Major League Soccer returns from international break with a bang on Tuesday, with the conference finals getting underway. The Eastern Conference final is an all-Canadian affair, and the atmosphere should be spectacular in a sold out Olympic Stadium as the Montreal Impact take on Toronto FC.
Montreal Impact vs. Toronto FC 2016: Start time, live stream, TV schedule and 3 things to know
An all-Canadian semifinal should be a fantastic spectacle, though the turf is a big concern.
Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
Montreal got here by upsetting the New York Red Bulls, the top seed in the east. NYRB had the league's leading scorer and assist man, but they were kept quiet for most of the semifinals, while Impact star Ignacio Piatti dominated. TFC had no problem across the Hudson River, blowing out New York City FC in very impressive fashion.
The season series between these two teams couldn’t be more even. Both sides recorded shutout wins at home in their first two games, leading into a third match that had playoff seeding implications. In that October clash, the Impact did enough to deny TFC a chance at moving up the table into a top-two spot by playing them to a tie 2-2 at home.
Tuesday’s match is uncharted territory for both teams, who have never gone this far in the MLS Cup Playoffs. And no matter the result of this game and the second leg, there will be a Canadian MLS Cup finalist for the first time in the league’s history.
TV: ESPN (U.S. -- English), ESPN Deportes (U.S. -- Spanish), TSN1 (Canada -- English), RDS (Canada -- French)
Online: Watch ESPN (U.S), TSN (Canada).
Match Date/Time: Tuesday, 8 p.m. ET
Venue: Olympic Stadium, Montreal, Canada
Make friends: Check out Toronto FC blog Waking The Red and Montreal Impact blog Mount Royal Soccer, where you can hang out with other fans.
Three big things to know
- The Olympic Stadium turf stinks. It's not clear how it will affect the match, but it's difficult to see the turf playing no factor on Tuesday night. Sebastian Giovinco called it "a danger for all players' careers," though he refused to make excuses about it. "We just prepare our game to play on whatever surface," Giovinco told the press in Montreal through an Italian translator. "What I expect is a very defensive game on their part, and we'll get ready for that. As far as the turf is concerned, of course we would like to get to this point, such an important game, playing in the best possible conditions. But that's just one factor among many others in the game."
- Can Altidore and Bradley bounce back? Since winning in the Eastern Conference semifinals, Toronto FC's other designated players have experienced some significant disappointment. Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley were on the USMNT squad that lost to both Mexico and Costa Rica, and were among the most heavily criticized players. On Monday, their national team coach was fired. They're professionals and will re-focus, but they're also human. They might only be able to bring their B+ or A- game.
- Ignacio Piatti has a chance to establish himself as one of MLS' top superstars. In all the talk about the heroics of Giovinco, Bradley Wright-Phillips, David Villa and the LA Galaxy's conveyor belt of superstars, Piatti often gets overlooked. But he's been one of MLS' best players since he arrived at Montreal, and he's making a case for playoff MVP. Another big performance against Toronto and he might start getting the credit he deserves.
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