Canadian Classique

The Canadian Classique,[1][2][3][4][5] also known as the 401 Derby and the Two Solitudes Derby, is a soccer rivalry between Canadian clubs, Toronto FC and CF Montréal (formerly the Montreal Impact).[6][7][8] The rivalry gets the "401" nickname from Ontario Highway 401, which forms most of the standard driving route between the two cities (with the remainder being Quebec Autoroute 20),[9] as well as the Two Solitudes book and cultural phenomenon.[10] It is a tense rivalry,[11] stemming from other sporting rivalries between Toronto and Montreal.

Canadian Classique
Other names401 Derby, Two Solitudes Derby
LocaleCentral Canada
First meetingMontreal Impact 0–1 Toronto FC
Canadian Championship
(May 27, 2008)
Latest meetingMontreal Impact 1–2 Toronto FC
Major League Soccer
(September 9, 2020)
Stadiums
Statistics
Meetings total50
Most winsToronto FC
Top scorerJozy Altidore (12)
All-time series
  • Toronto FC: 26
  • Draw: 10
  • CF Montréal: 14
Largest victoryMontreal Impact 6–0 Toronto FC
Canadian Championship
(May 1, 2013)
Stadiums within Canada

History

Early history

The first professional soccer clubs to be played in either Toronto or Montreal were the Toronto Metros and Montreal Olympique, who both began play in 1971. The two teams played infrequently due to consistent relocation and expansion/contraction in the old North American Soccer League. Throughout the 1980s, different teams from both respective metropolises formed and folded, rarely aligned with one another at the same season.

In 1992, the original Montreal Impact side formed by the Saputo family, following the demise of Montreal Supra and its league (the Canadian Soccer League). They became a dominant club in the American Professional Soccer League (1993–1996) and the A-League (1997–2003), renamed the USL First Division (2004). The team did not compete during the 1999 A-League season. Their main rivals were the Rochester Rhinos and the Toronto Lynx prior to the latter's move to the USL Premier Development League.

Pre-MLS era

The modern day rivalry involving Toronto FC came into fruition during the first ever Canadian Championship, Canada's domestic cup competition that was formed in 2008. The tournament is used as well to determine Canada's sole berth into the CONCACAF Champions League. It was the 2008 edition of the tournament where Montreal and Toronto played their first competitive game against one another. Played on May 27, 2008, Toronto emerged victorious 1–0 over thanks to a Marco Vélez goal in the 72nd minute in front of a crowd of 12,303 at Saputo Stadium.[12] Toronto, being the lone MLS team in the tournament, despite being an expansion franchise, was expected to ultimately win the tournament. Ultimately, though, the Impact ended up winning the three-way tournament, against Toronto and Vancouver Whitecaps, achieving the first Canadian Championship after posting a 2–1–1 record. The title was clinched by Montreal against Toronto on Toronto's home ground, BMO Field. The 1–1 draw which gave Montreal the title on Toronto's home soil further fueled the rivalry. By winning that title, Montreal earned a berth into the 2008–09 CONCACAF Champions League where they reached the quarterfinals.

Toronto got revenge on the Montreal at the following Canadian Championship by scoring six unanswered goals in a come-from-behind 6–1 win at Saputo Stadium. Toronto captain, Dwayne De Rosario netted a hat trick in the match. The match also secured Toronto's place in the 2009–10 CONCACAF Champions League, where they were eliminated in the preliminary round of the tournament. The Reds continued their reign of dominance in the 2010 edition of the Canadian Championship, beating Montreal in both the home and away legs of the competition, tallying an aggregate score of 3–0 during that time. With the arrival of FC Edmonton, the 2011 edition of the competition did not see the Impact and Reds meet each other.

