Reds knocked out, Altidore ponders future
Toronto FC was left frustrated, angry, embarrassed and uncertain about what the future holds after the reigning MLS Cup champions were eliminated from playoff contention with a 2-1 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday.
“There’s a pride kick in the gut that happens,” coach Greg Vanney said after the Reds were mathematically eliminated before a crowd of 22,886 at BMO Field. “If you don’t feel that, then I’m not sure that you know what it is to win.”
The Reds knew they had to win to keep their playoff hopes alive after the Montreal Impact, who hold down the sixth and final post-season spot in the Eastern Conference, beat the Columbus Crew 3-0 earlier in the day.
The home side dug a hole early, conceding a goal by midfielder Russell Teibert in the fourth minute. Toronto had its chances along the way, putting up 18 shots to Vancouver’s seven, and managed to tie it even after defender Gregory van der Wiel was sent off for accumulating two yellow cards in the second half. The goal was scored by substitute Jozy Altidore on a penalty.
But the Reds collapsed on defence in the 78th minute and Whitecaps striker Kei Kamara scored to effectively end Toronto’s season with three games left.
“I can’t help but think that there’s still something here, there’s still something there,” said Altidore. “I think we were tested a lot, and I think it matters how we come back next year, how we all respond if we’re all around. And if not, it’s been an absolute pleasure to come to a club that wasn’t known for its success and to turn things around, and to see the joy we brought to the city, to the soccer fans here that stuck with the team throughout a lot of years.”
Asked if he expects to be back next year, the American striker — one of the core members of the team that reached the 2016 MLS Cup final and won it all in 2017 — said it was out of his hands. In the meantime, there’s a lingering ankle injury that needs to heal.
“Wherever my future is,” Altidore said. “Wherever that is.”
The Reds fell far short of expectations after a record-setting season in 2017, followed by a run to the CONCACAF Champions League final. For a large part of this season, they didn’t look like the team that has brought joy to BMO Field fans over the past two years.
Saturday’s game was another case of self-inflicted damage and failure to capitalize on opportunities, Vanney said.
“The first goal we gave up was ridiculous,” he said. “We lose the ball playing backwards, which should never happen, and we put them into a counterattack on us without them really having to do anything. That shouldn’t happen at this level. That shouldn’t happen with the group of players that we have.”
Both Vanney and captain Michael Bradley said they never really got rolling in league play for a laundry list of reasons that the club will be sure to dissect in the coming days.
“We let ourselves down on too many days this year,” Bradley said. “We were let down by a number of things this year. It all came together in a way where we never really were able to get ourselves going in the league the way that we needed to. We were playing catch up from the word go, and that’s not easy.” Vanney and Bradley — who vented in September that “we have not had enough people who have understood how hard it was going to be” — agreed that the challenge is to make sure this year’s mistakes aren’t repeated.
“Anybody who continues with us next year — myself included, from top to bottom — we have to recognize what got us to where we are right now and find players … that want to get back on top and are ready to commit themselves to everyday training sessions, life, living choices,” Vanney said.