Mr. Don Garber, MLS Commissioner, you will be doing football a great injustice if you do not award Montreal an MLS franchise. They have proved that they are a solid franchise, albeit in the second tier of the football pyramid in North America, the USL. Regardless, the Montreal Impact regularly sell out their home games (13,000) and they have now shattered that record by playing in front of 55,000+ rabid Montreal fans at the Olympic Stadium for the first leg of the quarter-finals of the CONCACAF Champions League. It would be sad to see another potential lame duck American applicant such as Miami or Atlanta, or even Ottawa, be awarded a franchise before a city like Montreal that truly deserves one. The Saputo family built it, and the fans did come…in droves, and they keep coming. Last night’s Champions League match in which Montreal beat Mexico’s Santos Laguna 2-0, proved that Montreal is deserving and has the infrastructure in place to make this a successful franchise for the long haul. This will also bring about another great rivalry between two cities, Montreal and Toronto, that already exists in other sports; Leafs vs. Habs, Argos vs. Alouettes. I’d love to see the Montreal Impact and Toronto FC battle it out four times a year. It will not only be a battle on the field for three points but also in the stands, as both teams have insanely rabid supporters. I can hear the chants, the singing, and the screaming already. Mr. Garber and distinguised members of the MLS board, please wake up and take notice of where the beautiful game flourishes. Do not make the same mistakes that Gary Bettman has made with the NHL by awarded NHL franchises to non-traditional cities and markets where hockey has no marketability. The MLS is still a relatively young and developing league and we need healthy franchises to continue to grow this beautiful game in the US and Canada. Montreal is a diverse and beautiful city, a marketable city, a passionate city, a city that supports its sports teams. It’s about time they are welcomed into the MLS fraternity.
If you didn’t see the game, check out the clip below.
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Impact Blanks Santos
