Jermain Defoe scored two first-half goals on his debut to give Toronto all three points against Seattle Sounders at CenturyLink Field in the MLS.

The reigning MLS Cup holders started off promisingly, with Clint Dempsey getting an early strike away on his first start of the season, but the ball drifted narrowly wide of the target.

Seattle looked to be building some momentum, but with 17 minutes on the clock Defoe stepped up to open his account, slotting past former Reds keeper Stefan Frei to give Toronto the lead with his first touch of the match.

Seven minutes later the Englishman doubled his tally for the afternoon when he unleashed a strike past Frei to give Ryan Nelsen's side a dream start to the season.

The hosts upped the pressure in the second half, and it was another former Tottenham Hotspur player in Dempsey who gave Seattle a lifeline, smashing the ball home to make it 2-1.

Sounders pushed for a winner to match their heroics from last weekend, but Toronto held out to secure the points.