TORONTO – A goal every other game, a playoff berth, and two red cards.
Jozy Altidore's first season back in MLS was a "funny one", as he proclaimed on Tuesday at Toronto FC's end of season press conferences.
“(Getting) injured in May was tough. I (came) back too early and that threw me off. I should have taken more time,” said Altidore. “Little things like that you learn, how to cope with injuries; be smarter.”
Those injuries contributed to another frustrating year for the US national team striker, who returned to MLS after a forgettable year-and-a-half spell at Sunderland in the English Premier League, where he scored just one goal in 42 league appearances.
The striker, who turns 26 on Friday, admitted some disappointment at leaving England, but admitted the time was right for him to be in Toronto.
“You miss playing in those stadiums: Emirates, Old Trafford. Those are fantastic experiences,” he stated. “But I was blessed that I had the chance. To be close to my family, to have this new experience in Toronto... it's been fun. It hasn't always been easy, it won't always be, but we're here for a reason. We're excited for the future.”
With 13 goals in 25 appearances through nearly 1800 minutes – all career highs in MLS – Altidore finished tenth on the league scoring charts, but more was desired from the Designated Player who signed with TFC in January.
Toronto FC President Bill Manning later relayed a plan from Greg Vanney to “better connect the DPs”: “[Greg] felt that Jozy and Seba [Giovinco] did not connect enough. It was Jozy becoming comfortable in who he is. Seba, you just give him the freedom.”
Giovinco, of course, had maybe the greatest individual season in MLS history, scoring 22 goals and assisting on 16 more. Despite all that production, Giovinco and Altidore were rarely on the same page throughout the season.
“We had a player like that at Real Salt Lake named Javier Morales,” continued Manning. “Everything revolved around Javi. We had role players – Ned Grabavoy, Andy Williams, Will Johnson – and wherever Javi went, the others knew where to slot.”
Morales, still with RSL at age 35, has been one of the best players in MLS since his arrival back in 2007. He has 77 assists in his nine seasons in MLS to go along with 45 goals out of a similar playmaking role to the one that has bestowed upon Giovinco in Toronto. For Manning and the TFC staff, it is now a matter of helping Altidore to get in sync with the playmaker behind him.
“Greg is going to work with Jozy on being a box striker, a classic number nine. Look at the goal he scored in (Montreal), it was a classic, with Seba beating the guys down the left-side and Jozy scoring a head ball,” recounted Manning. “Greg wants to make him comfortable with where he is playing and maximize his assets. You let Seba do what he does; then the team works around that.”
Vanney himself expanded on an impromptu discussion with Altidore earlier in the day.
“Jozy started to play in reaction to Sebastian because [Giovinco] was having such a good season that Jozy didn't want to ruin it, or get in the way. [Jozy] became reactive, trying to play off Sebastian,” Vanney told reporters.
That subservience was evident: Altidore's 13 goals came from 18 shots on target; he had just 37 attempts all season. Giovinco, conversely, scored his 22 from 73 shots on goal, of 181 total.
Altidore himself noted that conflict.
“It's tough,” he said, “I'm playing with the best player in the league, he's (our) catalyst. My job is to be the second guy, chip in as much as I can. I understand what my role is and I have to execute."
Looking ahead to 2016, Altidore notes that the team as a whole needs to make some changes.
"We have to be tougher to play against. That comes from forming an identity.
“We shouldn't have to adjust to the opponent. We have the pieces that wherever we go, we should play the game on our terms. Are we there now? No. Do we hope to be there? Absolutely.”
