MONTREAL IMPACT vs. TORONTO FC
STADE SAPUTO, Montreal, Quebec
APRIL 23, 2016 (WEEK 8, MLS GAME #67)
4 pm ET (TSN4, RDS, MLS LIVE)
The first meeting of one of the fiercest rivalries in North American sport is ahead when the Montréal Impact entertain Toronto FC on Saturday afternoon at Stade Saputo. The Impact return home after a second consecutive victory, sitting atop the Eastern Conference following their 2-1 win at the Chicago Fire last weekend. Toronto FC are still on their season-opening long road swing, winning for the first time since the season opener in their 1-0 victory against D.C. United last Saturday at RFK Stadium.
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- Didier Drogba scored his first goal of the season, making his second appearance this year, coming off the bench in the Impact’s 2-1 win at the Chicago Fire 588196628" tabindex="0">on Saturday afternoon. Drogba has 12 goals in 13 career league appearances for the Impact, scoring in eight different games.
- Sebastian Giovinco scored his fourth goal of the season, his second in as many games, leading Toronto FC to their first victory since the season opener in a 1-0 win at D.C. United 588196629" tabindex="0">on Saturday afternoon. The goal came after just 58 seconds, the earliest goal in TFC club history; it was the fifth time in MLS history the only goal of the game was scored in the opening minute.
- The Impact defeated Toronto FC twice 588196630" tabindex="0">in four days at the end of the season a year ago, first winning 2-1 on 588196631" tabindex="0">Oct. 25 – their first win in the league series at Stade Saputo – then a 3-0 win in the Knockout Round of the MLSCup Playoffs, also at Stade Saputo, in TFC’s first-ever postseason match. The Impact have won two league meetings at Olympic Stadium.
- Since coming to MLS, the Impact have not won in Toronto, with six losses and four draws in 10 meetings in all competitions at BMO Field.
- The teams have met in every season they’ve been together in MLS in the Canadian Championship, with the Impact winning the title in 2014 by defeating TFC 2-1 on aggregate in the final. The Impact have won with the teams have met in the semifinals on two of the three occasions, in 2013 and 2015, when they won on away goals after the level was level 3-3 on aggregate.
REFEREE: Ted Unkel. AR1 (bench): Joe Fletcher; AR2 (opposite): Daniel Belleau; 4th: Geoff Gamble
MLS Career: 35 games; FC/gm: 25.7; Y/gm: 4.2; R: 12; pens: 21
SUSPENDED: none
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME [MLS] (11 meetings): Impact 3 wins, 12 goals … Toronto FC 5 wins, 18 goals … Ties 3
AT MONTREAL (5 meetings): Impact 3 wins, 6 goals … Toronto FC 2 wins, 8 goals … Ties 0
RETURN MATCHES: 8/27: Toronto FC vs. Montreal Impact, 7:30 p.m. ET; 10/16: Montreal Impact vs. Toronto FC, 5 p.m. ET
COACHES' RECORD:
Greg Vanney vs. MTL: P4 W2 L1 D1
Mauro Biello vs. CHI: P1 W1 L0 D0
