Jozy Altidore set off a rash of speculation this morning when he tweeted about attending an event with AZ teammates on Tuesday, a tweet that would suggest he is not joining the U.S. Men's national team for its training camp ahead of two crucial World Cup qualifiers.
Why would Altidore, currently enjoying the best run of form on the club level of his career, be left out for two all-important qualifiers? It is tough to find a legitimate explanation or reason for it. There are plenty of potential theories, but none that ring true as passable.
Could Klinsmann really be trying something new because of unhappiness with Altidore's play with the national team? Might there have been a falling out between Klinsmann and Altidore? Did Altidore's red card for AZ over the weekend lead Klinsmann to want to send a message? Does Klinsmann possibly think there are four other American forwards who are currently better USMNT options than Altidore? Is Klinsmann trying to light a fire under a player who has yet to really get going for the national team since he took over as manager?
None of those explanations make much sense, not with Altidore clearly in great form on the club side, and not with the U.S. still trying to qualify for the next round of qualifying.
If Altidore is being snubbed it would make more sense out of Eddie Johnson's selection for these qualifiers (Johnson leaked news of his own call-up on Friday). Johnson has enjoyed an outstanding season for Seattle, but had not been with the national team this year.
Remember, an Altidore snub is not yet official, and for all we know Altidore and Klinsmann could be conspiring to pull off a prank on Twitter in the wake of Johnson's Twitter leak last Friday (when asked about a U.S. national team call-up on Sunday night Johnson avoided all conversation about it). We will find out the real story in a matter of hours.
What do you think about a potential Altidore snub? Why do you think Klinsmann might leave him home? See the remaining U.S. forwards being able to get the job done?
Share your thoughts below.
Not so fast. Imagine if we had a healthy jermaine jones for WC2010 and a healthy cherundolo for the gold cup vs. Mexico. Might have reflected on those teams as some of the best US teams of all time.
Hopefully after this they JK and Jozy will get back on the same page.
Kind of funny because his tweet is in response to Klinsi speaking freely in an interview. So why wouldn’t Jozy be allowed to reply? It wasn’t slanderous.
Is Alan Gordon available?
At this point I’m starting to realize that the multiple DM’s isn’t because he loves playing defensively. We just don’t have experienced midfielders capable of contributing at this point who aren’t natural DM’s. That’s why we saw Williams tested out right.
I think Beckerman just allows JK to play Bradley/Edu/Jones/Williams in more advanced or wide roles. Not having Shea or Donovan can only contribute to that. But the emergence of Zusi may mean that he takes the place of one of the DM’s when all are healthy again.
Wow!
You would think after reading through the comments here that Jozy was the second coming instead of an immature player both on and off the field. He needs to grow up, period.
This is not the YMCA, I don’t want to support a bunch of criminal thugs, but in terms of mere cards and press comments, grow thicker skin because this team is not that good where you can just say player x can go play for Germany; player y can sit as punishment for tweets, etc. I mean, it sounds like we’re calling in EJ, Castillo, et al. WTF?
if No Jozy, then against the Guats I’d like to see this:
——Gomez———-
———–Deuce——-
F. Johnson—-MB—-Zusi
———D. Williams——
Castillo—Boca–Cameron–Dolo
that leaves our left side mighty vulnerable to the pacce of Jamie Alas & Marco Pappa, but we counter with our own speed and skill on our left.
As I argued elsewhere, do Jozy’s comments reflect his own opinion or a growing critical mass. If he’s just an isolated, benched complainer being left out entirely, that’s one thing, but if Klinsi is making decisions reflecting a broader divide within the team, that’s potential a Harkes/ Wynalda ’98 implosion.
If you wanted to go conspiracy theory, Landon has ostensibly lost motivation, Chandler won’t show up, etc. Things could be what they are on their face, or he could be losing the team a little.
Really surprised at people going after Klinnsman on this. Not sure Klinnsman had any other choice unless he wanted to show obvious favoritism and alienate the rest of the players who bust their tails and act professionally.
Furthermore, Altidore just isnt giving it his all when hes on the field! I’m not going to speculate on why because it doesnt matter. After watching him (in person) jog around in Columbus for the final 10 minutes of a game we had to win, I said to myself I was fine if I never saw him play again. I dont care how talented he is, it’s not fair to every other player( and certainly not the team) that would run themselves ragged for a 5 minute cameo if it meant repping the USA.
Except you’re making the classic Kinnearian mistake of acting like a player is either In or Out, as though there isn’t a such thing as a bench where one can have a mix of solid luncpail second tier players as well as those who while flawed present useful tactical abilities, speed, size, etc.
