Photo by Rick Osentoski/ISIphotos.com
By FRANCO PANIZO
DETROIT – Jozy Altidore entered the media press conference room following the U.S. men's national team's Gold Cup opener with Canada and was quickly received with the Man of the Match trophy, a small silver replica of the actual Gold Cup. Altidore smiled as he analyzed it and posed for a photo with the award, an award he won via votes from media members who attended the game at Ford Field on Tuesday night.
It was a deserving reward for Altidore, who moments earlier had scored a goal against Canada and helped set up another in a 2-0 victory to start the U.S. team's Gold Cup campaign. That type of performance was one he badly needed, having seen limited action while on loan with Turkish club Bursaspor and considering his recent lack of goals for club and country.
Altidore wouldn't say as much about his Gold Cup debut during the ensuing press conference, though.
"I think it's for everybody," said Altidore when asked if the game was a confidence builder for him. "I think coming off the game against Spain obviously we got down a little bit. But we picked ourselves up well, and we still have, clearly, a lot of ways to improve but I thought the start of the tournament wasn't too bad."
The start to the tournament began well in large part due to Altidore's 74-minute performance. The 21-year-old striker was a handful for Canadian defenders from the opening whistle, drawing a foul at the edge of the penalty area three minutes after kickoff.
Only a corner kick came from Clint Dempsey's free kick that followed, but that moment was the beginning of one of Altidore's better performances since last summer's World Cup.
"We count on him and in a lot of ways," said Michael Bradley. "He plays a big part in our success, and there may be times when may be the goals don't come but even on those days he gives our team a lot. All you need to look at that in terms of that is the World Cup. He wasn't able to score, but just his overall contribution to the team and every game was really big."
Altidore made a big impact for the United States 12 minutes after he drew the game's first foul as he found the back of the net for the eleventh time in his United States career and the first time in eight months.
After making a darting diagonal run across Canada's back line, Altidore received the ball when Landon Donovan fed him with a precise through ball. Despite facing away from goal, Altidore took a good touch on the ball and surprised defender Kevin McKenna and goalkeeper Lars Hirschfeld when he unleashed a potent driven shot towards goal. Hirschfeld wasn't even anticipating the shot as he failed to save it despite being in a good position to do so.
"It's good for Jozy's confidence him getting the goal," said Dempsey.
If the goal helped Altidore's confidence, his near assist on Dempsey's second half insurance goal raised it to a whole different level.
In the 62nd minute, Altidore raced passed a defender and nailed a driven cross across the penalty area. Juan Agudelo got the slightest of touches on the ball before Dempsey knocked it in, and the assist was given to Agudelo not Altidore.
"I think they should give the assist to Jozy," said Agudelo with a smile. "It's not like I meant to pass it."
Assist or no assist, Altidore delivered at a time when many doubted him and questioned his repeated starts with the U.S. team. That'll likely change, at least temporarily, as Altidore's performance helped the Americans earn three big points.
"For confidence it's a good game for Jozy," said head coach Bob Bradley. "The movement that led to the first goal and obviously the ball he that he put across for Clint's goal; both great plays. When you go through a stretch with your club team and now not always playing regularly and not getting goals, I think in terms of confidence this was very important."
If Altidore can indeed carry over that confidence and continue playing the way he did against Canada, he just might be posing a few more times this tournament with Man of the Match awards.
Yeah, Altidore was great. Now if he can just get goalkeepers to make horrible errors on a regular basis he might be able to score.
i think taking h. gomez over wondo would have been the better move.
dude, go away.
The strength gap between him and the other USA forwards is enormous. The really impressive part of the goal against Spain wasn’t the shot, it was his utter destruction of the defender, who was perfectly well-positioned and then got posterized.
It’s very frustrating when Altidore doesn’t always make the greatest decisions or show a lot of touch on his shots, but the fact is that he is bringing something to the table that no one else in the national-team pool comes close to right now.
I was also at the game last night, and I was impressed by Ream. I was seated close to the corner on the side that the US defended in the 1st half, so I got a good look at him then. He looked great in the 1st half — good positioning, good passing, and physical enough to win most 50/50 balls. I don’t remember him getting beat then, although Simeon Jackson looked dangerous.
