Who has played for both Toronto FC and CF Montreal/Impact?

17 different players have worn both sets of jerseys during their professional careers.

By Anthony Khoury@AnthonyKhoury4 Jun 21, 2022, 12:20pm EDT

SOCCER: SEP 18 Canadian Soccer Championship - Toronto FC at Montreal Impact

Red vs. Blue. Ontario vs. Quebec. Toronto vs. Montreal.

From the taunting, passionate supporters to tensions flaring on the pitch, the 401 Derby is an occasion that players on either side relish taking part in.

Over the years, 17 footballers have spent time with both Toronto and Montreal during their professional careers.

So, in no particular order, here are the players who have donned the kits of Canada’s two most successful clubs.

Laurent Ciman

[Montreal: 2015-2017, Toronto: 2019-2020]

SOCCER: OCT 18 MLS - Atlanta United FC at Toronto FC

Before crossing the Atlantic to join Montreal in 2015, Ciman played for four different Belgian sides: Charleroi, Club Brugge, Kortrijk (loan), and most notably, Standard Liege, where he made 187 appearances and won the Belgian Cup in 2011.

His debut campaign in North America saw him take home the MLS Defender of the Year award, as well as help Montreal reach the CONCACAF Champions League Final. After 107 appearances in three seasons, Ciman was traded to LAFC ahead of their maiden MLS campaign, but just eight months later, the Belgian was signed by Ligue 1 club Dijon for a reported transfer fee of $500,000.

Ultimately, Ciman’s return to Europe was disappointing, as the defender had his contract terminated by mutual consent just four months after arriving in France. His next move? A return to MLS, but this time with Toronto FC.

Greg Vanney’s preferred centre-back partnership of Chris Mavinga and Omar Gonzalez resulted in Ciman featuring only 35 times in two seasons for the Reds. Following the 2020 campaign, the club opted against renewing his contract, marking the end of Ciman’s playing career. Today, he serves as an assistant coach for CF Montreal.

Kyle Bekker

[Toronto: 2013-2014, Montreal: 2015-2016]

New York Red Bulls Vs Toronto FC. Major League Soccer. New York. USA.

Bekker was drafted third overall in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft by Toronto FC. Two months later, he made his professional debut in a 1-0 defeat to the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Following 35 appearances in two seasons for Toronto, the midfielder was traded to FC Dallas in early 2015. Six months later, the midfielder found himself back in Canada, this time with the Impact. Bekker played 24 times for Montreal in all competitions, scoring twice.

After two years in Quebec, Bekker spent time with the San Francisco Deltas (NASL) and North Carolina FC (USL) before announcing his move to Forge in November 2018.

Maximiliano Urruti

[Toronto: 2013, Montreal: 2019-2020]

Montreal Impact v Toronto FC - MLS Is Back Tournament

Urruti’s time in Toronto was short-lived to say the absolute least. After signing from Argentine club Newell’s Old Boys in August 2013, the striker went on to make just two first team appearances for TFC before getting traded to the Portland Timbers less than a month after making his bow in MLS with Ryan Nelsen’s side.

The Argentine became an MLS Cup champion with the Timbers in 2015, and after spending three years with FC Dallas, Urruti was traded to Montreal ahead of the 2019 MLS season.

In 55 appearances over two campaigns, he bagged nine goals for Le CFMTL, which prompted the club to trade him to the Houston Dynamo in early 2021. Urruti then made the move to another Texan side in Austin FC in 2022, where he has already scored five goals in 15 MLS games.

Raheem Edwards

[Toronto: 2016-2017, Montreal: 2018]

2017 Canadian Championship - Toronto FC v Montreal Impact - Leg 2

Fresh off of a national team recall, Edwards has arguably been playing the best football of his career since signing for the LA Galaxy in 2022. Before that, the Canadian international spent time with both Toronto and Montreal while trying to establish himself in MLS.

A Toronto FC academy product, Edwards signed his first team contract with the Reds prior to the 2017 season, where he played 25 games and was a part of the squad that won the historic treble.

Three days after TFC’s 2017 MLS Cup Final victory, the Toronto native was selected by LAFC in the 2017 MLS Expansion Draft, and was then immediately traded to Montreal. Edwards’ spell with Le CFMTL was brief, as he was traded yet again in July 2018, this time to the Chicago Fire.

Stints at Minnesota United and LAFC were then followed by what many consider to be a career-changing move to the LA Galaxy, where Edwards has emerged as one of the most tenacious full-backs in the league.

Dominic Oduro

[Toronto: 2014, Montreal: 2015-2018]

SOCCER: AUG 27 MLS - Toronto FC at Montreal Impact

Oduro played for a handful of MLS clubs before joining Toronto 2014. Spells at FC Dallas, the New York Red Bulls, the Houston Dynamo, the Chicago Fire and the Columbus Crew all preceded his trade to the Reds in 2014.

