Altidore adds fuel as Impact, TFC prepare to rekindle MLS’ hottest rivalry

MONTREAL – Jozy Altidore says he has great respect for the Impact, but the Toronto FC striker would also love to spoil Montreal’s season.

First-place TFC (15-3-8), who have sights set on breaking the Major League Soccer record for points in a season, play three of their final eight regular-season games against the Impact (10-8-6), who are clinging to the sixth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot.

The first clash is Sunday afternoon at Saputo Stadium. They also meet Sept. 20 and Oct. 15 in Toronto.

“It’s a great rivalry,” Altidore told reporters in Toronto on Friday. “It’s a good team. They have great fans, but I’d love it if they missed the playoffs at our expense. That would be beautiful.”

In Montreal, coach Mauro Biello didn’t rule out using that as bulletin board material, but emotions are always high when the two Canadian sides meet.

“Obviously they want to put us out because I don’t think they’re going to want to face us again in the playoffs, and that’s normal,” said Biello. “At the same time, we’re going to focus on this game.

“We’ll let the field do the talking. For us, it’s important to stay focused.”

The ingredients are there for a classic derby match.

After a slow start to the season, the Impact have won four games in a row, outscoring their opponents 11-2. They are healthy and star players Ignacio Piatti, with four goals in his last two outings, and Blerim Dzemaili are hot. New defensive midfielder Samuel Piette has been a difference maker with his energy and ability to cover a wide area in front of the defence.

Toronto is unbeaten in eight games since a 3-1 defeat in Dallas on July 1. With 53 points from 26 games, TFC are seven points clear of New York City for top spot in the conference and are drawing nearer the league record of 67 points set by 2011 Los Angeles Galaxy. The Galaxy set a regular-season record of 68 points in 1998, but it was during an era when ties were broken by penalty shootouts.

“It’s exciting,” said Impact goalkeeper Evan Bush. “You want to play the best teams and they’re certainly the best team this year.

“We’re ready to go. We know these three games against them, starting this weekend, will determine a lot about whether we get in the playoffs, or where we are when we get into the playoffs.”

Montreal will benefit from a week off since their 3-1 home win last week over Salt Lake, while TFC will be playing a third game in eight days. Toronto got a big 3-1 win at Chicago last Saturday and drubbed Philadelphia 3-0 at home on Wednesday night.

The Impact has mostly had the upper hand on home turf in recent match-ups. They won 3-0 at Saputo Stadium in TFC’s first MLS playoff game in October, 2015.

The teams met again in the Eastern Conference finals last November, with Montreal going up 3-0 before settling for a 3-2 win in the first leg at home before losing the two-game series in overtime in the return leg. In Voyageurs Cup play in June, the teams drew 1-1 in Montreal before TFC won 2-1 at home.

Like any good rivalry, there have been nasty moments from both sides. The most recent was Montreal defender Kyle Fisher plowing into and injuring TFC fullback Steven Beitashour.

“If you play anybody seven or eight times over the course of a season, you’re going to develop a rivalry because there’s going to be tensions,” said Bush. “Results, calls or decisions go against you or for you.

“One side always feels on the wrong end of it. We’ve both been on the wrong end and on the good side multiple times. We’re a real threat to them and they’ve given us a couple of blows too.”

Tactical differences add to the allure. TFC likes to keep the ball and build attacks, with Spanish midfielder Victor Vazquez feeding Altidore in front or the dynamic Sebastian Giovinco on the wing.

Montreal stays back, tries to lull opponents to sleep and then hits quickly on the counterattack.

“When they’re at their best, they’re a team that is very defensively organized,” TFC coach Greg Vanney said of the Impact. “They have guys who can defend and then they can cheat a little bit on the attacking side.

“Obviously Piatti is a difference maker in every way. You’ve got to know where he’s at. (Matteo) Mancosu, Dzemaili, (Dominic) Oduro — speed in transition they’ve got. Along with just the intensity and the hype, all of our games in the last year and a half, two years, have been very intriguing games. That just adds to what is kind of a cagey match, with two different styles of play, but two teams that can hurt you without having a ton of chances.”

It will be a first taste of the rivalry for Piette, a Repentigny, Que., native who signed with Montreal on Aug. 3.

“I have some friends on the other side, so it will be a special game for me,” said Piette, who has played on the national team with TFC’s Raheem Edwards, Tosaint Ricketts, Jonathan Osorio and Jay Chapman. “If we can put up a good performance, and hopefully the result comes with it, it will be something we can show the league, especially Toronto. That we’re here and we’re ready to face any challenge.”