Hats off to Altidore in U.S. victory
Jozy Altidore. Remember the name.
He is only 19, and next year’s soccer World Cup in South Africa might be a bit soon for him to make his mark on the international stage. But rest assured that Altidore will do so.
On Wednesday night, in front of 27,959 at LP Field -- the largest crowd ever to attend a soccer match in Tennessee -- Altidore scored all three goals as the U.S. brushed aside Trinidad and Tobago, 3-0, in a qualifying game for next year’s world championship.
In doing so, he became the youngest player to score a hat trick in U.S. soccer history.
Landon Donovan, who assisted on each of the goals, is the national team’s all-time leading goal scorer. Chances are, Altidore one day will hold that mark too.
The signs are everywhere. Altidore has the physique of a striker. He has the speed. He is rapidly acquiring the soccer savvy. The statistics hint at great things to come.
Wednesday night’s performance gave him four goals in his last two games and six goals in nine games for the national team.
Bob Bradley, the U.S. coach, paired Altidore up front with Brian Ching. Previously, Clint Dempsey had that role, but now plays wide right. Then Bradley tried Donovan alongside Ching, but on Wednesday night he moved Donovan wide left.
The new formation clicked, as Dempsey and Donovan found themselves with more space to create. And while Ching did the dirty work of distracting the defenders and holding up the ball and many of the little things that go unseen but have a big impact, Altidore was the beneficiary.
His first goal came in the 13th minute, the second arrived in the 71st, and the third was scored in the 89th.
“He’s a player that we’ve known for a while,” Bradley said of Altidore. “He’s going to be a big part of our team going forward. But things need to be earned. Things need to come at the right time.
“When he came on in the last game [Saturday’s 2-2 tie on the road against El Salvador in which Altidore scored after coming off the bench], I thought it helped us. So tonight we thought about ways to give our team a little bit of a different look from the start.”
It took the suddenly fluid and far more fired-up U.S. team less than a quarter-hour to take the lead.
A long clearance kick by Carlos Bocanegra was headed by Ching to Donovan, who controlled the ball with his chest and then sent a hard cross into the penalty area.
Altidore, charging in, beat a defender to the ball, then fired it into the back of the net.
The second goal was the result of excellent combination play involving, in turn, Michael Bradley, Altidore, DaMarcus Beasley, Donovan and Altidore again.
The third goal was a gift from Donovan, who could have scored but instead passed to Altidore, who did.
“I’m finally understanding what’s needed to be successful,” said Altidore, who last June became the most expensive American export when he was acquired by Villarreal of Spain from the New York Red Bulls for $10 million.
So far, he has struggled to make it, but Wednesday night’s performance might open some eyes in Spain.
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