TORONTO – Shots fired!
No, not really. But there’s no denying the already intense Toronto FC vs. Montreal Impact rivalry just became a bit more interesting following comments from Reds forward Jozy Altidore.
TFC sits atop the Eastern Conference with 53 points. The Impact are 17 points adrift and currently hold down the sixth and final playoff spot in the East, having clawed their way back into post-season picture thanks to their current four-game winning streak.
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Toronto and Montreal hook up on Sunday afternoon at Stade Saputo, one of three times the Canadian rivals will face off before the end of the regular season, which concludes on Oct. 22. The teams will meet again at BMO Field in late September and again in mid-October.
With nine points up for grabs in those contests, and with the Impact involved a tight battle to secure a playoff berth – Atlanta is a point back and has one match in hand on them – it’s fair to say that Toronto will have a major say about Montreal’s playoff hopes. If the Reds can sweep all three games, or even take the majority of points available, they could potentially knock the Impact out of playoff contention.
Nothing would make Altidore happier.
“It’s a great rivalry. [They’re] a good team, they have great fans. But I would love it if they missed the playoffs at our expense. That’d be beautiful,” Altidore admitted after Friday’s practice.
It didn’t take long for news of Altidore’s comments to spread to Montreal, where the local media was taking in the Impact’s training session at the same time. One reporter asked coach Mauro Biello for his response.
“Obviously, they want to put us out, in the end, because I don’t think that they’ll want to face us again in the playoffs. That’s normal. At the same time, we’re going to focus on this game on [Sunday] and we’ll let the field do the talking. For us, it’s important that we stay focused on all aspects,” Biello answered.
Toronto is trying to win the Supporters’ Shield, the trophy awarded to the team that ends the regular season in first place. Finishing first also means guaranteeing home-field advantage all the way through the playoffs. On top of that, the table-topping Reds are closing in on the MLS record for most points in a single season (68), held by the 1998 LA Galaxy.
So, TFC has plenty to play for as the MLS campaign enters the home stretch, but make no mistake – they’d love to knock Montreal out of playoff contention.
“First and foremost, we want the points. We want the win. We want to continue to push ourselves forward. We have big goals for ourselves in terms of what we want from this season; that’s the main thing,” TFC captain Michael Bradley offered.
“But given the schedule, given that we play them three times in these last eight games, it means even more. In the process, if we can make life difficult or end a team’s season early who could potentially come back to give us a hard time, then that’s something we’ve got to be able to do – the killer instinct when certain teams are teetering on the edge to make sure you go for it and you finish them off.”
He later added: “We have a lot of respect for them. They’re a very good team. They have pushed us to the brink a few times in the last year and half. If we can win some games in this next stretch that ultimately means they don’t even have that chance, yeah, that’s something that we’ve gotta do.”
Toronto coach Greg Vanney was far more diplomatic on the subject, downplaying suggestions that he would take any joy out of his team adversely affecting Montreal’s chances of making the playoffs.
“Our joy is going to be getting results and winning the Supporters’ Shield, and preparing and setting ourselves up for the playoffs. … If that impacts on some level the finish to their season, then that’s the way it goes. But for us it’s about focusing on each one of these games and trying to solidify where we are,” Vanney said.
Still, there’s no escaping the reality that Montreal always seems to play Toronto tough. Two years ago, the Impact embarrassed the Reds 3-0 in the first round of the playoffs. Last year, Toronto came from behind to beat Montreal in the Eastern Conference final and advance to MLS Cup in what is widely regarded as one of the best playoff series in league history.
And earlier this summer, Sebastian Giovonco scored deep into injury time to lift Toronto to a thrilling 2-1 win over Montreal in the second leg of the Canadian Championship final. The Reds hoisted the trophy for a second consecutive year before their fans while the Impact had to stand around and watch.
“They’re a dangerous team, especially in the playoffs. If we can eliminate one more dangerous team from the playoff picture, then yes, but I don’t know that our three games are going to do that specifically, although I think we can make it a little more difficult for them if we can come away with results,” Vanney stated.
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