Jozy Altidore began his MLS career back in 2006, being picked No. 17 by the MetroStars/Red Bulls in the SuperDraft. The striker went overseas to play for Villarreal, going on a few loan stints afterwards. He then left for AZ Alkmaar, where he had his most success abroad. Sunderland was the last stop before returning to his home country. In January, Toronto FC signed Jozy Altidore in exchange for Jermain Defoe. He joined as Desiganted Player.
Altidore's debut could not have gone much better. Just 32 minutes into his TFC career, Jozy rounded the keeper and sent the ball into the back of the net. He added a second from the penalty spot with the most casual of Panekas. In Orlando, he went off the post and in, then finished another brace on the breakaway. He took down a ball from Michael Bradley and volleyed a shot into the bottom right corner to defeat Montreal for the first time in his MLS career. Altidore was named to the 2015 MLS All-Star Team. In August, he scored his second brace against Orlando City on the year. He beat Tally Hall from the spot, before nodding one in at the back post late on. He put home a rebound in the next game to defeat the Impact again. His 13th goal of the year came against Philadelphia with a neat tuck. Toronto ended up getting clobbered by Montreal in the playoff edition of the Canadian Classique, losing 3-0.
In 2016, Jozy's side was hungry for silverware. They found it in one form, winning the Canadian Championship. On the MLS Cup front, it fell just short. An injury saw him miss 21 games between May and July. On the final day of July, Altidore returned to scoring with the help of a deflection. He went on an incredible tear in the second half of the campaign. He used his strength to power in to score against New England. In the next fixture, Altidore absolutely laced one into the top of the net in Houston. Sebastian Giovinco fed him through to mark a fourth consectuvie match with a goal in Orlando. Altidore scored an incredible free kick over the wall and in against the Red Bulls. With less than five minutes remaining, he scored an equalizer against RBNY. Jozy used great control in the box to score one against Montreal.
Toronto FC entered the playoffs as the third seed. Altidore made himself known in every single postseason game leading up to the final. His goal in the knockout round earned Toronto their first ever playoff win. In the 84th minute of the first leg with NYCFC, he smashed TFC in front. In leg two, No. 17 showed more of his upper body strength before unleashing a volley. After a long wait inside the box, Altidore nodded a header home in the first leg against Montreal. In what many consider the best playoff game in MLS history, Altidore headed one home at the near post to tie up the aggregate score. He also assisted a goal in the 5-2 victory. This advanced Toronto to MLS Cup against Seattle. Altidore was given the first penalty, which he converted, but Bradley's miss gave the Sounders the trophy.
Toronto FC seeked revenge in 2017. Altidore opened his account from the spot against the Union. He scored on the Whitecaps in the team's first victory of the season. TFC won just once in their first five, but lost zero. During a six-game winning streak, Altidore scored a brace on the Houston Dynamo. The first was sent in on a first-time shot, the second an attractive one-two combination with Giovinco. In both a rematch and preview of MLS Cup, Altidore scored the lone goal against Seattle. He made his second MLS ASG. In September, he scored a double against the San Jose Earthquakes. His left footed shot hit the bottom right corner, then his header marked the second of the game. Altidore scored his 15th goal, an MLS career-high in a season, against Atlanta United on Decision Day. Toronto won the Supporters' Shield. They snuck past the Red Bulls as the number one seed. A back heel pass from Giovinco set up a combination between Altidore and Victor Vazquez, and Jozy put it away to send Toronto back to MLS Cup. Only one goal was scored in MLS Cup, and it came off the left foot of Altidore. He won the trophy and was named MLS Cup MVP.
Fresh off an MLS Cup victory, Altidore needed foot surgery in 2018. He played just 871 minutes, but still managed to score 7 goals. He scored a brace in March against Nick Rimando, first a powerful penalty, then a classic Jozy left footed finish in the bottom corner. After returning from the injury, he posted a brace against LAFC. Down 3-0, Altidore pulled one back one-on-one. His late bar-down shot made it 3-2, but it was LAFC who extended the lead for a 4-2 win. He scored against the other Los Angeles team soon after. His calm penalty conversion ended his goal scoring on the year as TFC missed out on the playoffs.
In 2019, Altidore returned to double-digit goals, for the fourth time in five seasons. His back post run defeated New England in the late moments. In another rematch/preview of the MLS Cup series with Seattle, Jozy put up another two goals. His early header opened the scoring, he then closed the scoring in a 3-2 loss. In the 95th minute, he stunned Montreal with a perfect free kick that dipped over the wall and in. He hit a lovely curler on FC Cincinnati. Toronto finished in fourth, Altidore scored 11 goals. They beat DC United, NYCFC and Atlanta en route to MLS Cup 2019. In the final, Altidore scored with two minute left in their season. Seattle defeated Toronto 3-1 in the big game.
After five incredible seasons with Toronto FC, Jozy Altidore's drop off came in 2020. The 2019 season was his last real solid year. He scored on just two occasions in 2020, one of which was a match-winner in Montreal. He fired one in with velocity against Columbus. It was a disappointing season for Toronto. In 2021, Altidore scored his final 4 goals for TFC. He nodded a header in against Columbus an inch from goal. He made sure to send Montreal home with a disappointing result one last time before leaving Canada, powering an equalizer free kick in. His last Toronto goal came in the form of an October left-footed finish.
In February of 2022, the New England Revolution signed Jozy Altidore. Revs fans will want the story to stop there, because there was in fact not much of a happy story. He headed one in at the back post against Real Salt Lake, in the match that seemed to send New England's season into a spiral after losing 3-2. Altidore made 27 appearances for the Revolution, after most of which fans asked for his departure from the club. Altidore went on a short loan stint to Puebla, scoring twice in six matches. He scored one goal in 2023, finding a way to equalize late against Chicago as the ball hit his back foot and deflected in. On June 15, 2023, New England bought out Altidore's contract. He has remained without a team ever since, though he wants to return to playing. Altidore's last few years should not take away from the fact that he was one of MLS's biggest stars in recent memory. For his contributions to Toronto FC, he comes in at #26.
YEAR | CLUB | MINUTES | GOALS | ASSISTS |
2023 | NE | 203 | 1 | 0 |
2022 | NE | 597 | 1 | 0 |
2021 | TFC | 768 | 4 | 0 |
2020 | TFC | 744 | 2 | 0 |
2019 | TFC | 1,688 | 11 | 5 |
2018 | TFC | 871 | 7 | 0 |
2017 | TFC | 2,184 | 15 | 6 |
2016 | TFC | 1,488 | 10 | 4 |
2015 | TFC | 1,792 | 13 | 0 |
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