TORONTO – It wasn’t quite the type of international debut that Alex Bono wanted to make. He’ll still take it, though.
The Toronto FC goalkeeper earned his first cap for the U.S. national team earlier this week in Philadelphia, playing a full 90 minutes without having to make a single save in a 3-0 win over Bolivia.
“A real barn burner, wasn’t it? Yeah, you know, it’s the first cap. I’d rather it be like that than go up against Brazil right before they go to the World Cup,” Bono said ahead of TFC’s road game against the Columbus Crew on Saturday.
“Not getting a lot of action is not such a bad thing for your first [cap], with the nerves and stuff like that. The first 10 minutes, I’ll admit, I was shaken by the moment. When I was hearing the anthem, it was the moment that’d I’d always been waiting for. It really was a dream come true for me.”
As this was a special occasion, Bono’s parents and younger brother, who just graduated from college, made the trip from their home in New York state to attend the game.
“During the national anthem, I was able to look up in the stands and find where they were sitting. The look on my parents’ faces definitely hit me in the feels, as they say. I know they were super emotional. I tried to [stay composed] but for them I know it was a very proud moment,” Bono said.
Making his international debut was a long-time coming for Bono, who has rather quietly and quickly established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in MLS since being drafted by TFC in 2015. A sixth overall pick at that year’s draft, Bono spent the entire 2015 with the TFC 2 farm club, and only made his league debut the following year when starter Clint Irwin picked up an injury. Last season, Bono supplanted Irwin as Toronto’s starter, playing a starring role in the Reds’ record-breaking campaign.
Whether the Bolivia match will be the first of many caps for Bono remains to be seen, however. The U.S. has great depth at the goalkeeper position. The team is also in a state of flux at the moment, with interim coach Dave Sarachan expected to be replaced sometime after this summer’s World Cup in Russia. The U.S. failed to qualify for the tournament, which means it won’t be competing at a World Cup for the first time since 1986.
“[The team is] in a real transition phase, not just with the players, but with the front office and the staff, as well. No one is really sure what’s going to happen. I’m just trying to put myself in the best situation possible when things switch over,” Bono said.
“I think there’s going to be a lot of changes; they’re going to hire a GM and look for a coach. Maybe Dave stays on, maybe they’re going to bring in someone new. For me, to go in and try and impress them and then come back here and play well with TFC, you never know what’ll happen when all of the changes occur.”
Toronto coach Greg Vanney, a former defender who earned 37 caps for the U.S., believes making that first appearance for the U.S. will be great for Bono’s development.
“These things are huge confidence builders for guys, when they take these steps in their careers. … It’s a very positive experience for Alex that will bode well for him, both in the short-term and long-term,” Vanney offered.
INJURY UPDATES
TFC continue to be plagued by injury problems.
Forward Jozy Altidore (foot) and defender Drew Moor (quad tear) remain out with long-term injuries, while midfielder Ager Aketxe (hip flexor) is likely a few weeks away from returning to action.
Ailing left fullback Justin Morrow, who has been dealing with a calf problem for over two months, participated in portions of practice sessions this week. However, he is not quite ready to return to full training, and won’t be able to play on Saturday.
Defenders Chris Mavinga (hamstring), Eriq Zavaleta (quad) and Canadian Ashtone Morgan (hamstring) are also unavailable for Toronto this weekend.
On the positive side, midfielder Nico Hasler will be able to suit up against the Crew after missing the previous four matches with a quad injury.
LOOKING AHEAD TO COLUMBUS
Toronto and Columbus have already met this year, with the Crew earning 1-0 win at BMO Field in the season opener. Saturday’s match will be the final meeting of the campaign between the two sides.
Columbus sits in second place in the Eastern Conference with a 7-3-4 record, seven spots and 15 points ahead of Toronto. The Crew are coming off a 0-0 road draw at Sporting Kansas City.
Crew captain and midfielder Wil Trapp and starting goalkeeper Zack Steffen have been called up by the U.S. national team, which means they’ll miss Saturday’s game. Midfielder Pedro Santos (hamstring) and defender Jonathan Mensah (thigh) are questionable.
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