Altidore: He Shoots, He Scores!

Coming off a strong Premiership debut in Hull City's 1-0 win over Bolton, Jozy Altidore has opened up his scoring account with his new club in their League Cup match against Southend.

Taken down 20 yards from the Southend goal in the 41st minute, Altidore took the free kick himself, sending a laser blast into the bottom left corner and into the back of the net. His goal helped Hull emerge victorious with a 3-1 win.

Two games; one goal, one assist - not bad for a 19 year-old from New Jersey.

Check it out here:

Altidore Gets Work Permit: Ready To Help Hull

Its official!

American striker Jozy Altidore has finally received his UK work permit and will be able to join Premiership side Hull, which opens the season this weekend against Bolton.

Hull Ready To Match Fulham Offer For Altidore?

Is a bidding war starting for American striker Jozy Altidore? The UK's Daily Mail thinks so.

If this pans out, it looks like Jozy's value has already jumped by $2 million since last summer.




Special thanks to LFV reader Marc Sarchet for digging up this nugget.

Update: Altidore To Olympiakos?

Word from reliable sources indicates this one is not yet a done deal. Stay tuned.

Greek media are reporting that young American ace Jozy Altidore may be spending the next year with Olympiakos. The 19 year-old Villarreal striker, after turning more than a few heads in the recent Confederations Cup (including scoring against Spain), is still facing the prospect of not breaking into the Yellow Submarine's starting 11.

Last year, Altidore, after making six appearances for Villarreal and scoring one goal, was loaned to second division side Xerez where he sat on the bench for five months. Recent statements attributed to the New Jersey native indicate he wants to find a situation where he can play every week.

The deal being reported in Greece indicates that a loan deal with an option to buy may be near and take Altidore across the Mediterranean to Olympiakos, where the young forward will have the opportunity to play in the Champions League.

What do you think? Could this be a good opportunity for Jozy or is he better off elsewhere?

Methinks any chance to play every week for a good club and get some Champions League action can't be a bad way to get ready for the World Cup.

Jozy Loaned To Xerez

After much speculation and a couple of false starts, Jozy Altidore's loan deal from Villarreal to Xerez is now complete. The 19-year old American will join the Spanish second division side the rest of the year after scoring once in six appearances for the Yellow Submarine. His new team is currently first in Spain's second division standings and looking for Altidore to add the spark they need to stay on track for promotion to the Primera.


"This is a good opportunity for me because I will be able to get more playing time which will help me adapt to this country and continue to develop my career," said Altidore according to the club's web site.

Everton Eyes Altidore

According to the UK's Sky Sports network, Premiership side Everton is interesting in acquiring Villarreal's American striker Jozy Altidore. Check out the story here.

According to the article, manager David Moyes has no money to so they may have the idea to take him on loan for the second half of the season.

Alas, injury issues at the Yellow Submarine and Altidore's early season form have led the club to spurn the Toffee's offer - for now.

And watch this space because Altidore's growth in Spain is not just being noticed by Everton - FIFA just named him as one of the young players to watch in 2009.

FINAL FOUR CATEGORY WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR BEST OF US SOCCER AWARDS

Courtesy of US Soccer:

CHICAGO (Dec. 17, 2008) – The final four winners of the 2008 Best of U.S. Soccer Awards were announced on Wednesday on ussoccer.com, with Studio 90 presenting the fan’s choices for Best Performance: Team, Best Goal: Men, Best Goal: Women and Best Photo.

Fans can watch a special presentation of all 12 winners on ussoccer.com’s Studio 90, which has already showcased the first eight award winners, including Best Assist, Best all_access Video, Best Fan Photo, Best Soccer Specialty Store, Best Performance: Player, Best Soccer Bar and Best Soccer Blog.

Watch the Winners Now!
On Thursday, Dec. 18, U.S. Soccer will announce the winners for the 2008 Athlete of the Year Awards, which include Male, Female, Young Male and Young Female Athletes of the Year. As the oldest and most prestigious awards of their kind, U.S. Soccer’s Athlete of the Year Awards date back to 1984 for the men and 1985 for the women. As in years past, online votes for the annual award were tallied and counted for to 50 percent of the total, while the other 50 percent was compiled from members of the national media and U.S. Soccer representatives, including National Team coaches and members of the U.S. Soccer Board of Directors.

All four of the final “Best Of” Awards have China as their common thread, and the Beijing Olympics provided some of the most memorable moments of the year for the men's and women's national teams.

The award for Best Performance: Team was never going to be a contest, with the U.S. Women's National Team taking the prize for their gold medal winning effort against Brazil. The 1-0 victory in the championship match earned 52 percent of the vote, far outpacing the MNT's performances against Argentina and Poland, which finished second (21 percent) and third (8 percent) respectively.

