Jozy Altidore delivers quick strike in Toronto FC return
Jozy #Jozy
Jozy Altidore got a hero’s welcome when he returned to the field with Toronto FC on Saturday night, and repaid fans in kind within 10 minutes by scoring his first goal of the season.
Altidore returned to the fold after more than seven weeks of training alone following a confrontation with former Reds coach Chris Armas, the fall-out from being substituted in the 70th minute of a 1-0 loss to Orlando City SC on May 22.
The BMO Field crowd of 7,000 roared with the vigour of a packed house when he entered in the 64th minute on Saturday and headed home the game’s opening goal in a classic Altidore moment.
Interim head coach Javier Perez called the striker’s return a fairy tale.
“I think Jozy was hyper-motivated,” he said. “I think he showed that on the field. Not only by the goal that he scored, but as well the willingness to please the teammates, please the coaching staff, by doing what we asked him to do.”
The joy would be short-lived, however, as TFC conceded a penalty five minutes later — which goalkeeper Alex Bono nearly stopped. Orlando star Nani was credited with the goal en route to a 1-1 draw.
Nonetheless, Altidore’s reunion with a fan base that adores him was a memorable moment as the Reds returned to play in front of home fans for the first time since March 7, 2020 — 498 days.
The goal was a reflection of the relief Altidore feels now that the team is back in Toronto. He said returning to a city he has considered home offers normalcy not only for the players but for their families. Knowing his son is settled, he added, makes playing the game he loves that much easier.
The roar of the crowd was a reflection of the relationship Altidore has built with the fan base since he arrived in 2015.
“For me, it just goes to show you what’s real is real. You can’t fool people … At the end of the day, they know what I’m all about. What I’m here for,” he said.
Bono said pre-game that returning to play in Toronto isn’t a fresh start but rather a chance to continue with a little momentum. The Reds started the night last in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference with a 2-2-8 record and eight points, nine out of a playoff spot. But a recent coaching change to Perez and a win over the New England Revolution this month raised hopes that their fortunes were turning.
The squad looked deep and relatively healthy going into Saturday’s game, even with five players away representing their national teams at the CONCACAF Gold Cup. They should get Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Ayo Akinola, Eriq Zavaleta and Kemar Lawrence back from international duty by early August.
They could also benefit from the power of home-field advantage if, like the Blue Jays starting July 30, they can play the remainder of their home dates in Toronto. Only their next game, Wednesday against New York Red Bulls, has the official green light so far.
The Reds are the home team for 13 of their remaining 21 matches, and turning BMO Field back into the fortress it was in multiple runs to the MLS Cup final in recent years could go a long way.
Toronto FC also has 11 games left against teams that went into Saturday out of playoff spots — compared to 10 vs. teams in the playoff mix before facing Orlando City. They only face one Western Conference team the rest of the way, so there’s also a chance to gain ground head-to-head in the East.
On Saturday, Toronto got the most out of a returning player, took points off an Eastern rival and BMO Field felt like home again.
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