TORONTO – It’s been a very trying week for Jozy Altidore, having had an opposing fan hurl abuse at him and question his patriotism.
But the American forward could end up getting the last laugh on Sunday when Toronto FC host the New York Red Bulls at BMO Field in the deciding leg of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
TFC earned a 2-1 win in the opening match of this aggregate playoff series on Monday at Red Bull Arena. Altidore was subbed out of that game in the 86th minute after putting in a solid shift that saw him take plenty of physical treatment from New York’s defenders. As Altidore made his way to his seat on the sidelines, a fan from behind Toronto’s bench starting heckling him over his religious beliefs.
[relatedlinks]
Raised as a Jehovah’s Witness, Altidore, who has earned 110 caps for the American national team, doesn’t salute the U.S. flag or put his hand on his chest during the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner. He also doesn’t sing the national anthem.
“My mother raised us as Jehovah’s Witness, and there were comments being said that my beliefs have no place in this country. It’s ridiculous,” Altidore told the Toronto Sun on Wednesday.
“Coming off the field — with [teammates] Tosaint Ricketts and Raheem Edwards as my witness — there’s a [fan] standing a foot away from me telling me I have no idea what it’s like to represent this country, that I didn’t die for this country and I don’t deserve to be in this country because I don’t put my hand on my heart and that I don’t sing [the Star-Spangled Banner].”
Toronto coach Greg Vanney heard the exchange unfold, and he told the fan to sit down. Later in the week, he filed a complaint with MLS over the incident.
Altidore was made available to speak to reporters following Friday’s practice, but he declined to comment any further on what happened at Red Bull Arena. Speaking to the media on Saturday, Vanney said Altidore, who finished second in team scoring with 15 goals in 27 games this season, is eager to help Toronto finish the job against New York.
“He saw my reaction when he was on the bench because he was sitting there, so he knows how I feel about it. My statement and his statements are pretty clear for everybody to read,” Vanney said.
“Jozy is focused; if nothing else a little more motivated, which is a good thing for us.”
Toronto captain Michael Bradley, a close friend of Altidore’s off the field, wasn’t too eager to talk about what happened to his teammate in New York when asked about it on Saturday.
“I don’t spend two seconds worrying about any of this stuff. I leave that to everybody on the outside to comment on, to discuss. Ultimately, it’s noise; needless noise. Distraction. We’re totally concentrated and what we’re trying to do, and determined to make sure that nothing puts us off,” Bradley said.
TFC’s road victory in the first leg means it holds a distinct advantage going into the return match. A draw, or even a 1-0 loss, would be enough to see Toronto advance to the next round. The Red Bulls need to win by at least two goals, or post a high-scoring one-goal win (a 5-4 victory, for example) in order to move on.
Recent history is working against New York, who finished in sixth place in the Eastern Conference during the regular season, 19 points behind No. 1 seed Toronto.
TFC boasted the best home record in MLS during the 2017 campaign, winning 13 of 17 games at BMO Field with just one loss. TFC won its previous match against the Red Bulls at home, a 4-2 decision on Sept. 30 that allowed the Canadian club to clinch the Supporters’ Shield, the trophy given to the league’s regular-season champions.
“I expect that we’re going to get the most extreme, most committed, most determined version of [New York] possible,” Bradley offered. “We’ve talked and worked on what that will be like.”
Defender Drew Moor (ankle) and midfielder Victor Vazquez (hip) had to be subbed out due to injuries in the New York game. Both players were originally listed as questionable, but their conditions improved over the course of the week, and Vanney said they could see action in Sunday’s game.
The other Eastern Conference semifinal kicked off earlier this week with the Columbus Crew earning a 4-1 home win over New York City FC. New York hosts Columbus in the second leg on Sunday evening.
Should they get past the Red Bulls, TFC would have home-field advantage for the Eastern Conference final regardless of the opponent.
[snippet id= 2943445]