MLS era

It was around this time that it was announced that the Impact would be "promoted" to Major League Soccer at the start of the 2012. The announcement officially came from MLS commissioner, Don Garber and the Saputo family on May 7, 2010.[13] On June 14, 2011, the Montreal Impact announced a five-year agreement with the Bank of Montreal to become their lead sponsor and jersey sponsor in MLS, the same kit sponsor of Toronto.[14]

Montreal and Toronto played their first MLS competition on April 7, 2012.[15] Played in front of a crowd of 24,000 at Olympic Stadium, the Impact emerged victorious, 2–1, over the Reds. Bosnian Siniša Ubiparipović netted the opening goal of the derby in MLS competitions, scoring for Montreal in the 18th minute. Andrew Wenger, the first pick of the 2012 MLS SuperDraft, netted in the 81st minute to give the Impact the game-winning goal. Dutch international Danny Koevermans netted a consolation goal for Toronto in the 88th minute.

In 2013, the Reds and Impact split the series 1–1–1. A crowd of 38,000 was on hand to watch the first match of the 2013 series, where Montreal won 2–1. Additionally, in 2013, the Impact won their first Canadian Championship since joining MLS. During their 2013 Canadian Championship run, the Impact defeated Toronto by a 6–0 scoreline, to date, the largest margin of victory in the derby history.[16]

On April 24, 2013, Justin Braun became the first player to play for both sides of the derby, after he was traded from Montreal to Toronto over the winter break. Collen Warner repeated the feat in 2014 after being traded to Toronto for Issey Nakajima-Farran, who had never played against Montreal before the exchange. Dominic Oduro (2015) and Kyle Bekker (2016) later joined the turncoat club, both playing for Toronto before Montreal. Canadian goalkeeper Greg Sutton played for both the NASL edition of the Montreal Impact and for Toronto FC, but only ever played for the Reds in derby matches. No player has ever scored a goal for both teams in derby matches.

October 29, 2015 was the first time that the teams met in the MLS Cup Playoffs. The match at Saputo Stadium ended 3–0 in favour of the Impact.[17] It also marked Toronto's first appearance in the playoffs in their history,[18] and Montreal's second-ever playoff game. The two teams faced off again for the second consecutive time in the 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs in two games as both Toronto and Montreal defeated New York City FC and New York Red Bulls respectively, making the rivalry part of the Eastern Conference Finals. Montreal won the first leg of the Conference Championship, 3–2 at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal on November 22. Toronto later beat Montreal 5–2 in extra time in the return leg at BMO Field in Toronto on November 30, winning on an aggregated score of 7–5, making Toronto FC the first Canadian team to compete in an MLS Cup Final.[19]

Supporters

The U-Sector and Red Patch Boys supporters at a Toronto FC home fixture.

Off the field, there is intense rivalry between the supporters groups of Toronto and Montreal. Toronto's prominent supporters' groups are U-Sector and Red Patch Boys.[20] In addition to Toronto FC; the U-Sector also support the Canadian national team, and the TFC Academy teams. Additionally, the club is supported by several other supporter's groups including Original 109 who sit in Section 109 of BMO Field, SG114 who sit in Section 114, and the Tribal Rhythm Nation who represent the African, Caribbean and Latin American communities in the Greater Toronto Area.

The largest, and oldest supporters group for Montreal is Ultras Montréal, who are also known as UM02, for the year the supporters club was founded (2002). Additionally, Montreal are supported by 127 Montréal. 127 Montréal formed in 2011, around the time the Montreal Impact were in transition from NASL to MLS. In 2011, the Montreal Impact Supporters Association was created to better facilitate the relations between the Club and the Supporters Groups, to promote the supporters culture, and to help with the financing of different supporter group initiatives. Moreover, Montreal is supported by 1642 Montreal, for the year of the foundation of Montreal. 1642 Montreal is known to ring a bell of 0.8 ton to celebrate any goal scored by the team.

Stadium

Saputo Stadium is the home ground for CF Montréal.