Best Goal: Women came from the same game, with Carli Lloyd's gold medal winning strike earning the most votes from the fans. Lloyd's fizzer into the bottom corner earned 31 percent of the vote, while Lori Chalupny's shot into the top left corner against Japan earned 27 percent. In third place was Becky Edwards' rocket against Cuba during U-20 CONCACAF qualifying.

Best Photo went to “Jump for Joy,” which captured U.S. players Heather O'Reilly and Natasha Kai in mid celebration after the final whistle against Brazil. The photograph took in 31 percent of the vote, beating Triple Celebration (25 percent) and Cuba Cuatro (16 percent).

The Best Goal on the Men's side also came from China, with Sacha Kljestan's strike against the Netherlands getting 28 percent of the fan vote. Kljestan's well-taken shot finished ahead of two goals from the U.S. MNT's game against their biggest rival, Mexico. Oguchi Onyewu's powerful header and Jozy Altidore's first goal for the full national team both tied for second place with 20 percent of the vote.

Up next in the award season is the results for 2008 Athlete of the Year. The awards for Male, Female, Young Male and Young Female Athletes of the Year will be announced on ussoccer.com on Thursday, Dec. 18.

2008 Best of U.S. Soccer Results – Performance: Team, Goal: Men, Goal: Women, Photo

Best Performance: Team
1. U.S. WNT vs. Brazil – Aug. 21 52 %
2. U.S. MNT vs. Argentina – June 8 21 %
3. U.S. MNT vs. Poland – March 26 8 %

Best Goal: Women
1. Carli Lloyd vs. Brazil – Aug. 21 31 %
2. Lori Chalupny vs. Japan – Aug. 18 20 %
3. Becky Edwards vs. Cuba – June 20 14 %

Best Goal: Men
1. Sacha Kljestan vs. Netherlands – Aug. 10 28 %
2. Oguchi Onyewu vs. Mexico – Feb. 6 20 %
3. Jozy Altidore vs. Mexico – Feb. 6 20 %

Best Photo
1. Jump for Joy 31 %
2. Triple Celebration 25 %
3. Cuba Cuatro 16 %

Jozy Starts Against Huelva

American striker Jozy Altidore made a rare start for Villarreal against Huelva tonight in a 2-1 win to put the Yellow Submarine in second place behind Barcelona. Altidore caused trouble for the Huelva defense early, creating a chance of his own which was stopped by keeper Riesgo.

Ironically, Recreatico Huelva was the destination for a possible January loan for Altidore but such talk died down in mid October. Now, having seen the goods, perhaps Huelva will be interested again, provided Villarreal boss Manuel Pelligrini can spare this young talent for six months.

Fellow New Jersey native Giuseppe Rossi started and was substituted in the 90th minute while Altidore was replaced by Edmilson in the 78th with the team up 2-0.

Happy Birthday Jozy!

Villarreal's American attacker Jozy Altidore turned 19 today just a few days after becoming the first American to score a goal in the Spanish Primera. Chances are good that he'll suit up for this Sunday's match against 11th place Almeria and try to score his second.

As LFV (not to mention our readers in a recent poll) have mentioned previously, chances are strong that Altidore may be loaned out to another club in January (probably not Huelva). That said, given nagging injury problems in the squad, don't be surprised if he stays on for the entire year.

Either way, he has earned his way to the most golden opportunity any young American player abroad has seen in years (if ever); the chance to make a meaningful contribution to one of Europe's top clubs before he even reaches 20. All the while, he'll be able to keep sharpening his shooting boots on the way to becoming the USA's target forward of choice. It hurts not to see Brian McBride on team USA these days but every time I see Altidore in action, I know the pain won't last for long.

Tonight's Champion's League Predictions

My record on predictions last night only confirms that I'm not much of a prognosticator on Champion's League matches but here goes. You won't see American Jozy Altidore in action tonight because he was not listed on Villarreal's Champion's League roster of 25 turned in back in September. Given recent injury problems, coach Manuel Pelligrini probably wishes he had Altidore as an option tonight.

AaB 1 Villarreal 3

Celtic 1 Man. United 2

Fiorentina 1 Bayern 1

Lyon 2 Steaua 1

Arsenal 2 Fenerbahçe 1

Dynamo Kyiv 1 Porto 1

BATE 0 Zenit 1

Real Madrid 2 Juventus 1

*While you're here, please give a fair chance to our advertisers. Otherwise, I won't be able to retain my research assistant Natasha.


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Altidore Scores In Villarreal Romp Over Bilbao

Young forward Jozy Altidore became the first American ever to score in the Spanish top flight yesterday, opening his scoring account last night in a 4-1 romp over cellar dweller Bilbao. His fellow New Jersey native Giuseppe Rosssi opened scoring for the Yellow Submarine in the 22nd minute before Bilbao managed to equalize five minutes later, a score which stood until the half.

