The Daily Dirt, November 19: Saturday in the Park

While we enjoy many Clasicos around the world today as the leagues return to action from the international break, don’t forget about our own Canadian Clasico that will take place Tuesday night. Montreal will be hosting Toronto in the first leg of the Eastern Conference finals at the Olympic Stadium in front of a huge crowd.

MLS needs more rivalries and games with this much intensity and passion. Playoff games have much of that built-in, but they are kicked up to another level when it matches up two teams that cannot stand one another. Montreal and Toronto fit that bill.

The other series, Colorado and Seattle, does not have that built-in animosity. There will be a packed house in Seattle for the game on Tuesday, but the atmosphere will not be able to match the craziness in the Olympic Stadium in Montreal.

Enjoy today’s games while we wait for the MLS conference finals to start on Tuesday night.

Domestic

The metamorphosis of Pablo Mastroeni (Burgundy Wave)

Ignacio Piatti does not get enough respect around MLS (FourFourTwo)

How should NYCFC replace Frank Lampard? (MLS)

Winter signings crucial to the LA Galaxy’s identity (SBI Soccer)

Will Giovanni Savarese stay with the Cosmos? (Twice a Cosmo)

International

Liverpool’s season is starting to feel pretty special (Liverpool Offside)

Local

Seven Georgia boys named to the 1999 and 2000 Region III ODP rosters for the Florida Interregional (Georgia Soccer)