Both Toronto and Montreal play in soccer-specific stadiums and have been doing so for their entire existence. BMO Field is Toronto FC's home stadium, while Saputo Stadium serves as home ground for CF Montréal. For marquee matchups, such as games against acclaimed opponents, rivals, or Champions League fixtures, as well as winter-time matches, both teams sometimes play in larger, indoor stadiums in their respective region. Toronto FC have played several games at Rogers Centre while CF Montréal have played their share of games at Olympic Stadium, which is within walking distance of Saputo Stadium.

Toronto's BMO Field is located in Exhibition Place of the city, near the banks of Lake Ontario. Saputo Stadium is located along the border of Montreal's Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie district and Parc Olympique district. BMO Field currently sits 30,991 (21,566 before May 2015) while Saputo Stadium currently seats 20,521.

Results

  Toronto wins   Draw   Montreal wins

Competition Date Home team Result Away team Venue Attendance Recap
2008 Canadian ChampionshipMay 27, 2008Montreal
0–1
TorontoSaputo Stadium, Montreal, Quebec12,083
July 22, 2008Toronto
1–1
MontrealBMO Field, Toronto, Ontario19,872
2009 Canadian ChampionshipMay 13, 2009Toronto
1–0
MontrealBMO Field, Toronto, Ontario19,811
June 18, 2009Montreal
1–6
TorontoSaputo Stadium, Montreal, Quebec11,561
2010 Canadian ChampionshipApril 28, 2010Toronto
2–0
MontrealBMO Field, Toronto, Ontario21,436
May 12, 2010Montreal
0–1
TorontoSaputo Stadium, Montreal, Quebec10,737
2012 Major League Soccer seasonApril 7, 2012Montreal
2–1
TorontoOlympic Stadium, Montreal, Quebec23,120
2012 Canadian ChampionshipMay 2, 2012Montreal
0–0
TorontoOlympic Stadium, Montreal, Quebec13,405
May 9, 2012Toronto
2–0
MontrealBMO Field, Toronto, Ontario15,016
2012 Major League Soccer seasonJune 27, 2012Montreal
0–3
TorontoSaputo Stadium, Montreal, Quebec14,412
October 20, 2012Toronto
0–0
MontrealBMO Field, Toronto, Ontario16,151
2013 Major League Soccer seasonMarch 16, 2013Montreal
2–1
TorontoOlympic Stadium, Montreal, Quebec37,896
2013 Canadian ChampionshipApril 24, 2013Toronto
2–0
MontrealBMO Field, Toronto, Ontario11,043
May 1, 2013Montreal
6–0
TorontoSaputo Stadium, Montreal, Quebec14,931
2013 Major League Soccer seasonJuly 3, 2013Toronto
3–3
MontrealBMO Field, Toronto, Ontario21,700
October 26, 2013Toronto
1–0
MontrealBMO Field, Toronto, Ontario13,211
2014 Canadian ChampionshipMay 28, 2014Toronto
1–1
MontrealBMO Field, Toronto, Ontario18,269
June 4, 2014Montreal
1–0
TorontoSaputo Stadium, Montreal, Quebec13,423
2014 Major League Soccer seasonAugust 2, 2014Montreal
0–2
TorontoSaputo Stadium, Montreal, Quebec16,655
October 18, 2014Toronto
1–1
MontrealBMO Field, Toronto, Ontario15,242
2015 Canadian ChampionshipMay 6, 2015Montreal
1–0
TorontoSaputo Stadium, Montreal, Quebec12,518
May 13, 2015Toronto
3–2
MontrealBMO Field, Toronto, Ontario21,069
2015 Major League Soccer seasonJune 24, 2015Toronto
