Altidore re-signs, but Reds left out in cold
Toronto FC 1 Independiente 1 INDEPENDIENTE ADVANCES 5-1 ON AGGREGATE After making the final last year, Toronto FC exited CONCACAF Champions League play at the first hurdle after a 1-1 tie with Panama’s Club Atletico Independiente de la Chorrera at BMO Field on Tuesday night.
Toronto had dug a deep hole last Tuesday in Panama, going down 4-0 in the opening leg of the round-of-16 tie, and was unable to pull off a miracle comeback in the return leg on a frigid February night, losing 5-1 on aggregate.
On the plus side for TFC, star striker Jozy Altidore agreed to a long-term contract extension, according to a source, and the club struck a deal with Belgium’s KRC Genk to bring in Spanish attacking midfielder Alejandro Pozuelo in mid-March, according to another source.
The Reds need the help. With Altidore still nursing an injury, TFC’s scattergun offence lacked a cutting edge Tuesday.
Last year, Toronto beat the Colorado Rapids and Mexico’s Tigres UANL and Club America to reach the tournament final, only to lose in a penalty shootout to Chivas Guadalajara. This year, it was a short and disappointing cameo.
It was minus-10 Celsius at kickoff — minus-16 with the wind chill — at a largely empty stadium. Down in Panama, it was 28 C in La Chorrera.
The new grass playing surface at BMO
Field, installed in November, looked like a threadbare carpet that had been covered with a layer of sand. It made for an ugly, slow track. There was some leftover snow in the north end zone, but the heated field was clear.
Two large heaters were aimed at the TFC bench. Independiente got one.
The north goalposts came late to the party, but were erected two hours before kickoff.
Prior to the game, Independiente tweeted a photo of players praying in a circle, captioned: “Today we go out to the field for our families, for our people, for Panama.” TFC coach Greg Vanney made three changes to his starting lineup: Nick DeLeon, Jordan Hamilton and Ayo Akinola came in for Griffin Dorsey, Terrence Boyd and Ashton Morgan.
Independiente goalkeeper Jose Guerra was called on early, diving to parry a Hamilton shot in the sixth minute. But Hamilton beat him in the19th minute, floating a header in off a Justin Morrow cross.
Morrow came close in the 25th minute, but his shot hit the ’keeper and was cleared by a defender before it rolled into the open goal. A diving Guerra stopped another Hamilton header in the 32nd minute. Toronto’s Alex Bono finally had to make a save in the 39th minute to deny Gustavo Bolivar.
Toronto FC, which qualified for the Champions League by winning the Canadian Championship last year, kicks off the MLS regular season March 2 at Philadelphia.