Rivalry games just hit differently.

By Dylan Butler | Posted 10 months ago

The anticipation in the week leading up to kickoff, the trash talking with opposing fans, the combination of nerves and adrenaline on the day of the game, the heart-pounding drama over the course of two hours of the match and then the sheer emotion, however the final result turns out when the final whistle blows. 

 

If youre a hard-core supporter of an MLS team, you live and die on your teams results and that gets amplified in a rivalry game or a derby showdown. 

 

While theres been a few exceptions — most notably El Trafico between the LA Galaxy and LAFC, arguably the leagues best rivalry at the moment — those bloodlust matchups are grouped together in what is known as Rivalry Week. 

 

The first rivalry week of the MLS season came this past weekend, where eight rivalry matches were played. But well focus on the five most prominent rivalries that were renewed over the weekend, with CF Montreal taking on Toronto FC, the New York Red Bulls hosting NYCFCAustin FC home for FC Dallas, the Portland Timbers meeting the Vancouver Whitecaps and then the LA Galaxy facing the San Jose Earthquakes in what is one of the oldest rivalries in MLS. 

 

Theres also more rivalry games on tap this week — the latest installment of Hell is Real” between FC Cincinnati and Columbus Crew, as well as Inter Miami taking on Orlando City SCFC Dallas hosting the Houston Dynamo, the Colorado Rapids taking on Real Salt Lake in the latest edition of the Rocky Mountain Cup and its another Cascadia clash between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Seattle Sounders

 

Canadian Classique: Toronto FC vs. CF Montreal 

 

This rivalry is about geography and cultural differences between neighboring provinces. Its French vs. English Canadian. Its heated on the ice between the Maple Leafs and the Canadiens as well as on the pitch between Toronto FC and CF Montreal. 

 

Toronto has the slight edge in all-time MLS meetings — 14-13-5 — and they have the bragging rights of having won MLS Cup in 2017. 

 

In all competitions, which includes regularly squaring off in the Canadian Championship, Toronto has a 27-21-11 all-time edge dating back to 2008. 

 

This year, there was an interesting twist with the sides meeting in the Canadian Championship quarterfinals in the midweek at BMO Field in Toronto before the first MLS regular season showdown at Stade Saputo four days later. 

 

And CF Montreal won both, knocking out their bitter rivals 2-1 in the cup competition before a 2-0 victory at home on Saturday courtesy of second-half goals by Lassi Lappalainen and Chinonso Offer, who also scored in the win on Tuesday. Toronto were reduced to 10 men on a time-wasting second yellow card by Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty and a post-match scuffle broke out between the sides, further fueling the hatred. 

 

The win was huge for Montreal, a team that struggled out of the gate under a new head coach in Hernan Losada, but has found solid footing with four straight 2-0 wins in league play and are seventh in the East. 

 

We won earlier in Toronto and won here,” Montreal defender George Campbell said. I think weve had a good run of games and I think were really showing that were the better team.

 

Conversely, things are not looking good in Toronto. TFC has two of the highest-paid stars in the league in Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi, but the Reds have won just one of their last eight games and sit last in the Eastern Conference after 12 matches, 

 

Hudson River Derby: New York Red Bulls vs. New York City FC 

 

Saturday also marked the 25th chapter of the Hudson River Derby, which pits the New York Red Bulls against NYCFC. 

 

The rivalry was born when New York City FC joined MLS as an expansion side in 2015. The Red Bulls dominated the early days, highlighted by a 7-0 drubbing at Yankee Stadium in 2016 known as the Red Wedding.

 

If styles make fights, this one checks all the boxes with NYCFC looking to possess the ball and play the beautiful game, while the Red Bulls would rather cede possession, press high and make it a rock fight. 

 

NYCFC also have the ultimate bragging rights, winning MLS Cup in 2021, while the Red Bulls, an MLS original, is still looking to lift the trophy for the first time. 

 

Neither team entered the 25th meeting playing particularly well, but the Red Bulls sluggish start led to a coaching change, with Gerhard Struber stepping aside last Monday, replaced by Troy Lesesne. 

