Jozy Altidore Ruled Out of USMNT's Nations League Matches
Mike DiNovo/USA TODAY Sports
Jozy Altidore will miss the U.S. men's national team's upcoming Nations League matches vs. Cuba and Canada after being ruled out with an unspecified injury, U.S. Soccer revealed on Tuesday.
Altidore was injured in Toronto FC's regular-season finale vs. U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter's former team, the Columbus Crew. He landed awkwardly after being taken out by a tackle from Jonathan Mensah, and was forced out of the match in the 70th minute with what appeared to be a quad injury.
Altidore was expected to play a leading role in Berhalter's attack to open the new competition, but that duty will instead likely fall to Gyasi Zardes, who has been a stalwart at striker for the U.S. under Berhalter, his former manager in Columbus.
No replacement has been named for the U.S. squad, which stands at 25 players. Other forwards on the roster include Werder Bremen's Josh Sargent, and four others who have played out wide for Berhalter: the Seattle Sounders' Jordan Morris, Besiktas's Tyler Boyd, D.C. United's Paul Arriola and Real Salt Lake's Corey Baird.
Altidore is the second player forced out of U.S. camp with an injury after LAFC center back Walker Zimmerman had to withdraw after suffering a concussion vs. the Colorado Rapids on Sunday. Zimmerman was replaced by Atlanta United's Miles Robinson, who was originally slated for the concurrent USA U-23 national team camp.
For Toronto FC, it will hope that Altidore's injury is a quick-healing one. The club opens its 2019 MLS playoff run at home against D.C. United in Oct. 19, giving Altidore less than two weeks to regain fitness. The injury will keep him from playing at his home BMO Field, where the U.S. will meet Canada on Oct. 15, four days after facing Cuba at D.C. United's Audi Field.
