Top Stories

Altidore scores again, but TFC settles for draw with 10-man Dynamo

Photo by Erik Williams/USA TODAY Sports
Photo by Erik Williams/USA TODAY Sports

Following yet another Jozy Altidore goal, Toronto FC had a whole half to attack a 10-man Houston Dynamo side. Yet, the Eastern Conference contender failed to capitalize on a match that turned out to be a missed opportunity.

Altidore scored his third goal in four games on Sunday night, leading Toronto FC in a 1-1 draw with the Dynamo at BBVAA Compass Stadium. Originally scheduled for Saturday evening, Sunday’s clash was pushed back one day due to weather conditions. The draw signals the end of TFC’s four-game winning streak, but pushes the team’s unbeaten run to five, while the Dynamo earn their third draw from four matches.

The delay forced both sides to wait an extra day to take the field, but Cristian Maidana pushed his side to the ideal start with an eighth-minute finish. Darting down the right side, Andrew Wenger played a pass to Mauro Manotas, who flicked a first-time pass up and over the TFC defense. Maidana ran onto the pass and rocketed a first-time volley, leaving Alex Bono all but helpless as the Dynamo captured an early lead.

Altidore struck 16 minutes later, firing his third goal in four games since returning from injury. In the forward’s first start since mid-May, the U.S. Men’s National Team veteran’s finish was a stunning one.

The assist came from none other than Sebastian Giovinco, who’s helped was his 11th of the season. On a corner kick, the Italian star laced a pass on the ground and into the center of the box. Altidore rushed through the Dynamo defense and laced a first-time shot into the corner, giving TFC an equalizer that would eventually earn them a hard-fought road point.

From there, the Dynamo would be forced to hang on as Abdoulie Mansally was sent off for denying Giovinco an obvious goalscoring opportunity just moments before halftime. TFC would fail to cash in, earning just a point despite a whole half against the 10-man Dynamo. It wasn’t quite for a lack of chances, though, as Jalil Anibaba’s bicycle kick clearance off the line all but saved a point for the Dynamo.

With the draw, Toronto FC moves to second place in the Eastern Conference, one point back of NYCFC with a game in hand. The Dynamo, meanwhile, remain last in the Western Conference, six points behind the ninth-place Seattle Sounders.

TFC looks to make it six straight unbeaten on Saturday with a visit to the Philadelphia Union, while the Dynamo take on the San Jose Earthquakes one day earlier.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Throughout Sunday’s match, Mauro Manotas was an absolute handful. The forward’s early assist got the Dynamo off to a spectacular start, and his seven shots on the night kept the TFC defense honest all through the match.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Jalil Anibaba’s miraculous clearance saved the game, while certainly sealing a spot among contenders for play of the year.

MATCH TO FORGET

For Toronto FC, Sunday’s result will be seen as a disappointing one. Given a whole half to attack, TFC failed to break down the Dynamo defense, missing a chance to take sole obsession of the East’s top spot.

Comments

    • Well, typically a 10 man team will bunker down with 9 behind the ball and 1 ready to spring the counter, especially when you are tied 1-1. I’m not saying that’s how Houston played, but claiming a player isn’t getting hot because he didn’t score more than 1 goal against a 10 man team is a joke.

      Ask any striker (or fan for that matter) whether or not they’d like to score 3 goals in 4 games. Using your logic, the fact he scored 2 goals in 3 games vs 11 players seems evident that he is getting hot. Simple math proves that 2 (goals vs teams of 11) is greater than 1 (goal vs team of 10). 🙂

      And I’ll leave it here in saying I would love it if one of Chicago’s strikers would score 3 goals in 4 games :-/

      Reply
    • And having watched the highlights Jozy had a great diving header forcing a great save that resulted in the corner that Jozy scored off of. He also hit the post on another opportunity, saved a goal off the line on a corner kick and should have had an assist except he was denied due to a brilliant off the line save by a dynamo player.

      I’m not saying this shows he had a great game, as highlights are misleading and only show the glamour moments, but in those clips he looked eager, hungry and confident.

      Reply
    • But I’m a successful human that works for himself….. Soooooo….. What’s to pity really?

      I hope you are fortunate enough in your future endeavors that you can have endless free time and perhaps choose to have fun by commenting on sports blogs. It’s really not that bad of a life. And no I’m not trying to gloat but when two different people want to, so surely, assume that I have a desk job or no life or whatever juvenile insult, then I don’t have a problem listing facts as I usually do….

      Anything else trolls?

      Reply
  1. Even further, imagine AJ I’m his first 4 games back has an assist and 3 goals, who would really jump in with shade for that player or try to downplay his goals regardless of the league he’s in. If Boyd or gyau for bvb II OR ANYONE FOR THAT MATTER scores the same from return the point stands.

    Reply
    • I feel kind of sad for you. Too much effort spent defending a below average soccer player the doesn’t even know you exist. Your life sounds kind of lame.

      Reply
    • The irony of being misinformed…..

      Jozy has specifically come to my concert and asked to come backstage to meet me, sooooooo….. You were saying?

      As for sticking up for him, you could replace him with any other player and I would say the same. My argument has never been “Jozy is my favorite, therefore he is the best”. But rather “player X, who has XYZ body of work isn’t terrible nor should be left off the national team.”

      But keep trying to tell me my own “agenda”…. (It’s not a good look for you tho….)

      Reply
  2. Btw everyone. This was a case study played out to perfection. All I did was point out a USMNT player having a good return from injury, knowing that some “fan” would jump at the chance to throw shade on said player. With the names of the players taken out of context how can people not see we harshly and unfairly grade this player. So hilarious. Let the 26 year old solid player play and support our boys. Geez….

    Reply
      • Production is production. Joey can score on the international level. as long as he’s scoring his confidence will be high and that’s what we need in a striker.

      • I don’t disagree with him not killing it. But I don’t think that he’s ever truly recovered from his hamstring injury. While i’m sure he was good enough to play, he’s been injuring it too often to close together. The guy knows how to score and has proved it at various levels (some levels falling squarely on his face). But 3 goals in the last 4 games is a good sign leading into upcoming qualifiers, which was part of the original poster’s point. Joey with confidence coming off the bench replacing either Wood or Dempsey is definitely a nice thing to have (and rare for the USMN).

        I’ll not bite at the “lower league” comment though

      • So when he “doesn’t score” (like in 2015; 13 in 26 games) in MLS he’s terrible because he “can’t even score in MLS” but when he does score (3 in last 4 with an assist; aka a point in each game since return) in MLS then “it’s ONLY MLS”……

        I love successfully baiting a person….

Leave a Comment