If someone wanted to throw in some truly trenchant criticism, it would be that maybe Klinsi from Jozy’s recent games got the idea he’s an unreliable person to put in to close a game out. Like Kinnear, maybe he wants a lunchpail work rate type like Wondo to chase the defense late. To which I respond, it better not be close later cause he ain’t scoring.
For that matter, if there is a designated roster spot for Sloppy Athletic forward, you still take Jozy over EJ because EJ is even more mythic a striker.
For both Klinsi and Jozy, yes. At lease Jozy apologizes when he screws up, though.
Don’t think Jozy fits to Jurgen’s style of play. He doesn’t try nearly as hard for the Nats as he does for AZ, and personally I think EJ is better at getting on the end of crosses than Altidore is, making him a better fit for our “attack the flanks” mentality. As far as the midfield goes, we haven’t had our best players in their respective positions fit at the same time to be able to make a good decision or any criticism of Klinnsman. I think we’ll be fine for qualifications, assuming we do what we need to do on the field: Possess the ball, attack the flanks, and give the ball to Clint Dempsey. Besides that, I could care less if Jozy were there. If you can’t convert club to international play then you have no business with the latter, for now at least.
Will take Bradley any day.
Bob never would have started this mess, Mike, and you know it. He never publicly bashed his players. This is why. When his team underperformed, he accepted the blame, unlike Klinsi who constantly shifts the blame to everyone else. I don’t want to come across as a fire Klinsi type. I’m not, but he has some serious warts that need to be acknowleged and sweeping them under the rug isn’t going to help.
It could be worse: Jonathan Bornstein
I disagree. Bob was always the ultimate professional and the ultimate man manager. I don’t recall a single instance of him playing favorites and certainly don’t recall anything about players not getting along with his son. Please source that because I seriously doubt anything like that occurred. The player always argued to be Bob’s favorite was Bornstein, but it was more the fact of having an awful lack of options at LB rather than anything else.
You want Jozy to be banned from the team over a public criticism that he immediately deleted? Well, who STARTED this public criticism?? If it’s classless for Jozy, it’s the ULTIMATE in classlessness for Klinsi to start this whole mess in the press. He claimed Jozy knew all this, well obviously not, judging from his reaction. Klinsi should not be bashing his players in the press. THat’s extremely unprofessional. You all are bashing Jozy but completely letting Klinsi off the hook just because he’s the authority figure. If anything, the authority figure should have more awareness of his words. That’s his JOB!! Why is our manager starting public fights in the press with one of our best players? Why is he responding to questions about his system by bashing our players??? Would Bob EVER, in a million years do that? No, of course not. Granted, Bob was often criticised for being tight lipped, but now you see why. Both are at fault here, but while Jozy apologizes for his mistakes, when Klinsi screws up, he is showing an increasing pattern of blaming others.
Actually, I was speaking of the 3/28/09 quali game (actually Hex) in ES where the US fell behind 2-0 before salvaging a 2-2 tie. Jozy came on roughly 60′ and got a goal 77′ before a later goal equalized. Some teams simply cannot handle his size and for that reason alone he’s a useful bench option even if you don’t see him as starter material.
I think most “Jozy Realists” still see him as higher up the relative scale than Wondo or EJ.
A locker room cancer would be someone like T.O. and Jozy is no where near that bad. Jozy does have maturity issues and that tweet was very stupid, but even he realized that because he removed it very quickly. I see this as a personal matter between the two and should be handled as such.
I wouldn’t go that far. However, I also wouldn’t find fault if he’s never called up under JK again.
That said, cooler heads will prevail and Jozy *should* learn from this. I still see him a part of the Brazil 2014 team (assuming we qualify).
All those people that say, “Look at what Jozy has accomplished so far at a young age.”…you’re right about two things: his accomplishments AND his young age, which highlights his immaturity.
Jozy will grow up. This is a part of the learning process.
I thought most of our goals r scored by other than our forwards.
This makes me happy
+1 but I was hoping for an upgrade, have not seen that yet!
http://i.imgur.com/3AGjT.jpg
This is a JPG of Jozy’s tweet about Klinsmann’s interview.
And we thought Adu had some attitude issues when he was younger. Wow. I would never call him in again.
Not as fanciful as some of your other flights, but still good.
No. It really isn’t.
Saying publicly that your coach shouldn’t blame you for his own shortcomings and incompetence after YOUR poor form is pretty much the definition of a locker room cancer.
JK sinking to Jozy’s level would be tweeting back at Jozy or saying something about Jozy in public.
Jozy is one of my favorite Nats but his tweet (if directed at Klins) is indefensible.
Klins could have handled it in a few different ways but if he took him off the team for that tweet, its not retaliation, its discipline. He’s the coach. Like him or not.
