In the world of football, nothing fuels passion quite like a derby.
Some of the greatest matches in the history of the game have come from encounters between bitter foes. El Clasico pits FC Barcelona against Real Madrid in a contest of the highest quality in football. Celtic and Rangers is almost always a treat. Boca Juniors and River Plate is hotly contested, and the Manchester United - City encounter splits a city and its population in two.
Major League Soccer needs such rivalries; derby day is a special day for fans of any team and its supporters. The Seattle Sounders take on the Portland Timbers in some Cascadia Cup action, while D.C. United battle the New York Red Bulls in a well-established rivalry. FC Dallas meet the Houston Dynamo in an all-Texan encounter, while the LA Galaxy go head to head against Chivas USA in the SuperClasico. Real Salt Lake plays the Colorado Rapids in the Rocky Mountain Cup.
With all these classic encounters, fans of Canadian soccer have their eyes set on one other match: Toronto FC takes on the Montreal Impact on Saturday in the first round of their MLS home and away series. The two clubs will meet many times this year, drawn together in the Amway Canadian Championship by fate, again, or maybe just by chance. The 401 Derby is just getting its professional legs stretched, but the two cities have a deep and rich tradition of competition between them, stretching back through decades on the ice, rather than on grass (well, turf).
Toronto FC vs. the Montreal Impact is the soccer equivalent of the Toronto Maple Leafs' traditional rivalry with the Montreal Canadiens. However, this isn't a rivalry born of hockey, either. There is a history of competition within the soccer circles between the two cities. Going back to 1971 through 1973, in the days of the NASL, the Toronto Blizzard and the Montreal Olympique already had an established rivalry. In nine games, the two sides remained very much equal, Toronto edging Montreal by a pair of wins. Toronto's largest win - a 5-1 thrashing at home - marked the tipping point of the derby.
NASL was a league short-lived, however, and the 401 Derby went unplayed in a professional sense for more than 30 years. With Toronto FC and the Montreal Impact now in MLS, the derby has a chance to grow into something spectacular once more.
Rather than summing up some of the highlights from the modern era, take a look at this infographic created by yours truly a few weeks ago:
Infographic: For a larger view, please click on the photo below.
So what can fans of either team expect this coming Saturday?
Plenty of support from both sides, that's for certain. Toronto FC has helped fuel this rivalry by providing optional tickets to the game at the Olympic Stadium with every season ticket. Toronto FC announced that about 5000 tickets were picked up, so expect to see unprecedented numbers of away supporters in Montreal.
The away support is set to break the MLS record. It will truly be a sight to behold.
The Impact is playing this game at Olympic Stadium, rather than Saputo Stadium, meaning there are plenty of seats for the locals to lap up, too. It should make for an atmosphere that rivals that of any major derby around the world. The last time Toronto FC fans travelled in huge numbers was against the Columbus Crew, and even then, the sheer number of fans that actually went is nowhere near the number that is expected for this Saturdays match.
This match is also the home opener for Montreal, an event the club and its supporters have been eagerly awaiting.
Both sides are coming off of wins against very tough opponents, Toronto downing Sporting Kansas City, Montreal defeating both the Seattle Sounders and the Portland Timbers.
It will also be a heated affair. The two sides will be looking to continue winning games as they attempt to stake their claims in a much tougher Eastern Conference. Neither team wants to fall behind the pack, especially Toronto, who will hope that early results go their way to give the team some wiggle room during the inevitable growing pains the club will fight through this season.
Montreal also laid down some fresh turf for the game, a heavy cost on the club but one that ensures the highest quality of football possible for a ground like the Olympic Stadium.
Now, to beat Montreal, Toronto FC needs to do three key things:
1. Contain the threat of Marco Di Vaio:
Unlike Kansas' midfield-heavy attack, Montreal is an outfit with a pair of very capable forwards, none more so than Di Vaio. Containing the Italian striker will be a difficult task, but the alternative can lead to goal scoring chances and even goals conceded.
2. Neutralize Patrice Bernier:
He's one of the leagues most proficient passers, and a major cog in the Montreal midfield. Bernier's role in the match will be of distributor and conductor of the counter-attack Montreal seem to favour, so ensuring a quiet game for Bernier is a must for Toronto.
3. Expose the Fullbacks:
In a defence heralded and compared to the Italian style, breaking down Montreal will be a difficult task, indeed. Beating Nesta will be difficult, so Toronto FC needs to attack the flanks rather than run down the middle if they want to beat the Impact back line.
Montreal has an easier job:
1. Attack on the Left:
Toronto's defence has a defensive flaw, and, simply put, it's on the left-hand side. As a fullback, Richard Eckersley is vastly more experienced and capable than his counterpart, Ashtone Morgan.
2. Man-Mark Robert Earnshaw:
Toronto FC's only offensive threat up top has been Robert Earnshaw, with Justin Braun out with a concussion, and the rest of the attacking presence occupied in midfield. Containing a goal scoring threat like Earnshaw may just dull Toronto's attack entirely.
3. Break Dunfield-Hall:
The beauty of Dunfield and Hall is that neither is a standout in their position but they know how to get the job done. They anchor the midfield and shepherd opponents onto the fullbacks who can do the defending for them. Felipe needs to break through the two, rather than work around them, to expose Toronto FC's midfield.
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