MONTREAL IMPACT vs. TORONTO FC
SAPUTO STADIUM, Montreal, Quebec
Amway Canadian Championship semifinal, second leg
June 8, 7:30 pm ET (TSN1 in Canada, MLS LIVE in US)
Toronto FC won the first leg, 4-2, putting them in the driver's seat to advance. Montreal will need to make up the deficit they face without the services of Patrice Bernier, who was red-carded in first-half stoppage time for a two-footed challenge. Toronto hopes to have Sebastian Giovinco and midfield Will Johnson available for the game. Both returned to training following injuries and while TFC coach Greg Vanney wouldn't say for certain if either will play, he said he is optimistic. "I would like for them to be options for us as we select the group,'' Vanney said of the duo.
How they got here
MONTREAL: Entered in the semifinal round, as with fellow MLS sides Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto FC.
TORONTO: Entered in the semifinal round, as with fellow MLS sides Vancouver Whitecaps and Montreal Impact.
The series so far
Toronto FC started a young lineup and got two goals each from Jonathan Osorio and Jordan Hamilton to build a 4-0 lead before Montreal got two late goals to give themselves a chance in the second leg. Rookie Michael Salazar scored his first professional goal, banging in a cross from Didier Drogba, to get Montreal on the board in the 86th minute, and then Drogba scored on a free kick in the first minute of stoppage time to pull the Impact within two goals with 90 minutes to play. The two goals could be even bigger given the away goals tiebreaker. The Impact needs a two-goal victory to tie the score on aggregate, but if they win 2-0 or 3-1, they would advance to the final based on having scored more away goals than their opponent.
Series history
TFC and the Impact are each other's biggest rival, with their meetings known as the 401 Derby. Given their relative proximity, they are frequent opponents both in MLS and Canadian Championship action. Montreal and Toronto did meet in the Canadian Championship final in both 2014 and 2008, which Montreal won both times. They have met once in MLS play this season, with Toronto FC winning 2-0 in Montreal April 23.
