The big problem with the heavily pushed Toronto versus Montreal rivalry has been that neither of them has been very good. Yes, the Impact were successful in making the playoffs in 2013, a feat TFC has still never achieved, but even that team eventually limped across the finish line, nearly missing on the final day. The most you could say about most meetings, even in seasons where one team had a chance at success, was that the other could play spoiler.
2015 seemed to be heading that regular direction during the first few months of the season. Toronto’s road heavy schedule, and the Impact’s CONCACAF Champions League run, conspired to see both clubs start off with heavy runs of losses the sort of points-per-game score that sees teams eliminated from playoff contention by mid-summer.
The Reds were the first to start turning their season around, even before the road trip ended, and that combined with Sebastian Giovinco’s form in May and early June to transform expectations. The bigger surprise has been in Montreal. Five wins from their last seven matches has seen the Impact making the climb up the standings in the Eastern Conference to the point where the nearly inconceivable has occurred: Toronto FC will host the Montreal Impact with both of them above the red line that separates playoff from non-play positions.
In fact, based on PPG that takes the smaller number of games they’ve played into account, both the Reds and Impact have created separation between themselves and the lower half of the conference. Only two points behind Toronto, Montreal can leap over TFC with a win, and by the end of the night -- win, lose, or draw – one of the sides will be on at least 20 points.
So rather than having to manufacture a rivalry – not that they seem to want to stop trying – the focus can be on what should really matter: success in the league at the expense of a direct rival. Playing “spoiler” and never wanting to lose to “them” can only take you so far. At some point, for a rivalry to really blossom, the games have to mean something to both teams. It’s taken longer that it should have, but it seems we’re finally there.