Jozy Altidore hasn't played in the United States' friendlies against Scotland and Brazil and he might not play against Canada either. The American striker is struggling to regain fitness after the end of his club season and as of yesterday, U.S. manager Jurgen Klinsmann wasn't sure what, if any part Altidore would play against the Canucks.
USA Vs. Canada: Jozy Altidore’s Status Still Unclear
Klinsmann said on Saturday that Altidore could be an option for him, either as a starter or off of the bench, but he refused to commit to Altidore’s playing. That, he said, was still up in the air.
With the Canada match being the Americans’ last friendly before World Cup qualifying starts, getting Altidore in the match is very important. One, the striker needs to play in an actual match to get match fit. Two, he is the top choice for the U.S. at striker and as Klinsmann continues to remake the way that his squad plays, he needs to have his top striker learning the system and how to play with his teammates as the team grows.
If Altidore cannot play against Canada, it might put his status for next week's two World Cup qualifiers in doubt. Throwing in a player who hasn't played in a month into a qualifier would asking a lot, meaning that Herculez Gomez or Terrence Boyd would have to start. Both have played well in the last two matches, but Gomez is still better off with a striker partner than as a long striker and Boyd is still young and inexperienced.
Make sure to check out the U.S. vs. Canada StoryStream for all of your pre-match, live and post-match coverage.
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