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.