Probably there have been tensions between Jozy and Klinsmann for some time. That sort of explosive tweet could not have possibly happened unless Jozy had been stewing for a long time. This sort of expolains Jozy’s late arrival in the May camp, when he went to the Caribbean for fun in the sun with his team before straggling late into camp and Klinsmann kept him on the bench for several games. Yeah, I know the story was that his coach would not let him come. But under Fifa rules if Jozy had wanted to come he could have.
And with this roster today coming so late for gosh sakes at 3 p.m. with the first game only four days away, makes me wonder if there might be some side issues with other players, possibly supporters of Jozy. And it also makes me wonder more and more about Clarence Goodson’s mystery yellow card in the September 7 game against Jamaica in Kingston. The official Concacaf match report does not Goodson getting a yellow card in that game yet US Soccer announced the next day that he got a yellow and he leaves the team and flies back to Denmark. Makes me wonder if there was some sort of bust up there.
Official Concacaf match report
http://tinyurl.com/9bb2ceu
This is a solid observation, however, I still anticipate the US to qualify – and I don’t expect to read “Shakespearian” references – nicely done, sir.
First of all calling jozy cancerous is pretty ridiculous. Second if there is a problem with one of the best players on the team, I believe the coach and player should make try and make amends and not exasperate the situation with this tit for tat nonsense
It’s concerning to you that Klinsmann would not introduce a cancerous individual with no respect for the coach into the locker room?
Actions have consequences–especially when done in public.
I certainly believe it. We know EJ got the call so the other forwards are probably Dempsey, Gomez and Boyd. Jozy certainly deserves to get a call. Personally I could care less. His club play is great but his national team play is poor. Its almost definate that JK won’t change the system to accommadate Altidore’s style so why play him?
I would like to think that a professional coach could rise above the immaturity of a 22 year old by bringing him into camp and squashing this “feud.” JK sinking to that level, if he in fact did not call up jozy, is much more concerning to me.
That tweet appears to be legitimate.
I don’t care if he ever sees the pitch for the USMNT again now. Petulant child.
not a huge fan of klinsi, but if jozy really sent that tweet, I feel like you have to bench the guy a couple of games. It’s assumed – criticize the coach in public, you don’t get called. That’s how it’s always been and how it always will be.
Jurgen must be watching too many Stoke City matches.
ha-ha. “a biff-like flight of fancy” i will be so proud when that quote gets included in Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations.
hear ya
No, you don’t.
Even the biggest Bradley supporters knew it was his time to move on.
Once again, a person doesn’t understand what free speech is.
Agreed in that Jozy’s tweet (again, assuming its actually directed at Klins) affects Nats fans in as much as it was dumb and impacts the NT. Jozy is of course open to criticism for his public actions (though I feel that a segment of sports fans are often creepily obsessed with and too quick to chastise athletes over trivialities).
I should have perhaps clarified to indicate that the resolution of this whole tweet ordeal can be resolved between them and I don’t need or care to speculate on it. I’ll be satisfied with the resolution (whether its them working it out which seems unlikely at this point or Klins removing Jozy from the team for these quails). Speculating about what actually went on through 3rd/4th party sources on the internet just seems like gossiping to me.
He hurt his wrist in a game not that hard to detect if you watched the games
The Germans have come to sabotage our team!
That is a very minute point to debate – whether he was not called or whether he was called and refused.
Either way, if Jozy is not in the camp, our coach has some explaining to do about how and why he has alienated one of our few true forwards and potential scoring threats.
You see, this is why Charlie Davies was so important. We have some minor scoring threats from the midfield, but most of our forwards are stuck playing hold up to allow others to join. When CD played, the defense had to be worried about a fast, creative scoring threat. Once he got into that car with the drunk driver, he made the US easier to defend.
May I just say that I commend SBI for its often-creative selection of photos for particular stories. This photo of Jozy begs for a caption. It asks us to interpret what happened or what is going on. And is one that you dont normally see.
Other photos include some fantastic ones of Deuce and some hilarious ones of LD in the past.
There’s propping someone up and there’s ignoring blatant immaturity and not addressing it.
If you recall correctly, Jozy was off to a fast start with AZ (i.e. scoring goals) and was STILL benched by his manager.
I don’t recall the full details but that’s neither “propping him up” nor “ignoring it while he was scoring all those goals”.
People will see what they want but there’s a trend that is impossible to ignore. Especially in this context.
that is IF he is in fact snubbed. we’ll see
IF this is true, then it shows why he’s not being called up: emotional maturity.
Yes he does have the right. It’s called free speech.
yes, but not now while he’s been going off. I guess the thought by Coach is he can teach Jozy something and we don’t need him in these crucial qualis even tho Jozy’s delivered in them for the Nats before