Jozy Altidore, in his introductory news conference as a member of the New England Revolution, talked warmly of his time in Toronto but hinted at backroom unrest at his former MLS club.
"There were just some things that happened behind the scenes that, you know, you just can't unsee," the veteran forward told a virtual availability Tuesday.
"When certain ways, how you live, how you see life, how you see going to work, morals, when those things aren't the same any more in a working environment, I think it's time to call it a day," he added. "And I think that's what happened in Toronto in some ways, with different instances on a few occasions.
"It makes it tough to go out on the field and play. It makes it tough to go out on the field and fight and do those things you want to do when you're no longer aligned with those aspects. So that was difficult because obviously it was such a great ride there."
Altidore did not elaborate, saying only: "These things happen in life. Time changes, people change over time."
The 32-year-old American, who spent seven seasons with Toronto as a designated player, did say some of those incidents dated back to 2020 — when the team was forced to move south of the border due to pandemic-related travel restrictions.
Toronto also spent part of last season based in the U.S. The year did not go well, with Toronto finishing 26th in the overall standings with a dismal 6-18-10 record.
Altidore fell out with the club last year after a confrontation with then-coach Chris Armas when the striker was substituted in the 70th minute of a 1-0 loss to Orlando City on May 22. Altidore spent some eight weeks training on his own, away from the first team.
He returned in July after Armas was fired following a 1-8-2 start to the season.
Altidore's contract buyout by Toronto and move to New England as a free agent was finally confirmed on Monday. The burly forward is one of 17 players from last year's Toronto first team roster who have moved on.
"It's a lot of turnover but there's a lot of things … that you guys don't know about," he said. "Certain things that are kept hidden for certain people. And in the end that's not my job to uncover. I'm not in any way bitter. I'm very happy at my time there. Look at what we accomplished. It was amazing. It was exactly what we came there to do. And so I look back at my time in Toronto with a lot of fondness, a lot of love.
"I can't wait to get back there. It's a city that's home for me. No matter what happens, no matter what happens the rest of my career, Toronto will always be home for me … There'll never be bad blood for me but there's definitely a lot of things that have happened there that just aren't talked about or brought to the surface. And I think it weighed on some guys who have been there for a long time.
"But in saying that, it's a brilliant club that needs to get back on track and I think will get back on track."
Altidore left as Toronto's second-leading scorer with 79 goals in 173 appearances in all competitions. Only Sebastian Giovinco, with 83, scored more.
But Altidore managed just six goals in league play over the last two seasons, in limited action due to injuries and the disagreement with the club.
While Toronto will continue to pay a major chunk of his salary the next two seasons, it will not count against its salary cap. Altidore's salary of US$3.6 million ranked seventh in the league in 2021. The Revs extended Altidore's contact by a year and will be solely responsible solely for the 2024 portion.
Altidore joins a Revolution team that won the Supporters' Shield last season with a 22-5-7 record and an MLS record 73 points. New England also tied MLS records for winning percentage (.750) and non-shootout wins in a season (22).
The Revs won the Eastern Conference by 19 points, the largest winning margin ever by any MLS conference winner. New England finished 45 points ahead of Toronto in the regular-season standings
But that success did not translate into the post-season where the Revolution lost in a penalty shootout to eventual champion New York City FC in the Eastern Conference semifinal.
New England, which already has three DPs in Carles Gil, Adam Buksa and Gustavo Bou, used targeted allocation money to sign Altidore. MLS brought in TAM to help clubs sign elite players who do not get designated player status.
In acquiring Altidore, the rich get richer.
New England led the league in goals scored (65) last season, averaging 1.91 a game with Buksa scoring 16 goals and Bou adding 15. Gil was the provider, leading the league with 18 assists en route to winning league MVP honours.
Altidore said he liked what he heard from New England coach Bruce Arena.
"He said 'You know, listen, we have a great team but we want to add to it. We want to add guys that can help take some of the load of these guys, and come in and fill some minutes and score goals.' … And at this point in my career, it was something I viewed as really really exciting. It's something I entertained because that's where I am. You know, you can't beat Father Time. So I'm excited to come in and be that part that he's looking for within the group and help this team try to win a trophy."
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 15, 2022
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