The Ghanian featured 23 times and scored twice in his only season with TFC. In early 2015, he was traded to Montreal, where he became an unsung hero for the Impact. Oduro made 111 appearances for Montreal, but was traded to the San Jose Earthquakes in October 2018.

His time with the Quakes was brief, as he made just five appearances prior to spending one season with the Charlotte Independence in the USL.

Greg Sutton

[Montreal: 2001-2006, Toronto: 2007-2009, Montreal (loan): 2011, Montreal: 2012]

Sutton enjoyed the most successful period of his career during his first spell with Montreal, winning the Voyageurs Cup four times, as well as a USL First Division title.

The goalkeeper would then join Toronto FC ahead of their debut campaign in MLS. 39 appearances later, Sutton signed for the New York Red Bulls in early 2010, but played second fiddle to Bouna Coundoul.

In July 2011, the 16-cap Canadian re-joined the Impact on loan with the option for Montreal to permanently acquire his MLS rights. Moreover, the club activated the option to sign Sutton ahead of the Impact’s first ever MLS campaign in 2012.

The Hamilton native played just one league game for Montreal before hanging up his boots in October 2012.

Collen Warner

[Montreal 2012-2014, Toronto: 2014-2015]

SOCCER: MAY 16 MLS - Toronto FC at Revolution

Following time with Real Salt Lake, Warner was picked up by Montreal in the 2011 MLS Expansion Draft. In two-and-a-half seasons with the Impact, he made 66 appearances in all competitions, and won the Canadian Championship in 2013.

The midfielder was then traded to Toronto, where he played 51 times in one-and-a-half seasons. Another trade then came about for Warner, this time to the Houston Dynamo. One season in Texas was followed by two seasons with Minnesota United, a brief spell with Danish side FC Helsingør, and the Colorado Rapids, where he is still contracted to this day.

Ali Gerba

[Montreal: 2000, Montreal: 2003-2004, Montreal: 2005, Toronto, 2009-2010, Montreal: 2010-2011]

Gerba always seemed to find a way back to Montreal during his time as a professional footballer.

His career began with the Impact, where he scored seven goals in 17 appearances during his rookie campaign in 2000. The following year, Gerba signed for the Miami Fusion in MLS, where he failed to play a single game. The forward would return to Montreal in 2003, but not before spending time with fellow USL-1 sides, the Toronto Lynx and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

The Ali Gerba tour continued when he was traded back to the Toronto Lynx. Then in 2005, Gerba would rejoin the Impact for his third spell in Montreal.

In the summer of 2005, the forward would go on to make his way to Europe, where over four years, he played in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany and England. After scoring 10 goals in 25 games for MK Dons during the 2008-09 League One season, Gerba signed for Toronto FC in June 2009.

The Cameroonian-born Canadian would play just 13 times for the Reds before, surprise surprise, signing for Montreal once again. As the Impact prepared to make the jump to MLS in 2012, head coach at the time Jesse Marsch and sporting director Nick De Santis decided to part ways with Gerba at the end of the 2011 NASL season, which was ultimately the final campaign of his footballing career.

Daniel Lovitz

[Toronto: 2014-2016, Montreal: 2017-2019]

SOCCER: MAR 17 MLS - Toronto FC at Montreal Impact

A second round pick in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft, Lovitz was used sporadically by Toronto FC in his three seasons with the club. After making a total of 46 appearances for the Reds, the Pennsylvania native was traded to Montreal in February 2017, where he played more significant minutes.

In addition to featuring 91 times, Lovitz got his hands on the Voyageurs Cup in 2019 before getting traded to Nashville SC just two months later. To this day, he still plays his football in the Music City.

Quincy Amarikwa

[Toronto: 2012, Montreal: 2018-2019]

SOCCER: OCT 21 MLS - Toronto FC at Montreal Impact

Amarikwa established himself in MLS with the San Jose Earthquakes and the Colorado Rapids. In July 2012, he was signed by Toronto, but only scored twice in a total of 14 appearances for the Reds.

Seven months after joining TFC, the forward was traded to the Chicago Fire before returning to San Jose two-and-a-half years later. His spell in Montreal began in August 2018, where he was involved in the trade which saw Dominic Oduro head the opposite way.

Much like his time with TFC, Amarikwa did not set the world alight in Montreal, scoring just once in 10 appearances. In March 2019, he joined D.C. United, the final MLS club on his resume to date.

