Jozy Altidore training alone at Toronto FC following fall out with Chris Armas
Toronto FC striker Jozy Altidore will be training on his own after a rift with head coach Chris Armas, according to reports.
ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle initially communicated Altidore was upset about being subbed off in the 70th minute for Ayo Akinola in the team’s 1-0 defeat against Orlando City. Altidore visibly disagreed with the decision before making his feelings known to Armas.
Though the striker was not fined or fired for the disagreement, he is facing repercussions.
Besides independent training, Carlisle mentioned that Altidore’s status for Toronto’s match against Columbus remains undefined.
Sources: #TFCLive have told #usmnt striker Jozy Altidore to train on his own apart from the first team after a disagreement with manager Chris Armas: https://t.co/t6D4MCmTGH
— Jeff Carlisle (@JeffreyCarlisle) May 28, 2021
Altidore’s frustrations are becoming more apparent with each passing match, culminating in the rumored argument with Ambras. Earlier this year, reports came in detailing the player’s desire to transfer.
Altidore remains with Toronto for now, but rumors continue about a possible LigaMX team coming in for the American.
The move would not be easy after Altidore signed a three-year extension in 2019, that would run through 2022 with complicated clauses. Should a deal within the MLS be agreed upon, however, Toronto would be forced to cover a significant portion of his salary.
According to the MLS Players’ Association, the player’s current guaranteed compensation is $3.6m.
Prior to the alleged incident, Altidore had been struggling with the Canadian side. He’s appeared in four matches this season, but only played around 189 minutes total.
Altidore reached his peak at Toronto FC in 2017, scoring 17 goals in 31 matches. He came close to his record in 2019, with 12 goals in 23 matches but since then his statistics have declined.
He joined Toronto FC in 2015 from Sunderland, where he made 42 appearances and scored one goal. Internationally, Altidore has made 115 overall appearances for the USMNT, providing 42 goals.