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Since its inception in the year 1995, the Major League Soccer has witnessed some of the top clubs in the US and Canada, play in the American top flight league.
Over the years, cities such as Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, Portland, Montreal etc. have represented the MLS and with so many big teams being present in the league, football fans have also had the chance to witness some of the most heated rivalries in MLS history over these past few years.
There have been a lot of big rivalries in the history of the Major League Soccer, but only a few of them are worthy of being called the best. Thus, with this, let us take a brief look into the top 5 rivalries in MLS history:
#5 Montreal Impact vs Toronto FC - The 401 Derby
Montreal Impact and Toronto FC are two of the biggest names in Canadian football history that comprise the biggest derby in the history of Canadian football.
The rivalry between Toronto FC and Montreal Impact is also known as the 401 Derby—a name that interestingly comes from the Ontario Highway 401, which connects both the cities
The 401 Derby is one of the tensest derbies in the history of MLS, despite the rivalry between both these clubs beginning only in 2008. The two teams have faced each other for a total of 39 matches, with Toronto winning 19 of those matches and Montreal having 10 victories to their name.
American striker Jozy Altidore, who represents Toronto, is currently the highest all-time goal-scorer in this derby with 10 goals to his name.
Both these teams have been part of some of the most thrilling matches in MLS, but it will be last year’s Eastern Conference that will be remembered by all football fans for a really long time. The two teams shared a 12-goal thriller over the course of two legs and managed to put on one of the most exciting series of all time that saw Toronto come out on top.
#4 Houston Dynamo vs FC Dallas - The Texas Derby
The Texas Derby is contested between Houston Dynamo and FC Dallas in order to recognize the best club in the state of Texas.
This is one of the most intense derbies in America’s top flight history, with both teams facing each other a total of 36 times. Dallas currently leads the head-to-head record with 13 wins, compared to Houston’s 12. However, it is Houston, who holds the largest marginal victory over their rivals, from when the Dynamos defeated Dallas 5-0, in 2016.
The two teams also play a series of matches where the winner is handed the El Capitan, Houston currently leads the series with six wins to Dallas’ five.
Over the years, there have also been almost nine players who have represented both the teams in the Texas derby, such as the likes of Brad Davis, Eric Alexander, and Abe Thompson.
In terms of honours, Houston are currently leading with 11 major trophies to their name, whereas Dallas have won a total of 8 honours.
#3 LA Galaxy vs San Jose Earthquakes - The California Clasico
The name says it all! The California Clasico is considered as the most historical rivalry in MLS history, and is contested between rivals originating from Northern California and Southern California, respectively.
This rivalry began way back in 1996, but was at its peak from the year 2001 to 2005, during which the Earthquakes and the Galaxy won a combined total of four MLS titles amongst themselves, and that too, within a span of five years.
The two sides have faced each for a total of 81 games, with Galaxy winning 34 of those matches compared to San Jose’s 26—and with 21 draws among them.
LA Galaxy’s legendary striker Landon Donovan remains the all-time top scorer in the history of this derby. But, however, the former US National team captain has been labelled as the “American Luis Figo” by Earthquakes' fans, as a result of Donovan switching sides back in 2005 and opting to play for the Galaxy instead.
This rivalry has also witnessed several other big incidents, one of the standouts being an incident wherein some LA Galaxy fans were arrested back in 2012 after setting off smoke bombs during a match between the two teams.
Despite all the shenanigans being involved, this rivalry remains as one of the best classic rivalries in the history of Major League Soccer.
#2 New York Red Bulls vs New York City FC - Hudson River Derby
The Hudson River Derby—commonly known as the New York Derby, was first played in 2015, right after the inception of 'The Boys in Blue' that is the New York City FC.
However, it can be said that the rivalry originally began in 2013 when the official announcement of NYCFC was being confirmed by the MLS during that year. The two teams have faced each other for a total of 10 times, out of which the NY Red Bulls won a total 6 matches compared to NYCFC’s 3 victories.
Despite having three wins to their name, The Blues did not have the opportunity of enjoying a decent start to the rivalry, after losing the first four matches against the Red Bulls—out of which, one was a heavy 7-0 defeat.
The first meeting between the two sides saw the Red Bulls emerge victorious by a scoreline of 2-1, with Red Bulls’ star striker Bradley Wright-Phillips scoring the first goal in the match. However, it is New York City FC’s David Villa who scored the first ever hattrick in this derby after he bagged three goals against the Red Bulls in 2016, in a 3-2 win for his team.
Despite being officially started just over two years ago, this rivalry between the two sides has been really intense. The derby also witnessed pretty heated moments over these past few years one of them being, when NY Red Bulls fans mocked Andrea Pirlo and Frank Lampard (who represented the NYCFC side) by calling them old.
However, when it comes to action on the pitch, Bradley Wright Phillips remains as the all-time top scorer in this derby with 10 goals to his name. Spanish striker David Villa remains in second with 4 goals to his name.
The city of New York has a very rich history with top-level soccer in the US, with the New York Cosmos representing the city in the North American Soccer League.
To this very day, the New York Derby remains as one of the most anticipated derbies in MLS history and has been a real treat to watch for supporters of both sides, as well as for neutral football fans around the globe.
#1 Seattle Sounders FC vs Portland Timbers
The Portland-Seattle rivalry is simply the biggest and most major rivalry in MLS history. It heads way back to 1975 when the two teams played their very first match against each other, which was also the inaugural match for the Portland Timbers side.
The two teams have played each other on numerous occasions and initially started their rivalry way back in the North American Soccer League. These two rivals would then go on to face other during the WSL/WSA era, as well as in the USL era.
However, the Portland-Seattle rivalry was first presented to MLS fans back in 2009 in a match that saw Seattle defeat their rivals via a scoreline of 2-1, in front of a sold-out PGE Park crowd.
The two sides have faced each other for a total of 99 times, but it is Seattle who have the upper hand currently, after winning this derby 53 times since its beginning.
This rivalry has also been hugely bitter between the two sets of fans, as the Portland Timbers are supported by the Timbers Army, while on the other hand, the Sounders are supported by the Emerald City Supporters.
Both Seattle and Portland have almost an equal number of major honours, having won the MLS just once in their current tenure in the Major League Soccer. The Portland-Seattle derby, till date, remains as the most heated and biggest derby in US Soccer history and it seems like it will continue to dominate the scene for many more years to come.
