. Sadly, our dear Toronto FC fell to the Sounders in a penalty shoot-out after a hard-fought scoreless game. This year, the teams get a shot at a rematch and the mayors have upped the stakes.

Tory and Seattle’s new mayor, Jenny Durkan, announced the updated terms for Saturday’s championship on Twitter this morning. If Toronto wins, Durkan will wear a Toronto FC scarf; light the Seattle City Hall sign red on Monday and send along a basket of goodies containing Starbucks coffee, Beecher’s homemade cheese, Oberto jerky and Totem Smokehouse salmon. If Seattle wins, Tory will don a Sounders scarf; light the Toronto sign green and send a basket with Timmy’s coffee, a peameal bacon sandwich and maple syrup.

Both mayors have also agreed to donate $100 to charity for every goal their team scores. Tory’s donations will benefit the local Daily Bread Food Bank and Durkan will donate to Seattle Shares, the city’s employee and volunteer program. Let’s hope the score is a little higher than last year to get some good donations flowing. In a statement, John Tory seemed pretty confident that Toronto can win it this year.

“Toronto has some unfinished business to attend to when it comes to the MLS Cup and Seattle,” the mayor said, “The entire city is cheering on our Reds. We know they will make us proud and bring home the MLS Cup after this record-setting season.”

After all the questionable (and downright illegal) things we’ve heard from politicians this week, it’s refreshing to just see some lighthearted banter between mayors. The MLS Championship will be played at BMO Field in Toronto at 4 pm Dec. 9.