da luck： GOAL takes a look at MLS' best rivalries from Hell is Real in Ohio to El Trafico in Los Angeles
da 888： Ahead of the Matchday 13 slate of MLS matches, which sees a stretch of rivalries over a two-week period, one important question remains. What is the best MLS rivalry?
Moreover, what factors into it being the best? And who dictates what makes a great rivalry? Well, a lot of it comes down to history, borders, sporting conflicts across different leagues and most importantly, the fans.
From the Pacific Northwest to Los Angeles, from Canada to Southern Texas, MLS rivalries are fierce and contentious. But which is the best? GOAL takes a closer look….
Getty7Minnesota United vs Sporting KC
Dubbed thisis a bit of a forced rivalry due to geographic location. But at the same time, it's a fun twist on the competitiveness of these matches. The Loons, known for their "Minnesota Nice" and Sporting, for some of the best and most welcoming supporters in all of MLS, have created a healthy and fun rivalry.
It's full of passion, occasional heated moments and, of course, harsh exchanges on the pitch, but it's more known as a fun take on what a present-day rivalry can look like.
Minnesota and Missouri are connected by I-35W North, and every year for the Home and Away matches for each respective side, a large traveling contingent of fans flock to support their teams.
AdvertisementUSA Today Images6New York Red Bulls vs NYCFC
The pits New York's two sides against each other… well, sort of. The Red Bulls actually play in New Jersey, train in New Jersey, and are based in New Jersey. But let's overlook that. It's all about the rivalry.
NYCFC vs RBNY is a brilliant match each year, and it all goes back to 2016. The Red Bulls defeated NYCFC 7-0 in utterly dominant fashion, with the match being dubbed "The Red Wedding" – so named as a spin on an infamous scene from hit TV show .
Since that match, the two sides have clashed multiple times, both looking to claim the throne of New York.
5Houston Dynamo vs FC Dallas
The dates back to 2006 and 2007, with the two sides battling it out for the trophy. That year, a boot to the chest – and some expletive words from players on the field – launched the now nearly 20-year rivalry between the Lonestar State sides.
Dynamo's Ricardo Clark aggressively kicked FCD's Carlos Ruiz late in that infamous match, despite his club holding a 3-0 lead. That fiery fiasco has lit a flame to their matches each year, on and off the pitch.
The respective clubs' fans despise each other, and there's a true sense of territorialism when you're in each city as these two sides clash.
USA Today Images4CF Montreal vs Toronto FC
One of the longest-standing soccer rivalries alive in MLS today, the Montreal-Toronto clash dates back to the clubs' NASL days – and the rivalry of the cities themselves is centuries old.
Economic competitors, and backgrounded by arch-nemesis hockey teams in the Canadiens and Maple Leafs, the might be the most fierce match in MLS each year.
The French-speaking and English-speaking Canadian sides are pitted against one another, and it's genuinely a battle to see who comes out on top each time.
The rivalry peaked in 2016 when the two clubs were at their best in the East Conference finals, and since, it's become an outrageously fun match.
A showdown between cities that compete with each other, clubs that despise one another and fan bases that wish ill upon the other? It's the closest MLS has to a European-esque rivalry.