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Impact, TFC meet up in inaugural Canadian Classic

Apr 6, 2012 - 8:28 PM Montreal, QC (Sports Network) - The Montreal Impact and Toronto FC will be meeting for the first time in MLS on Saturday at Olympic Stadium, but the two sides are quite familiar with one another.

From 2008-2010 the two clubs met six times in the Canadian Championship, with TFC claiming five wins and one draw.

However, both are in desperate need of a positive result on Saturday, with Toronto losing all three of its game in league play to start the season, while Montreal owns just one point from its first five.

A 5-2 loss at Red Bull New York last weekend was followed by a 1-0 defeat against Real Salt Lake on Wednesday, with the lone goal coming from the penalty spot for RSL.

It was the third spot kick given away by Montreal in its last three games, but defender Josh Gardner viewed Wednesday's result in a positive light.

"Just to be able to turn around from a 5-2 loss in New York and come out in Salt Lake against a quality side in their home ... it tells us that our team's chemistry is getting better, we're connecting more, we're getting our chances," said Gardner. "We've been unlucky here and there, we've given up three penalties this year, so if you take those away, I think we were in every game, at that point."

Despite reaching the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions League, TFC has not been able to translate that success into league play, losing its first three games by a combined score of 7-1.

The club has started a season with three straight losses for the second time in its history, matching the start of the 2007 squad in its inaugural season.

A 202-minute goal drought is the main culprit for TFC's slow start, but striker Danny Koevermans believes things have to turn around.

"We played better, we had more chances," Koevermans said following his team's 1-0 defeat against the Columbus Crew. "If we weren't having chances, then we should be concerned. Of course there is frustration. But that's normal, I think. ... It has to turn around. It's impossible if it goes like this and we don't score and keep losing. It's impossible."

Toronto's last match also came on Wednesday, a 6-2 defeat in Mexico against Santos in the semifinal round of the CONCACAF Champions League, which eliminated the club from the competition.

There was more bad news this week as it was announced that goalkeeper Stefan Frei will miss the next 4-6 months after undergoing surgery to repair torn ligaments in his left ankle, leaving Milos Kocic to take charge between the posts.