Photo by ISIphotos.com
By FRANCO PANIZO
It would not be much of a stretch to say that Jozy Altidore enjoyed his finest performance in a U.S. Men’s National Team jersey in Wednesday’s 4-3 win over Bosnia & Herzegovina.
He was that good.
Altidore enjoyed an impressive outing in the Americans’ come-from-behind victory in Sarajevo, as he was involved in all four of the United States’ goals in the second half. The in-form striker jumpstarted the improbable rally with an assist to Eddie Johnson before scoring a hat-trick that made Altidore the first U.S. player to ever net in five straight matches and SBI’s clear choice for Man of the Match.
While Altidore was clearly the top performer in the win, other players delivered solid outings as well. Michael Bradley once again shone in the U.S. midfield, Tim Howard made a number of fine saves to keep the Americans from falling behind after equalizing, and Aron Johannsson showed plenty of promise in his U.S. debut.
Still, it is Altidore who will be remembered most in this game. His hat-trick, which included a picture-perfect free kick, extended the Americans’ record winning streak to 12 games and also gave them their first comeback victory on European soil.
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What did you think of Altidore’s dominant performance vs. Bosnia & Herzegovina? Where do you rank it in terms of all-time individual showings in a U.S. jersey? Think he is only beginning to scratch the surface of the player he can become? Which others U.S. players impressed you the most?
Share your thoughts below.