TFC: Altidore kicks charity work up a notch, gets over World Cup failure
For Toronto FC’s Jozy Altidore, this was supposed to be the time when the United States was preparing for this summer’s World Cup. That changed early in October when the Americans got bounced from the tournament. The failure shifted Altidore’s focus. He spent the beginning of 2018 in Grand Cayman, where his foundation is bringing soccer to kids in a region hit by hurricanes last fall. Soon, he’ll start the new season with the MLS Cup champions.
Altidore says he will watch a few of the Cup matches in Russia on television, but the 28-year-old forward isn’t stewing over the loss. He’s looking with hope to the future.
“Of course I’ll obviously be disappointed not to be there, but at the end of the day, man, we’re blessed to do what we do,” said Altidore, the MLS Cup MVP.
Altidore and TFC captain Michael Bradley were jeered — sometimes with profane and personal attacks — by opposing fans during the MLS season over the U.S. team’s qualifying performance.
“Look, all that stuff I think would have been magnified had we not achieved our objective,” Altidore said. “But we did, and we did it in such a convincing manner.”
Following the 2-1 U.S. loss in Couva, Trinidad, that cost the national team a spot in the World Cup, coach Bruce Arena stepped down and U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati said he would not run for another term.
Interim U.S. coach Dave Sarachan called 30 players into January training camp in advance of an exhibition game against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Jan. 28 in Carson, California. Altidore and many of the team’s veterans were not invited.
The camp roster includes 15 players who have never played in a match for the senior national team. The most experienced was L.A. Galaxy midfielder Gyasi Zardes, who is 26. Twenty-one players are under 25.
Altidore, who has 41 goals in 110 appearances with the national team, understands that developing young talent is important heading into the next World Cup quadrennial. “We have to do a better job of identifying new talent, for sure,” he said, suggesting that missing out on the past two Olympics — where under-23 teams compete — has hurt development efforts.
For now, Altidore is pouring his energy into charitable endeavours.
Altidore, whose parents are from Haiti, launched his foundation in 2011 following the devastating earthquake that hit the country the previous year. The foundation built a well to provide water to a town of more than 400 in Haiti, along with other rebuilding efforts. In 2016, he paid to bring the Copa America matches to television in the country.
The latest effort in the Cayman Islands focuses on getting youth involved in soccer.
“I think the whole region, the Caribbean has a lot of talent and has a lot of kids who want to become players. And I think it helps to see and identify with players who have played in different leagues from around the world,” he said. “If I’m able to be one of those guys that can start that whole thing, it’s a great opportunity and honour for me.”