I couldn’t see him as well in the 2nd half, but I remember he had at least one screw up then. Overall I would give him a good rating (with an asterisk that he needs to keep limiting his mistakes). I’m guessing BB will remind him of that.
I agree. I thought the goal was good, but nothing spectacular. I mean, he put a ball on frame…good. The keeper should have stopped it, but he didn’t.
I think the real man of the match was Tim Howard by far. He made a multiple spectacular saves in the second half.
I thought Juan Agudelo had a much higher work rate and had more of an impact on the flow of the game, he just didn’t get the proper service at the right time.
My issue with Jozy is that he never fights for 50/50 balls or puts pressure on their defense. I mean there are times when he actually shies away from a challenge or pulls up at the last second, almost as if he doesn’t want to get hurt.
Well, actually, he WAS personally attacking someone (albeit, Jozy Altidore probably doesn’t read this site– but what if he did?). So, really, he’s got no call to act offended on that score.
More generally, it’s one thing to speak about specific problems with a player’s game, but it’s another to do what BK did and just spout off a paragraph which is nothing but saying “he sucks” in five or six different ways. It adds nothing to the discussion and deserves to be ridiculed.
Matt,
Let people opine as they see fit. Quit labeling people “Haters” or “Trolls” just because they are providing criticism which may be in contrary to your view.
Everyone has a right to give their honest opinion and as long as they are not personally attacking anyone.
Well played sir, well played indeed.
I’m actually hanging my hopes on the entire team, and not any one individual player.
However, I’m more concerned about our internet soccer boards. I mean, if all we can offer is non-stop cynicism and unoriginal whining, then I’m afraid we just might not be world class internet posters.
BK made some nice general assumptions, and used his own personal bias to continue to hate on player who deserves some credit for a good performance, if only for a few days, but other than that BK looked every bit the mediocre poster that he is.
Problem is that I can’t figure out if he is really the best this country has to offer. If so, then we are in trouble no matter what we do.
Yes. And a 22 year old centerback is a great asset going into 2014, *if* he continues to develop. Which probably needs to include a couple of years-worth of play at a craftier level.
I’m not going to disagree with that, but I’m not ready to order the last four of that whole list. I’d like to see Wondo get a real runout alongside the rest of the more-or-less starting XI. I don’t have high hopes, but it is too tough to make a fair assessment without it.
“I don’t think you can judge Wondo by last night. First off he didn’t get to play with the full team, i.e. came on after others were subbed out, but more importantly, when he came on we were killing time and not in attack mode as much anymore. Additionally, he was alone up top as Agudelo had been replaced by Klejstan to better minimize Canada’s ability to build from the back. ”
Yeah. OTOH, he’s too old to really count on going forward. Ultimately I think I’d have preferred another “bubble” forward in the 22-24 y.o. range be called in.
It’s similar to what Xavi does with Barca or Carrick/Scholes for Man United.
Taking nothing away from Altidore who played well and was productive with the goal and assist, I was equally impressed with Agudelo who I feel had a much higher work rate and was dangerous when on the ball however received many balls on the flanks and farther from goal.. With his speed and skill, Agudelo needs to work towards receive the ball in more advanced and dangerous attacking positions.
Lol, i get what you are saying. But the guys you just mentioned are ALL tall. just thought it was funny
exactly. People get so upset that Ream might get burned badly a few times, whereas gooch or Demerit would have made the stop.
The problem is more often than not, gooch or demerit either put the ball out of bounds or just back to the other team, leading to more attacks to deal with, and over the course of a game. This ultimately creates a greater danger of leaking a goal than Ream’s few bad plays.
Hope we don’t forget to mention the very strong performance by Dolo. Solid on Defense and nearly all our offense involved good runs up the right flank.
Many good performances but it was great to see him contributing all over the field!
If we US fans are hanging our hopes on Jozy, then we are all heading for a world of disappointment for as long as he plays. He is not world class. He made a great cross on the second goal and was the beneficiary of bad goalkeeping on the first but other than that looked every bit the mediocre player that he is. Problem is that I can’t figure out if he is really the best this country has to offer. If so, then we are in trouble no matter what we do.
Matt,
Ream reminds me of a Marquez without the positional savvy…and that comes down to a lack of experience. Ream undoubtedly is the best distributor out of the back that the Nats have seen in some time and dare I say potentially ever. Again, however, his positioning will get him killed at this point in his development, but as you state his benefits likely outweigh his shortcomings.
