WATCH — Alligator crashes Toronto FC training session in Florida

Surprise visitor for MLS team as reptile goes on pitch invasion

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Toronto FC joked that they had signed the alligator
Toronto FC joked that they had signed the alligator
Toronto FC Twitter

Major League Soccer outfit Toronto FC’s training session near Orlando had an uninvited guest when a huge alligator invaded the pitch at the ChampionsGate Resort.

In a video the club posted on Twitter, several Toronto players are seen running toward the alligator to get a better view before a resort staffer in a golf cart chases the animal away.

“All I can tell you is this, there was a massive alligator,” Toronto coach Chris Armas told The Canadian Press on Monday. “My players are running towards the gator as I went the other way. Listen, we talk about (being) fearless and aggressive around here, but I thought we wouldn’t think about that at that moment.”

Toronto, who have relocated to Florida for the MLS regular season because of travel restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic, later joked about the incident.

“Toronto FC have agreed to terms with Ale Gator on a short-term loan,” the club tweeted.

Last week, American golfer Wyndham Clark earned bragging rights after risking a possible alligator encounter to secure a shot at the Zurich Classic in New Orleans.

Playing alongside South Africa’s Erik van Rooyen in the two-man team event, the 27-year-old removed his shoes and pulled up his trousers on the par-four 16 to salvage his ball from the bank of a lake where TV pundits confirmed two alligators had been spotted during the third round.

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