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Altidore scores twice in AZ draw

AltidoreGoal (Reuters Pictures)

While U.S. international forwards Clint Dempsey and Herculez Gomez continue their goal-scoring ways, Jozy Altidore maintains his.

Altidore scored both of AZ Alkmaar's goals in a 2-2 draw with FC Twente on Wednesday. He tallied in the third minute, heading home a corner kick (and getting away with a pushoff, to be fair) to give AZ the early lead. Twente levelled the score later in the half, but Altidore struck for the go-ahead goal in the 71st minute, working a give-and-go with Adam Maher, taking a touch to elude a centerback in the box and clinically finishing low and to the corner to cement his fifth multi-goal game of the season. 

Altidore exited in the 80th minute, and AZ conceded a brutal equalizer in the 90th minute to settle for the draw in a match with both league title and next season's UEFA Champions League implications at stake. Instead of taking the lead atop the table, putting pressure on Ajax and going five points clear of Twente, AZ is currently level with Ajax and two points clear of Twente in a tightly contested race.

For Altidore, he now has 17 goals in all competitions and 13 in league play, which ties him for seventh-most in the Eredivisie.

We'll post video of Altidore's goals as soon as we can, but in the meantime, what did you think of his performance today? Starting to feel better about the U.S. forward situation?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Gomez has had a bunch of quality finishes. Really, I guess the question that matters most is…. how does his quality compare to Buddle or Bunburry. Nuf said.

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  2. Not convinced Gomez is international quality as a starter. But can’t wait to see Jozy and Clint do some damage this summer.

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  3. he was a starter the vast majority of his time at hull (and played well in spite of a scoring drought). more proof that jozy’s haters know very little about him and are generally uninformed couch potatoes who take issue with superficial on-field indicators (his posture, running style, the way his shin guards are tucked in).

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  4. This is ridiculous, he had two or three very well struck goals just earlier this season with AZ. Plus that one from the Gold Cup. Stop embarrassing yourself.

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  5. So a striker, an American striker, scores 17 goals and we complain about the type of goals? I had no idea we had such riches. this must be the Twilight Zone!

    No disrespect, but give me a break. This is tried and tired, but whatever.

    For me, Jozy has done remarkable with this opportunity. 17 GOALS. Let me say that again – 17 freakin’ goals in the Eridivisie, playing a trusted and remarkable role on a team that is deep in the fight to win a title!!

    You wanna see him in the Prem or in La Liga or whatever floats your boat? He’s young and nowhere near his prime. The guys you are touting are playing in their primes – a shade off of 30. If they had the chances that Jozy has they would have done some serious damage earlier than now. Jozy has that chance and if he keeps this up I see him making a name for himself in the next 3 years – oh and I am sure he won’t be 29 by then either.

    But, hey that’s one way to look at things, I suppose.

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  6. Did you see the second goal I thought that was a pretty good strike if that was a tap in then I guess my standard for good goals maybe pretty low.

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  7. Especially shocking when it is the final minute, up one, in a game w/ those implications and you are outnumbered 2-1 in the box on your own end. What the &*%$ was that? That stuff is what brings a manger to an early grave. WOW

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  8. Maybe not off his laces, but the goal against Guadeloupe in the GC had some force behind it. Goals are goals. How often do you see Hernandez score goals with force? Most are headers or well ran lines.

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  9. No disrespect, but until Jozy starts playing with some heart, I can’t get on board as a fan of his. Most of his goals are headers or fairly simple opportunistic tap-ins. I’ve never seen him strike a ball hard off the laces of his boot like many goals from Deuce or Herculez.

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  10. YA think…Bradley scored 21 or 22 playing in the Dutch league….how many goals has he scored in all his games since then.(Including club and national team)…The Dutch league isn’t know for its defense.

    I think this season helped him gain confidence and maturity…especially when he was benched for not having enough effort during practice.

    Another strong year or two in the Dutch league and maybe it would be time for him to go to a stronger league. This way he could be the “Man” as opposed to the unhappy “boy” at Villareal, Hull, and all the other places that he failed to get playing time….

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  11. Dang, now I want a 442 for must-wins.

    Jozy Herc

    Donovan (Bradley or Jones) Deuce Chandler

    Johnson? Boca Goodson? Cherundolo

    Howard

    With a little bit of a midfield diamondish thing. Let Deuce scooch up a bit, keep Jr or Jones a little back. Also Landon would have to buck the hell up or be left off.

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  12. just two?

    What the F…, drop him from the National Team like Herculez (sp?)

    “Sarcasm” so chill

    Congrats Josie looking forward to seeing the highlights later

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  13. To put it mildly, yes. Not to take anything away from Jozy, but I watched the 2nd half and it was shocking how much room there was to go forward. I don’t think marking is valued much in Holland.

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  14. If that was a “push off” then Dempsey would have half as many goals as he does this season.. and so would every other goal scorer in the world. Contact in the box can not always be a foul, it’s a physical game.

    The second goal was fantastic. Jozy received a difficult ball, played a 1-2, beat his defender with a deft first touch, and finished hard and low with authority.

    I agreed with subbing him off though. In order to have the best chance to preserve the lead, they needed a top-man who would actually pressure the ball at the back and not let them pick out passes for the remaining 10+ minutes. Jozy was in walk-mode by the 65th minute.

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  15. I don’t know why the AZ skipper allowed his FBs to play up-field with a 2-1 lead and just a few minutes remaining. In the end they were defending with just CBs.

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  16. if you’re jozy, and yuo’re touching a guy to balance youre massive body, that’s gonna be a decent amount of force. And by the way, typically defenders don’t flop in the box while defending a corner kick. Those calls come few and far between, so you’d have to be real ballsy to flop as a defender.

    Ives is about as unbiased when it comes to Americans as it gets, so if he says he pushed off, chances are, he pushed off”

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  17. If you are using that “new” math!! 🙂

    17+21 = 38

    Enough of my match lesson!!! They are bound to add to their totals. Amazing season for both Jozy and Clint.

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  18. Push off?!

    Just because he has his hand on the other guys back and the other guy folds like a lawn chair that DOESN’T mean it was a push off.

    You sound like that jackass on ESPN3 with those comments.

    “To be fair” we don’t know how much pressure was applied to the back of the Twente defender. Touching another guy for balance while you go up doesn’t automatically equal a foul.

    I guess that makes me a homer, but never trust a defender in those situations. It’s soccer. Guys flop. Get over it. It was a goal.

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