Adam Braz

[Montreal: 2002, Montreal: 2004-2006, Toronto: 2007, Montreal: 2008-2010]

MLS - Toronto FC vs Colorado Rapids - October 7, 2007

The Montreal-born defender began his professional career with his hometown club back in 2002, where he made 24 appearances in his debut campaign. A move to Europe would then follow, as he joined Swedish club Västerås SK.

Braz returned to Montreal in 2004 after just one season in Europe, going on to help his side win the 2004 USL A-League Championship. Ahead of Toronto FC’s inaugural MLS season, Braz became one of the first players to sign for the Reds, but after only 13 appearances during the 2007 campaign, the defender re-joined Montreal in USL-1.

Braz would add another USL A-League Championship winners’ medal to his collection before retiring in March 2011.

Adrian Cann

[Montreal: 2004-2005, Toronto: 2010-2012]

Cann started his time as a professional with the Colorado Rapids, but was released mid-way through his debut season. He then joined the Montreal Impact, where he played 22 games and helped his side win the USL A-League Championship (2004) and the USL First Division Commissioner’s Cup (2005).

After spending time with the Whitecaps, the Thornhill-born defender’s next move was to Danish side Esbjerg in 2008, but he only managed 12 total Danish Superliga appearances. A move back to Canada then followed, this time to TFC. Cann played 52 times for Toronto and picked up three Canadian Championship winners’ medals during his three seasons with The Reds.

Srdjan Djekanović

[Toronto: 2007, Montreal: 2009-2010]

MLS - Toronto FC vs Columbus Crew - July 22, 2007

Djekanovic holds a special place in Canadian soccer history as he is the first player to play for Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. His journey in Canada began in British Columbia as he played two seasons in university with the UBC Thunderbirds while being signed to the Whitecaps at the same time.

He then joined TFC in 2007 and made a handful of appearances during their inaugural MLS campaign. At the end of the season, the keeper returned to UBC, won a national championship, and then signed another deal with the Whitecaps, who were still in the USL at the time. A short spell there was then followed by a move to Montreal, where he won a USL First Division title in 2009. His stint in Montreal would prove to be the last stop of his professional career.

Tyler Hemming

[Toronto: 2007-2008, Montreal: 2010]

MLS - Los Angeles Galaxy vs Toronto FC - October 14, 2007

Born in London, Ontario, Hemming was drafted by Toronto FC in the 2007 MLS Supplemental Draft and went on to play five matches in his first season with the Reds.

After getting waived in April 2008, Hemming would undergo several unsuccessful trials in Europe, which prompted him to rejoin TFC in June of the same year. Then in September, he would head back to Europe and sign for Finnish club Tampere United. A season-ending ankle injury then resulted in his release from the club at the end of the campaign.

Hemming returned to North America in 2009, signing for the Charleston Battery in the USL First Division. One year later, he was traded to Montreal, where he made just six appearances in all competitions.

Issey Nakajima-Farran

[Toronto: 2014, Montreal: 2014]

SOCCER: APR 19 MLS - Toronto FC at FC Dallas

Unlike all of the other players on this list, Nakajima-Farran began his professional career in Singapore with Albirex Niigata. In 2006, the Calgary-born forward would head to Denmark and spend time with three different clubs.

Following spells in Australia and Cyprus, Nakajima-Farran signed for Toronto FC in March 2014, but after two goals in seven games, he was traded to Montreal two months later. His time with Le CFMTL didn’t last long either, as he was waived at the end of the 2014 season.

Montreal wasn’t his final stint in Canada though, as he signed for Pacific FC in 2019 ahead of the Canadian Premier League’s inaugural campaign.

Justin Braun

[Montreal: 2012, Toronto: 2013]

After scoring 27 goals in 106 appearances for Chivas USA between 2008 and 2011, Braun was traded to Montreal ahead of their inaugural MLS season. Ultimately, his time with the Impact was forgetful, playing just 13 times prior to getting traded to Real Salt Lake in July 2012.

An underwhelming spell with RSL was followed by his trade to Toronto in December 2012. Braun lasted just one full season with the Reds, scoring twice in 22 games. That proved to be the final stop of his MLS career, as spells with Sacramento Republic (USL) and Indy Eleven (NASL) would conclude his time as a professional footballer.

Rick Titus

[Montreal (indoor): 1997-1998, Toronto (loan): 2008]

Titus is an interesting case, as he was not a professional while with Montreal’s indoor team, nor was he a permanent first team player for Toronto FC.

While playing for the Toronto Lynx in the USL A-League, Titus spent one winter season playing indoor football for Montreal in the National Premier Soccer League.

As for his loan spell with Toronto, Titus signed a one-day contract with the Reds for a game against Chivas USA on September 6th, 2008. Since he wanted to protect his amateur status, Titus opted to not receive compensation for his lone TFC appearance.