The beer cups are running over in Atlanta
Fan’s cup toss at Altidore isn’t an isolated incident, although Giovinco reaction might be
Jozy Altidore rolled with the punches — some in the form of flying cups — as Toronto FC visited Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Sunday’s regular-season finale, but fans and analysts around the league expressed concern over comportment at the popular venue.
Toronto’s striker had to watch for flying objects after scoring a 60th-minute goal that levelled the game for TFC after the visitors had conceded the opening goal on a penalty kick. Altidore had a hand to his ear, happy to hear the taunting from hometown crowd of more than 70,000 fans, when he had to dodge a cup of beer flying his way.
Fellow Reds striker Sebastian Giovinco picked up the cup once it landed, drinking its remnants before tossing it back toward the crowd.
The light moment delighted Toronto fans and players alike: Giovinco has since upload a video of the moment to his verified Instagram account, accompanied by the caption, “Cheers.”
“That’s proves it’s a real bro, you know?” Altidore told reporters in Atlanta following the match. “Threw a drink, you pick it up and drink it. That’s why he’s my guy, you know? I like that.”
It was not the first time Atlanta United fans threw objects onto their team’s pitch. The behaviour goes back as far as the team’s season opener — the franchise’s first game at its former home, Bobby Dodd Stadium — after which the club’s technical director Carlos Bocanegra told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution such behaviour was unacceptable.
The most high-profile incident occurred earlier this month when supporter Kevin Bachmeier, 40, was charged with simple assault after he allegedly threw a beer cup at referee Armando Villarreal, according to the Journal-Constitution. Villarreal sustained injuries to his face after he was hit with the cup while looking over a video replay.
In a statement released by the club at the time, Atlanta was “committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment for all fans, players, officials and guests at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.”
Fans and analysts took to social media on Monday to call on both the franchise and the league to do more in the wake of these recurring incidents. Neither Major League Soccer nor Atlanta United FC, which will host the 2018 all-star game, responded to requests for comment Monday.
“At some point MLS is going to have to sanction (Atlanta) if fans keep tossing stuff at players/refs,” mlssoccer.com’s Matt Doyle wrote on Twitter.
“In walkaround in San Jose, we strategized which monitor we preferred. Centered around angle & (distance) of projectiles,” wrote Jonathan Johnson, one of the league’s assistant referees. “It can’t continue.”
Some fans suggested it was impossible to police others in their section. Others said shaming those around them who behave inappropriately has been an effective tactic in the past.
Altidore was booed at nearly every touch, thanks to his part in the United States men’s national team’s recent failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, and doesn’t expect behaviour to change any time soon.
“I’ve been dealing with this since I was young,” he said.
Toronto coach Greg Vanney said, when he heard the ridicule, he expected the American striker would either block out the noise or be motivated by it. It turned out to be the latter.
“A motivated Jozy is a nightmare for any defender,” Vanney said.