TORONTO—Toronto FC inflicted a painful 2–1 loss on archrival Montreal Impact in Saturday’s biggest “401 Derby” of MLS regular season play to date.
More importantly, it was a massive win for TFC that also sets back a playoff rival. The loss was also the straw that broke the camel’s back for Impact head coach Frank Klopas who was fired during the night after the game.
There’s always the pride factor underlying derbies, or games between close geographic rivals, and Montreal and Toronto don’t need anything additional to get geared up for each other. But in this case, the meeting comes as both teams have the realistic objective of qualifying for the MLS postseason.
“The derby’s always important, but for us at this moment in time, the three points are the most important thing,” TFC head coach Greg Vanney said in his postgame press conference. “The derby adds a little spice. For us, the mentality was 100 percent around getting the three points out of the game regardless of who the opponent was today.”
“We talked about it beforehand how much this game means for the fans, for the city, for the club, and we know that we have to give that much more,” said Jozy Altidore, who scored the game-winner. “Every game means something, but today for everybody that supports Toronto FC in Canada and abroad, this is a big victory for them.”
The 401 Derby, as it’s come to be known for the highway connecting the two big cities, features the classic rivalry between the colours red and blue. It may not have the history of the red against blue of Liverpool against Everton in the English Premier League, but with compelling storylines and fallout accumulating from each match, the rivalry is building nicely.
A sellout crowd of 30,266 came to see the game as the Canadian National Exhibition gave the surrounding area a festive atmosphere.
