TFC star striker Jozy Altidore back, training by himself alone during quarantine

TORONTO — All of Toronto FC’s players are back at the club’s north Toronto training centre with the return of star striker Jozy Altidore.

The U.S. international had been at his Florida home until last Wednesday when he came north via private jet to rejoin the team. A club spokesman said Altidore is training on his own while fulfilling a two-week quarantine and will rejoin the club’s full training sessions when that is over.

Toronto defender Laurent Ciman, a former Impact player, spent some time at his family home in Montreal during the training hiatus due to the global pandemic but has been back with the team for some time now.

Toronto and the other 25 teams are preparing for the “MLS is Back Tournament,” which runs July through Aug. 11 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort in the Orlando area.

Toronto, Montreal, New England and D.C. United are in Group C at the World Cup-style tournament.

The MLS tournament, which will be played before empty stands, marks a resumption to the league’s 25th season, which was halted March 12 after two rounds due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The hope is the league, once the Florida tournament is completed, can continue the regular season with a revised schedule in home markets.

The tournament, which carries a US$1.1 million prize pool, will see teams play three group stage matches across 16 days. The top two in each of the six groups along with the four best third-place finishers will then move on to the knockout stage: round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and final.

The three group stage matches will count in the regular-season standings.

The tournament winner will earn a spot in the 2021 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League.

That means Canada could get two berths in the CONCACAF Champions League. The Canadian Championship winner also qualifies.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 22, 2020.

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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press