3–1
MontrealBMO Field, Toronto, Ontario24,895
August 29, 2015Toronto
2–1
MontrealBMO Field, Toronto, Ontario30,266
October 25, 2015Montreal
2–1
TorontoSaputo Stadium, Montreal, Quebec20,801
2015 MLS Cup PlayoffsOctober 29, 2015Montreal
3–0
TorontoSaputo Stadium, Montreal, Quebec18,069
Suncoast InvitationalFebruary 24, 2016Toronto[lower-alpha 1]
1–1
MontrealJoe DiMaggio Sports Complex, Clearwater, Florida
2016 Major League Soccer seasonApril 23, 2016Montreal
0–2
TorontoSaputo Stadium, Montreal, Quebec20,801
2016 Canadian ChampionshipJune 1, 2016Toronto
4–2
MontrealBMO Field, Toronto, Ontario22,143
June 8, 2016Montreal
0–0
TorontoSaputo Stadium, Montreal, Quebec18,964
2016 Major League Soccer seasonAugust 27, 2016Toronto
0–1
MontrealBMO Field, Toronto, Ontario28,454
October 16, 2016Montreal
2–2
TorontoSaputo Stadium, Montreal, Quebec20,801
2016 MLS Cup PlayoffsNovember 22, 2016Montreal
3–2
TorontoOlympic Stadium, Montreal, Quebec61,004
November 30, 2016TorontoMontrealBMO Field, Toronto, Ontario36,000
2017 Canadian ChampionshipJune 21, 2017Montreal
1–1
TorontoSaputo Stadium, Montreal, Quebec14,329
June 27, 2017Toronto
2–1
MontrealBMO Field, Toronto, Ontario26,539
2017 Major League Soccer seasonAugust 27, 2017Montreal
1–3
TorontoSaputo Stadium, Montreal, Quebec20,801
September 20, 2017Toronto
3–5
MontrealBMO Field, Toronto, Ontario28,898
October 15, 2017Toronto
1–0
MontrealBMO Field, Toronto, Ontario27,866
2018 Major League Soccer seasonMarch 17, 2018Montreal
1–0
TorontoOlympic Stadium, Montreal, Quebec26,005
August 25, 2018Toronto
3–1
MontrealBMO Field, Toronto, Ontario27,294
October 21, 2018Montreal
2–0
TorontoSaputo Stadium, Montreal, Quebec19,684
2019 Major League Soccer seasonJuly 13, 2019Montreal
0–2
TorontoSaputo Stadium, Montreal, Quebec19,619
August 24, 2019Toronto
2–1
MontrealBMO Field, Toronto, Ontario28,989
2019 Canadian Championship FinalSeptember 18, 2019Montreal
1–0
TorontoSaputo Stadium, Montreal, Quebec10,807
September 25, 2019TorontoMontrealBMO Field, Toronto, Ontario21,365
MLS is Back TournamentJuly 16, 2020Montreal[lower-alpha 4]
3–4
TorontoESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Bay Lake, Florida0
2020 Major League Soccer season[lower-alpha 5]August 28, 2020Montreal
0–1
TorontoSaputo Stadium, Montreal, Quebec250
September 1, 2020Toronto
0–1
MontrealBMO Field, Toronto, Ontario0
September 9, 2020Montreal
1–2
TorontoSaputo Stadium, Montreal, Quebec250
  1. Toronto was declared the 'home team', but this match was played at Joe DiMaggio Sports Complex in Clearwater, Florida
  2. Toronto FC won 5–2 after extra time (7–5 on aggregate) to advance to the MLS Cup Final
  3. Montreal Impact won 3–1 on penalties (1–1 on aggregate) to win the Canadian Championship
  4. Montreal was declared the 'home team', but this match was played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Bay Lake, Florida
  5. Matches were also used as qualifiers for the 2020 Canadian Championship

