CREDIT: USA TODAY
Terry Dunfield and Troy Perkins supplied some fireworks during the Toronto FC/Montreal Impact ‘rivalry game,’ but to what extent?

MLS Rivalry Week is a new initiative by Major League Soccer to get all ‘rivals' within the league to play each other on one weekend. The idea is similar to what the NHL does on ‘Hockey Day in Canada.' The weekend seemed to be a success from the outset, but it did suffer some criticism.

First of all, the league is a generally new product. Only a handful of teams playing in these rivalry games have been playing each other for more than 10 years, let alone actually been in existence for more than 10 years.

For example, the Toronto FC/Montreal Impact rivalry has been around since 2008 and does have some good moments to its name (including the Miracle in Montreal where Toronto beat the Impact 6-1 to win the Canadian Championship on goal difference), but its MLS rivalry is only four games in.

The league has never shied away from what soccer fans call ‘manufactured derbies.' Toronto plays the Columbus Crew every year for the Trillium Cup, a trophy named after both Ohio's and Ontario's official flower. The Crew and TFC have been playing some fierce games since Toronto came into the league, so why not that rivalry? With the MLS being so young, the rivalries really are not up to snuff.

The entire setup of the day was perfect. They started with the New York Red Bulls facing off against DC United (two teams that have played each other since 1996). Critics say that the day discouraged possible fringe viewers from just ‘popping in' and watching a random game. I say this format only encouraged it, as there were constant games and more chances for someone to see it on the TV guide.

Many people actually watched most of the day in full, with all of the games given an equal share in the league TV schedule.

Unfortunately, almost all of the games were boring draws. Only three out of the nine games ended with a winner. However, the premise of Rivalry Week was not forgotten. This is the league's first attempt at such an event and there are changes to be made. Maybe it will only take a few more years for these rivalries, and this rivalry week to improve.