You have to consider the potential defensive benefits of that calm passing though. Jay Demerit, who I love to death, hardly ever gets burned, he is a fantastic defender. He’s not a gifted passer though, and he and Gooch/Boca/etc. lobbing balls back to the opposing team comes with it’s own problems. It limits our possession, tires out our team, and can lead to fast-counterattacks for the opposition (while limiting our opportunities for meaningful offense.) It’s possible that he will be absolutely torched by Chicharito, but limiting Mexican possession will help starve service to their forwards. Plus, no player in our pool can hope to contain Hernandez save perhaps Boca. I predict if we make the finals and play Mexico, you’ll see Boca/Ream or Boca/Goodson with Bornstein on the left. I do not have a ton of faith in Bornstein, but he’s faster than Boca, and he won’t continually make positional errors like the talented but raw Lichaj on the left.
Forgot to add: this is why Bradley keeps calling Jozy in, even when he’s not playing well (or at all). Jozy is a physical beast, and to defend Hirschfeld just a little bit, Jozy’s always had a powerful shot. Remember his blast that Casillas couldn’t stop, even though he got a hand on it. Jozy can be frustrating to watch, but he can also do things that the rest of the strikers in our player pool can’t.
I noticed it, too. But I think that was partly because Canada played so compressed that a) the middle was a little too clogged for longer passes, and b) because Canada had no width, Boca and Dolo were pressing up the pitch.
On a couple of occasions, when Howard distributed out of the back, Ream and Goodson were the only two players hanging back. If anything, the US formation looked like a 2-4-2-2; so I think that was at least part of the reason Jones and Bradley dropped so far back.
Indeed. The US has had lots of players of that type. In addition to Kreis, Twellman and Kenny Cooper come to mind. They’re too slow, too short, etc. for the international game. As you say, there’s no shame in that, and they can have long, productive MLS careers, but if they’re on our WC roster, then we’re not going anywhere but home.
Altidore, Aguedelo, Buddle, Gomez, Davies > Wondo
I agree with you on Ream. I was at the game last night and was surprised to see that his performance got fair-to-positive reviews in most pieces that I’ve read. His technical ability with the ball and passing is a great asset to have at that position, but he had a couple of massive screw-ups that were covered either by Timmy or poor final touches and finishing by the Canadians.
at the moment, that nickname might be applicable to the entire US Federation.
Apropos of nothing, but after last night Juan Agudelo is now officially cap-tied to the U.S.
He doesn’t seem to have been approached or interested in Colombia, but he would have been eligible.
If Lichaj gets into a GC match here soon, he’ll be officially cap-tied as well. Poland called him in October to touch base, but Lichaj never seriously considered them. But until he plays in a competition the option to switch is conceivably there. (Like it still is for Timmy Chandler — though he appears happy with the U.S.)
A solid performance from MB last night.
Question: Did it seem like he was dropping back further than usual to get the ball off our D? Every post about Ream seems to be about his distribution skills, but MB seemed to have to do more work than necessary dropping so far back. He Jones were playing so far back, it looked like a 4-2-2-2 at times.
I already have new nickname for J.J.:
Jermaine “Wake Me Up When It’s a Real Match” Jones
Strider,
Fair enough. I’m basing my opinion simply on what I’ve seen when he’s been on the pitch as a Nat and what his skill set looks like in the MLS environment. Again, he looks quality in the MLS, but I don’t think his game translates to the international level. Let’s hope I’m wrong as we need as much quality depth as possible.
Definitely agree with you on Jones. Last night was probably his best game for the National team. I don’t really remember him giving up strays passes like he has done in other outings. He and Bradley looked very strong together.
Boca looked quite unsettled out there last night. Surprising really.
maybe he can play his club matches in his nats uniform, he looks like a different player
Where are all those MB haters this morning? Kid’s our future captain so get used to that q-tip running all over the pitch for the next decade.
I have heard Jozy has interest from 2 teams in the Eredivisie, which is a league I have thought for a while would be a good place for him to develop. Has anyone heard any specific names as to which teams may be interested?
