Altidore’s ‘harsh’ penalty compounds TFC woes

Coach Greg Vanney decried MLS’s decision to hand Toronto FC striker Jozy Altidore an additional one-game ban, but said his team will have to make do.

Altidore, who sat out TFC’s 1-1 tie in San Jose on the weekend in the wake of an Aug. 12 red card against New York City FC, lost his appeal of the MLS decision to double the one-game suspension.

His ejection meant the defending champions were reduced to 10 men for the final 79 minutes of a 3-2 loss to New York City. Vanney said given the game time when Altidore was sent off, the ban essentially amounts to three games.

“It’s a harsh suspension,” Vanney said after training Thursday. “I don’t agree with it, but like we do with everything this year we’ll manage it and we’ll get through it.”

Altidore was caught in possession by defender Alexander Callens and, feeling he had been fouled, retaliated by kicking out at the Peruvian international, who had lost the ball. Callens went down in front of the assistant referee, prompting referee Hilario Grajeda to produce the red card. Vanney called it a “moment of emotion.”

“I’ve seen millions of those, and I saw it even in that match when (Toronto midfielder Jonathan Osorio) got kicked out at,” he added.

In the aftermath, Altidore conceded he can’t react like that “and that’s it, so you learn from it and you move on.’’

Altidore’s firepower would have been welcome when the 10-13-3 Montreal Impact come to town Saturday. With 10 games left, Toronto, at 6-12-6, is nine points out of the Eastern Conference’s sixth and last playoff spot held by Montreal.

The good news is that star striker Sebastian Giovinco, who saw limited action in San Jose with a sore groin, is good to go.