Statistics

For statistical purposes, this table includes the NASL edition of the Montreal Impact.

As of September 9, 2020
Competitions Matches Wins Draws Goals
MTL TOR MTL TOR
Major League Soccer 2581342839
MLS Cup Playoffs 321087
Canadian Championship 2041151828
MLS is Back Tournament 101034
All competitions 49142695778
Friendly/other 100111
All matches 501426105879

Records

Most goals in a match
  • 8 goals on September 20, 2017
    Toronto 3–5 Montreal
  • 7 goals on June 18, 2009
    Montreal 1–6 Toronto
  • 7 goals on November 30, 2016
    Toronto 5–2 Montreal
  • 7 goals on July 16, 2020
    Montreal 3–4 Toronto
Margin of victory
Montreal:
  • Montreal 6–0 Toronto on May 1, 2013
  • Montreal 3–0 Toronto on October 29, 2015
Toronto:
  • Montreal 1–6 Toronto on June 18, 2009
  • Montreal 0–3 Toronto on June 27, 2012
  • Toronto 5–2 Montreal on November 30, 2016
Most consecutive wins
Toronto FC: 4

Top goalscorers

As of September 9, 2020
Jozy Altidore's dozen goals for Toronto FC make him the series' top goalscorer
Pos Name Club Nationality Goals
1 Jozy Altidore Toronto FC  United States 12
2 Ignacio Piatti Montreal Impact  Argentina 11
3 Sebastian Giovinco Toronto FC  Italy 10
4 Dominic Oduro Montreal Impact  Ghana 5
Toronto FC
5 Dwayne De Rosario Toronto FC  Canada 4
Marco Di Vaio Montreal Impact  Italy
Didier Drogba Montreal Impact  Ivory Coast
Tosaint Ricketts Toronto FC  Canada
9 Ayo Akinola Toronto FC  United States 3
Chad Barrett Toronto FC  United States
Jordan Hamilton Toronto FC  Canada
12 15 players 2

Players in bold are still active players with the team.

Players who played for both clubs

Toronto, then Montreal

Montreal, then Toronto

See also

References

  1. Wiebe, Andrew. "Wiebe: Six MLS narratives to root for during the weekend's rivalry action". Major League Soccer. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
  2. "Toronto FC vs. Montreal Impact". Major League Soccer. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
  3. "TFC's Sebastian Giovinco continues to torment Impact in Canadian Classique". Major League Soccer. August 25, 2018.
  4. "Quote-unquote: the Canadian Classique". Montreal Impact. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
  5. Molinaro, John (August 25, 2018). "Giovinco nets brace, Toronto FC tops rival Impact in Canadian Classique". Sportsnet.
  6. Hylton, Kamal (March 18, 2013). "TFC Dropped by Impact in 401 Derby Clash". Soccer NewsDay. SoccerNewsDay.com. Archived from the original on April 26, 2014. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  7. "The 401 Derby, Round 1 – Toronto FC vs. Montreal Impact: The Storystream". Walkingthered.com.
  8. Palmitesta, Luis (April 7, 2012). "401 Derby – Montreal vs Toronto – Impact needs small tweaks". Global Football Today. Archived from the original on April 26, 2014. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  9. Borg, Simon. "Circle your calendars: 2014 MLS Canadian rivalry matches that will be showcased on national TV". Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  10. Bay, Brandon (April 20, 2016). "Two Solitudes Derby: A History". Retrieved April 21, 2016.
  11. Borg, Simon. "Circle your calendars: 2014 MLS Canadian rivalry matches that will be showcased on national TV". Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  12. Basu, Arpon (May 27, 2008). "Velez gives Toronto FC 1–0 win over Impact". Toronto Star. TheStar.com. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  13. Freedman, Jonah (May 7, 2010). ""Passionate" Montreal named as 19th MLS city". MLSSoccer.com. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
  14. "Montreal 2–1 Toronto". MLSSoccer.com. Archived from the original on March 25, 2014.
  15. Tremblay, Oliver (May 1, 2013). "Montreal Impact 6, Toronto FC 0 | Canadian Championship Match Recap". MLSSoccer.com. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  16. Beacon, Bill (October 30, 2015). "Montreal Impact oust Toronto FC from MLS playoffs". CBC. The Canadian Press. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  17. CBC (October 14, 2015). "Toronto FC qualifies for playoffs". cbc.ca. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
  18. "Toronto FC 5, Montreal Impact 2 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs Recap". mlssoccer.com. November 30, 2016. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
  19. "Supporters Clubs | Toronto FC". Torontofc.ca. Archived from the original on September 21, 2014. Retrieved February 1, 2014.
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