Fans of crosstown rivals New York City FC and the New York Red Bulls have vied for the honor of having their colors displayed atop the Empire State Building.
On Friday night, however, that nod of respect from the Big Apple's iconic landmark was offered to this year's MLS Cup participants.
Toronto FC's trademark cardinal red shared top billing with the Seattle Sounders' signature Rave Green hue, as New York City's most famous skyscraper paid tribute to the two teams that will battle for the league championship at BMO Field on Saturday (8 pm ET; FOX and UniMás in US | TSN and RDS in Canada).
For those wondering: The ESB doesn't quite stack up to Toronto's CN Tower in terms of overall height. Built in 1931, the Empire State Building stands 1,454 feet (443 meters) high, while the spiky structure that looms over BMO Field (completed in 1976) is 1,815 ft (553 m) tall, making it the tallest free-standing structure in the Western Hemisphere. Seattle's Space Needle, meanwhile, stands 605 ft (184 m) high.
