No more talk, it's game time for the Montreal Impact
Impact can become the 1st Canadian team to reach the MLS Cup Final if they can hold on against Toronto FC
If you feel like there has been an extra helping of hype over the Montreal Impact's series versus Toronto FC, you're not wrong.
Part of the reason is because this is a historic showdown between two Canadian teams who are bitter rivals fighting over a spot in the MLS Cup final.
But beyond that, it feels this way because by the time the final whistle goes today, we will have been talking about this series for 24 days.
Montreal and Toronto wrapped the MLS East semifinal series on Nov. 6. Since then, the two squads and their fan bases have been squarely focused on each other.
It has added up to a new kind of rivalry marathon Canadian sports fans haven't before experienced.
To put it in perspective, a seven-game hockey playoff series in the NHL takes around 14 days, while a CFL football playoff game usually has six to seven days of build up.
The main reason why it took so long is due to FIFA's international play window. That shut down the MLS for two weeks. While there isn't much the league can do about that, still, 24 days is a long time to stare someone in the face.
It's a good thing there has been a lot to talk about.
Talkin' trash
The flood gates opened up after leg one.
Toronto's Micheal Bradley fired the first shot, when he suggested that the Impact might have purposely altered the 18-yard box at Montreal's Olympic Stadium.
When the match referee discovered the box wasn't the correct size, a repainting of the lines caused a 38-minute delay to kick off.
"That's their opinion," Impact coach Mauro Biello responded to Bradley's charge. "Poor guy who measured wrong. I don't know how that would benefit us." Biello added.
Then Jozy Altidore took exception to Montreal's complaints over the way Toronto scored its second away goal.
Montreal players complained that the referee should have called a foul when Altidore shoved defender Victor Cabrera off the ball, which led directly to the scoring chance.
Altidore fired back by calling the shove a "love tap" and went on to suggest that Cabrera wouldn't have fallen down so easily had he spent more time at the gym doing bicep curls.
"Jozy knows it was a foul," responded Impact defender Hassoun Camara. "Everybody knows it is a foul."
Rush to prepare pitch
Following the line debacle at Olympic Stadium, the Impact don't have a leg to stand on and complain when it comes to pitch conditions for leg two, but there are concerns.
BMO Field in Toronto was used for the Grey Cup on Sunday, and crews have been working around the clock to convert it back into a soccer pitch for today's kick off.
However, all signs point to it being in tip-top shape for the decisive game.
The long wait is finally over.
The Impact and Toronto FC will resolve their series, and only one will move on to face Seattle in the MLS Cup Finals on Dec. 10.
Douglas Gelevan will be in Toronto for tonight's game. Follow him on twitter @DGelevan for updates.