I don’t think you can judge Wondo by last night. First off he didn’t get to play with the full team, i.e. came on after others were subbed out, but more importantly, when he came on we were killing time and not in attack mode as much anymore. Additionally, he was alone up top as Agudelo had been replaced by Klejstan to better minimize Canada’s ability to build from the back. So, there were several factors that kept him from having any real chance to show anything last night. We just don’t know if he can handle this level yet, so we’ll have wait to judge.
I’d give it to Bradley, but I really don’t have an argument against Timmy. He’s an absolute stud.
Bump,
I think Wondo is a quality MLS club player. There is no shame in that. I’d love for him to be on my team. He’s a dependable pro. However, international football is a big step up. Look at a guy like Jason Kreis. GREAT club player. A true pro. It just didn’t translate for him on the international level.
Tim Howard was the Man of Match for me, Jozy and Michael close seconds.
On Ream…a bit of a disclaimer…I really like the kid and think his future is bright, but…he’s getting a free pass. His 1 vs 1 defending is sporadic (sometimes good / sometimes downright awful) and his back-line positioning is questionable at times. I’ve seen it with the RBNY, against Spain and now against Canada. He will get absolutely toasted by the likes of a Hernandez on well-timed runs with over the top balls. With time, Ream will get better, but as of now, his positioning with this sort of play is a gaping hole.
On Wondo…see in other post.
On Jones…I feel like most writes are not giving him much credit for last night. He was fantastic…great defensive work and very good passing / distribution.
On Boca…boy oh boy…do we need a legit LB. With more pace, Boca would be fine. His experience and positioning is what allows BB to play him on the flank. His lack of pace is big red flag, but there’s not much of a choice. Lichaj (sp?) could fulfill this role, but his positioning is a problem. Boca, at the very least, is very intelligent on the pitch.
Let me preface this by admitting that I am a Quakes fan…. I too question if Wondo is Natioanl Team Caliber and on the surface I would say No. He is not going to outrun anyone, or outdribble/finesse anyone. But, there have been a lot of successful forwards that just seem to have a “nack” for scoring goals through hard work and determination. I am not saying he is one of those but I am saying he fits that mold. He just seems to get himself into dangerous areas on a regular basis and makes goals out of half chances. I know that is in the MLS…. but, a golden boot is worth a good look. As far as his 20 minutes went last night, he wasn’t good. However, I would like to see him get a decent chance in one of the next two games. Then let the jury decide.
Altidore has always been a handful to play against–drawing fouls, creating matchup issues. Even players who’ve shut him down have talked about the combination of strength, jumping ability, quickness and speed. But the drawback on Altidore has always been production…not scoring goals, not creating chances for others (minimally at best). When he produces like this (a goal and realistically an assist plus some other chances created) then he’s a huge asset to the team. He doesn’t need to be Ronaldo or Gerd Muller or Klose. He just needs to show some production (which also makes Dempsey and Donovan more effective).
You hit a nice triple last night, Omar. 🙂
el escorpion de oro
Dempsey should have won an award for the Scorpion kick he nearly pulled off, it looked like it would have been on frame if the defender hadn’t touched it.
Can you imagine what a scorpion trophy would look like? Badass.
Wondolowski did look impotent. He offers nothing on the USMNT level…not speedy enough, not tricky enough. He’s a very nice MLS club player when in form, but this is a different level. Adu could do everything that Wondo is asked to do w/ much more creativity. I realize that Adu’s just getting back in the fold, but there’s no way he’s not better than a couple of the guys suiting up over him.
“…an award he won via votes from media members who attended the game…”
Just curious — who decides which media members vote for the Man of the Match? And is it a straight vote? Random curiosity.
He was definitely more active which is something he needs to keep doing.
Good start but I still want to see him work harder off the ball and make his runs quicker. It was interesting to see him and Dempsey get into it a bit but he Has to keep moving there where at least two times i saw that he stooped his run and if he would have just kept. going the play would’ve had a better result. But good start.
He had a fine game. I would hope to see Wondolowski with the full side, too, as he was pretty impotent out there when he came on. Just like to see what he can do against a team aside from the best in the world.
Good job Jozy, keep it up. We need you performing to not only help us into the Confed Cup again, but we need you to land at a good team, earning solid playing time!
Saw more hustle and determination from him. Similar to how he played in the Costa Rica game after Davies’ accident – the best game I’ve ever seen him play.
Let’s hope it continues. And that his confidence builds.