 

Perhaps it was the new coach bump, but the Red Bulls snapped a seven-match winless run by pulling out a 1-0 victory thanks to a 76th minute goal by Bronx native Omir Fernandez. 

 

The Red Bulls now lead the all-time series 14-8-3. 

 

Its beautiful, especially when Im hearing those [NYCFC] fans shut up in the corner,” Red Bulls fullback John Tolkin said on MLS 360 on Apple TV after the match. I was hearing them all second half. So back in the stadium, any time you can get a derby win it's like the best feeling in the world.

 

Copa Tejas: Austin FC vs. FC Dallas 

 

Austin FC joined MLS in 2021, which made the Lone Star State rivalry now a three-team showdown. 

 

The Texas Derby between FC Dallas and Houston Dynamo has been the most anticipated showdown over the years, but Austin FC entering the fray gives both sets of fans another team to hate. 

 

FC Dallas have dominated the short history against Austin with four wins and two draws in six all-time regular-season meetings. Austin, though, got the biggest win between the two, a 2-1 victory in the MLS Cup playoffs last year. 

 

In the first meeting since that playoff encounter, FC Dallas prevailed on Saturday, winning 1-0 at Q2 Stadium. The visitors were led by Jesus Ferreira, who scored the lone goal in the 89th minute. 

 

It was the US mens national team forwards fifth all-time goal against Austin, more than any other player in the league.

 

Obviously a huge result. Yeah I think derbies are always special to win, but considering how poor our performance was on Wednesday away, we really wanted to respond and show that that's not who we are,” said FC Dallas midfielder Paxton Pomykal, referring to a 2-0 loss to Nashville SC in the US Open Cup. We did that tonight.

 

While FC Dallas are fifth in the Western Conference with 18 points (5-3-3), Austin look a shadow of the team that was just one win away from reaching MLS Cup a year ago. The Verde & Black are winless in their last eight and are 12th in the Western Conference.

 

Cascadia Cup: Portland Timbers vs. Vancouver Whitecaps 

 

Like Copa Tejas, this is a competition between three MLS clubs in the Pacific Northwest. And while the Portland Timbers biggest rival is clearly the Seattle Sounders, both teams also have a long history against the Vancouver Whitecaps, dating back to the old North American Soccer League days in the 1970s

 

Saturday nights match at Providence Park was the 35th all-time across all MLS competitions since both teams entered the league in 2011. The Timbers now have a 17-10-8 edge in those matches following a 3-1 home win. 

 

Portland raced out to a 2-0 win on goals by Franck Boli and Evander inside the opening 18 minutes. It was the teams fastest two goals from kickoff in MLS since the 2015 MLS Cup, per Opta. 

 

Evander, the clubs record signing in the offseason, capped the scoring with his second goal of the match in the 54th minute. 

 

"I think it just shows us how good we are, how good we are when we play together, when we play as a team," Evander said after the match. "When we play soccer and enjoy the game, things become much easier. The win today gives us more confidence.

 

After a slow start out of the gate dealing with a multitude of injuries, the Timbers are unbeaten in their last three, including wins over St. Louis City SC and the Whitecaps. 

 

California Clasico: LA Galaxy vs. San Jose Earthquakes 

 

When LAFC entered the league and El Trafico was established, that derby took away some of the heat off Cali Clasico, which like the Canadian Classique, is about geographic bragging rights between Southern and Northern California

 

Its a rivalry that dates back to the infancy of MLS, with the Galaxy winning the first meeting back in 1996, a 2-1 victory at the Rose Bowl. 

 

Theres been 81 regular season meetings, 10 playoff showdowns and six more encounters in the US Open Cup. 

 

All told, thats 96 chapters to one of the leagues oldest rivalries. 

 

The Galaxy have the 45-33-18 edge all-time and have more trophies (12-4), which adds to the bragging rights. 

 

The teams entered the 96th all-time match on Sunday going in opposite directions with San Jose, under first-year head coach Luchi Gonzalez, surging to fifth in the West with 18 points (5-4-3), while the Galaxy were last in the West with one win in their first 10 games. 

 

And while it was far from aesthetically pleasing, the Galaxy pulled out a 2-1 home victory, with Martín Cáceres and Dejan Joveljic scoring second-half goals.

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