CHESTER, Pa. – If the last couple of weeks weren’t proof enough, Jozy Altidore delivered another firm reminder Saturday night at Talen Energy Stadium:
He’s back.
After spending much of the summer on the shelf with hamstring issues, Altidore continued his recent surge with his fourth goal in five games to help lift Toronto FC to a key 3-1 road victory over the Philadelphia Union.
“It’s obviously important to want to help the team as we come to that push for the playoffs,” Altidore said afterwards. “Just to be out here and contributing, it felt good. I’m happy to be out here tonight. Most importantly, the three points gave ourselves a little bit of distance between us and Philly. We’re trying to get to first place right now.”
Altidore put the finishing touches on the win, scoring the team’s third goal right before halftime after muscling past Union center back Ken Tribbett. When asked about the play, he said he was “trying to do something different” and “make something out of nothing” – which he certainly succeeded in doing, to ensure Toronto improved to 5-0-1 since he returned from a nine-game absence.
Altidore also played a big role in the visitors’ first goal, chesting down a long ball right to Marco Delgado, whose through ball then set Sebastian Giovinco up for a breakaway and an 18th-minute blast that pinged off the post and into the net.
“It’s easy to play with good players,” Altidore said. “It was a great little combo and Seba’s first touch was nothing short of sublime, and he puts himself in a good position to make the finish.”
Altidore added that his partnership up top with Giovinco – who he pointed out is “gonna be great” no matter what – is getting back to where it was last season when the duo started playing together.
He also said that he’s starting to once again feel 100 percent fitness-wise after missing more than two months of action, logging over 70 minutes of action for the second straight contest.
“I think cardio-wise, I’m OK,” Altidore said. “It’s just getting the legs in the humidity and keeping them turning. It’s a tough time to come back on the summer. It’s not easy on the legs. But I’m feeling good.”
Altidore knows he has no choice but to push through. Toronto are pushing hard for home games in the playoffs, inspired in part by the bitter memory of last season’s postseason elimination in Montreal.
His teammates and coach know that, too.
“Jozy’s a big part of our team and you know, he provides us with an outlet,” Toronto head coach Greg Vanney said. “He’s massive and he’s probably underrated in terms of the amount of defensive work he gives. As a striker, he does a lot of work. He’s always looking for ways he can help the team.
“He’s still getting his legs back under him a little bit. … It’s just about getting those 90 minutes under his legs – and we’re getting there.”
