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Altidore's two goals lead Red Bulls over Toronto FC

Aug 13, 2007 - 2:17 AM By Felix Modestin PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Ticker) - Jozy Altidore's two goals gave the New York Red Bulls a 3-0 victory over the depleted Toronto FC on Sunday.

Toronto FC (5-10-5), which was without the services of its two top scorers, Jeff Cunningham and Danny Dichio, was shut out for the fifth consecutive game.

The scoreless drought is now at 462 minutes for the expansion club, which last scored in a 1-1 tie at Chicago on July 7.

Altidore scored his first goal in the 50th minute to give the Red Bulls a comfortable 2-0 lead.

The call could have gone as an own goal for Toronto FC, as Altidore just put a head on the ball as it crossed the goal line on a deflection off Toronto's defender Adam Braz's right leg that caught goalkeeper Kenny Stamatopoulos out of position.

After several reviews of the play, Altidore was credited with the goal.

I got that goal," Altidore said. "I know it was a close call on the goal, but I got that goal

Altidore put the game away in the 63rd minute when he scored his fifth goal of the season and second of the game to give the Red Bulls a 3-0 lead. It was his first multi-goal game.

Playing with Juan Pablo Angel on the front line for the second time this season, Altidore connected with the Colombian international. Angel chipped a header onto a running Altidore into the box. The 17-year-old phenom eluded Stamatopoulos and Braz again and shot a soft liner into an open net.

While celebrating his goal and making a silent gesture to the Toronto FC fans in Giants Stadium, Altidore had bottles of water and beer thrown at him.

"I almost got hit with the bottles," Altidore said. "They were yelling stuff at me and I just wanted to do something to quiet them. I know next time not to do it."

Red Bulls coach Bruce Arena wasn't happy with the behavior of the fans following Altidore's second goal.

"First fans pay for tickets and express themselves verbally," Arena said. "What Jozy did wasn't harmful and didn't do much and there should be no excuse to provoke that behavior from Toronto FC fans to throw bottles."

After not playing a game in 17 days, the Red Bulls (9-7-3) got a goal from Angel in the 24th minute for the early 1-0 lead.

Clint Mathis, who came off the bench as a substitute in the 22nd minute, rocketed a crossing pass into the box that ricocheted off a Toronto defender. Angel took advantage and blasted a nine-yard liner past the outstretched Stamatopoulos.

"This is a far better performance and a great win for us today," Angel said. "I'm happy with the way I played and the way the team played."

Angel, the team's leading scorer with 10 goals, notched his first goal after getting shut out in five games, which followed a streak in which he had scored a goal in his first six games.

This was also his third goal versus Toronto - he scored two goals back in a 2-1 victory at Toronto.

With Cunningham ailing with an adductor injury and Dichio sitting out with a hip flexor, Toronto had no shots on goal and no quality shots on net as Red Bulls keeper Jon Conway got his fourth shutout of the season.

"This was tough match and make no bones about it, we knew what was ahead of us coming into this game," Toronto FC coach Mo Johnston said. "We never had an offensive attack today and there was nothing to look at in this game. We just weren't clicking."

The only negative for the Red Bulls came when captain and creative midfielder Claudio Reyna left the game in the 22nd minute with a right groin strain.

The next game for the Red Bulls is on Saturday, when they host David Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Toronto FC returns home to host Chivas USA on Saturday.