As he walked off the field at Gillette Stadium on Saturday night, injury ending his shift after just 21 minutes, Toronto FC forward Jozy Altidore spiked a water bottle in frustration.
On Tuesday, the news got even worse for Altidore, TFC and the USMNT, as the striker was ruled out 4-5 weeks with a hamstring strain, an injury that will see the Designated Player miss out on extended MLS action as well as international friendlies against the Netherlands and Germany.
“He felt a little something in the hamstring area. Just from speaking with him, he doesn’t feel like it’s serious at all,” TFC coach Greg Vanney told reporters after the match. “But he felt enough to think that he couldn’t go and that it wasn’t worth making it worse. We’ll get the assessment, but all indications from Jozy, who has had the injury before, is that it’s on the very minor side.”
In the end, that wasn't the case. Altidore also suffered a hamstring strain in the United States' opening World Cup match against Ghana last summer in Brazil, missing the remainder of the tournament.
Altidore is Toronto's leading scorer in MLS this season with five goals. He signed a long-term DP contract in January following a transfer from English Premier League club Sunderland.
