Knight: Dawn of a derby

[denime]

Knight: Dawn of a derby


It wasn't much of a soccer game, but it made for a tasty bit of history.
Toronto FC of MLS scored a 1-0 win over the Montreal Impact of USL in the opening match of qualifying for the CONCACAF Champions League. A deeply forgettable match, but the certain herald of wonderful things to come.
Both teams are strong, well-backed, with brand new soccer-only stadiums. And even though Montreal are in a lower league, the two cities are competing straight-up for continental glory. Yeah, BMO Field and Stade Saputo combined aren't even half the size of an NFL park, but the CBC is loving soccer these days, the game got national exposure, and the times they are a changin'!
And lawdie, did it take a while for all of us to get here!
In the early days of the North American Soccer League, the Toronto Metros and Montreal Olympique staged a short and unmemorable non-rivalry.
In the 80s, the Toronto Blizzard and Montreal Manic shared the NASL dance floor from 1981 to 1983. But they were never good at the same time, and never once faced each other in the post-season. Yes, it was two top-flight teams in two big-time stadiums, but the Big Owe and the Ex were horrid places to watch soccer.
The NASL died in 1984, but bless the Blizzard for being unkillable. They survived 1985 without a league, and joined the old semi-pro National Soccer League in 1986. The team was reborn in the old Canadian Soccer League a year later, and were joined in 1988 by the Montreal Supra. Their five year “rivalry” included exactly no playoff match-ups. Toronto fans were indifferent, getting far more ruffled over the North York Rockets and Vancouver 86ers than they ever were with Montreal.



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[profit89]

nice read

[MisterMacphisto]

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