TFC's John Herdman sticks by his player; NYCFC coach denies allegation
"As a coach, I've got to believe my players, and support and back my players,” Herdman said on Monday.
It’s a classic “he said, he said” situation. And we’re no closer to knowing the truth.
On the one hand, Toronto FC coach John Herdman is sticking by the unnamed 19-year-old player, believed to be Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, who he said told him that New York City FC coach Nick Cushing punched him in the face in the tunnel at Yankee Stadium during halftime on March 16. TFC lost that game 2-1 after Marshall-Rutty opened the scoring in the seventh minute with his first career MLS goal.
Herdman and captain Jonathan Osorio made the serious allegation public at BMO Field on Saturday following a 3-2 loss to NYCFC, a match that was marred by an on-the-field melee between the two teams after the final whistle. Both Herdman and Osorio said the post-game hostilities were fuelled, in part, by the bad blood between the sides stemming from the last game in March.
On the other hand, Cushing maintains the alleged incident at Yankee Stadium never happened. He denied the allegation when it was brought to his attention by TFC Republic and Neil Davidson of the Canadian Press in New York’s locker room after Herdman’s post-game press conference following Saturday's loss.
