Toronto FC’s Jozy Altidore calls out D.C. United’s Felipe Martins for challenge

D.C. United midfielder Felipe Martins found himself in the middle of some controversy in his team’s match against the Montreal Impact in the MLS is Back Tournament, and you can count Toronto FC forward Jozy Altidore among those who were rubbed the wrong way.

It all started in the 35th minute of D.C’s 1-0 defeat to Montreal that sent them packing from the tournament, when Felipe went in for a challenge against Montreal defender Victor Wanyama, and wound up delivering a cleat straight to Wanyama’s leg. Felipe was issued a yellow card for the foul, which many felt could have seen a red card. Watch the sequence below. 

Enter Altidore, who took to social media to voice his displeasure at the play. Altidore has been competing against Felipe for years dating back to the Brazilian’s years on the New York Red Bulls. (Note: An expletive is partially blurred in the original tweet below.)

Felipe, for his part, issued a response to Altidore, insisting that there was no ill intent on the play and that the contact with Wanyama’s leg was not intentional.

Toronto FC played D.C. United earlier in the tournament in a 2-2 group stage draw with D.C. coming back to tie from 2-0 down. The two Eastern Conference teams also faced off in the 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs, with Toronto scoring four unanswered in extra time to eliminate the capital’s club.