With the Montreal Impact and Toronto FC set to start the Eastern Conference Championship series on Tuesday at Olympic Stadium (8 pm ET; TSN1/3, RDS in Canada, ESPN in the US), we look at the top five moments in the rivalry between the two clubs:
1. The Miracle in Montreal (June 18, 2009): With Toronto needing a victory by four or more goals against Montreal to win their first-ever trophy, TFC recorded a historic 6-1 win at Saputo Stadium. The Impact, fielding a reserve side, actually took the lead in this one, only for Toronto to score six unanswered and hoist the silverware in the Impact's home stadium.
The result led to a Montreal Impact supporter protest in their following USL match, during which the fans boycotted the first half and returned after halftime (VIDEO).
2. Impact's first MLS win (April 7, 2012): It was the sweetest maiden victory Montreal could have ever hoped for in MLS. In the first meeting between TFC and Montreal as top-flight clubs, the Impact captured the result at Olympic Stadium, 2-1. No. 1 SuperDraft pick Andrew Wenger had the game-winner for the Impact.
3. MLS who? Second-division Impact win Canadian title (July 22, 2008): They were calling this match the biggest in Canadian soccer history going in. USL side Montreal held on for a 1-1 draw against MLS side Toronto at BMO Field to win the Canadian Championship in an upset and set up a memorable CONCACAF Champions League run. It was Montreal's seventh straight Voyageurs Cup triumph.
4. Hi playoffs...bye playoffs (Oct. 29, 2015): It took TFC nine years, but in 2015 the Reds finally qualified for the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time in club history. Their fans' euphoria was relatively short-lived, however, thanks to their 401 Derby rivals from Quebec. Montreal hosted Toronto in the Knockout Round and swept aside their enemies from Ontario 3-0 as Patrice Bernier, Ignacio Piatti and Didier Drogba tallied and MLS MVP-in-waitingSebastian Giovinco was stifled.
5. Marsch vs. De Klerk (May 9, 2012): With three injections in two days to dull the pain of a damaged shoulder, former German international Torsten Frings led Toronto to a 2-0 win at BMO Field to advance to the final of the Amway Canadian Championship. It was the latest Canadian Championship triumph over Montreal for TFC, but the match will forever be remembered for what happened after the final whistle when then-Impact manager Jesse Marsch and Toronto assistant Bob de Klerk had to be separated.
This piece originally ran on March 12, 2013. It was updated on Aug. 27, 2016 and Nov. 19, 2016.
