The last competitive game the Impact played in Rochester was on August 14, 2010. Now that the club has a USL team, the Bleu-blanc-noir was back in hostile territory, five years later.
FC Montreal played its first game at Sahlen’s Stadium last Saturday, since the club returned to the USL and despite the 1-0 loss, the experience was rewarding.
“Personally, playing here represented a lot,” explained FC Montreal assistant coach Simon Gatti. “I played between eight to 10 games in this stadium. Coming back here, I remember the games and the rivalry we had back in the day.”
When the Impact played in the second division, the players highlighted games in Rochester on the calendar and fans did the same. The most enthusiastic ones made the trip to support the team. To get there, the team travelled by bus and players knew this itinerary by heart.
“It’s the same road we took back in the day,” said Gatti. “We were going to Rochester knowing that the Rhinos’ fans would do anything to intimidate us. We knew we were in Rochester coming out of the tunnel and being insulted by local fans because we were from Montreal.”
Today, the rivalry is not the same. Some fans are keeping it alive on both sides of the border, but when FC Montreal visited, the atmosphere was different.
When the Impact moved to the NASL, then to MLS, the clubs no longer faced off in competitive matches. Rochester continued playing against USL teams, building rivalries with other clubs in the league.
However, the Impact’s return to the USL with FC Montreal could bring this rivalry back to life. Both teams already faced each other three times, and a fourth meeting will come on July 8, again at Sahlen’s Stadium.
Despite the thunderstorms on the forecast, some diehard Montreal supporters made the trip last weekend to support their club. Even if the actors on the field are different, history cannot be forgotten.