Second half goals by Robert Pires and Santi Cazorla put Villarreal on top 3-1. Altidore came on in the 89th minute a scored not even a minute later to make it 4-1. He told Spanish sports daily Marca: "I am very pleased with the goal and with the victory for my side in such a difficult place as San Mamés."

Americans Abroad: Sunday Results

It remained a busy weekend for American players in Europe today as Carlos Bocanegra put in a good 90s minutes for Stade Rennais as they drew Nancy 0-0. Rennes is off to a slow start, currently sitting in 12th place with seven points.

Down in Spain, Jozy Altidore dressed but did not play for Villarreal in their 2-1 win over Numancia. Up in England yesterday, Clint Dempsey watched from the bench as Fulham, fell to Blackburn Rovers 1-0. With Brad Friedel between the pipes, Aston Villa won the midlands derby with West Brom 2-1. While beaten once in the 33rd minute, Friedel made several good saves to preserve the lead and the win.

In Germany, Neven Subotic and Borussia Dortmund took a beating from Bundesliga newcomer TSG Hoffenheim in a 4-1 drubbing. Subotic was beat on the 4th Hoffenheim goal by Luis Gustavo while Felipe Santana prevented a goose egg for Dortmund during injury time.

AS Monaco's Freddy Adu is listed in the first 18 for tonight's big match against arch rival Olympique Marseille. A win puts Monaco in the top three while a Marseille win would solidify their second place position and pull them within two points of leader Olympique Lyon. Its not clear yet if Adu will start or make a substitute appearance but the word from Monaco is that they are planning to get some offensive production from the young American tonight.

Update: Freddy Adu did not play in the lackluster 0-0 draw but given how poorly playmaker Park Chu-Young played, he may get his chance next week.

Americans In Action All Over Europe This Weekend

American Jozy Altidore was named to the squad for tonight's match against Primera newcomer Numancia. Given that coach Manuel Pelligrini is without three starters due to injury and is just coming off a midweek Champion's League draw with Manchester United, and Altidore's encouraging debut last week against Deportivo, there is a good chance that Altidore will see more playing time this week.

Villarreal's current predicament is exactly the reason Pellegrini decided not loan out Altidore at the beginning of the season. If the young American can make a positive impact in the coming weeks, it will reduce the chance that he is loaned out in January - the club's current plan.

Playing center-left midfield of a 3-5-2 for Brescia, Danny Szetela went the distance again in a 2-1 win over Ascoli this afternoon. Meanwhile, Gabe Ferrari and Perugia are set to take on Pescara tomorrow in Lega Pro (Serie C) action. Elsewhere in Italy, Napoli reserve team player Vincenzo Bernardo picked up an injury while training with the first team and missed the last two reserve matches. Nonetheless, his performances in training with the first team has seen his stock rise, leading some locals to speculate on a future role with the senior squad.

Hannover got a spanking at BayArena as they fell to Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 on Friday night. American Sal Zizzo came on the 50th minute for Hannover with the team already down 2-0 while Steve Cherundolo did not play due to injury. Neven Subotic and Borussia Dortmund take on Bundesliga newbie Hoffenheim on Sunday. Heath Pearce went the distance for Hansa Rostock as they drew Rot-Weiss Ahlen 2-2. Ahlen's Grover Gibson did not play due to a nagging injury.

Also in Germany, Borussia Monchengladbach dropped its second straight match, this time to Hertha Berlin 1-0. Michael Bradley made his Bundesliga debut as started and played a solid 65th minutes but was not able to convert any chances for the Foals. Bryan Arguez did not play for Hertha.

Up in France, Carlos Bocanegra and Rennes will be looking to earn a much-needed three points tonight against Nancy while word out of Monaco is that Adu may have a larger role in tomorrow's match against arch rival Marseilles.

Edu And Adu Make Club Debuts, Subotic and Dortmund Avoid Disaster

Fresh home from international duty this week, Maurice Edu was not expected to play for Rangers this week against Kilmarnock. A late failed fitness test by Kevin Thopmson pressed Edu into duty as a starter in his debut for his new club before 50,000 home fans. Fellow American DaMarcus Beasley, also fresh back from Chicago, was also on the field as the Ibrox club found themselves down 1-0 in the early going.

Shortly after the Kilmarnock goal, Beasley had a chance to even the score on a nice through ball from Edu but he was tackled off the ball by James Fowler. A tiring Beasley was replaced at the half by Nacho Novo, who drew a 58th minute foul in penalty area to allow Kris Boyd to even the score at 1-1. Boyd would score again four minutes later to make it 2-1, a tally which turned out tho be the game winner. Edu acquitted himself adequately in his debut, playing the full 90 minutes.

In an interview with the Rangers' official website, Edu expressed his thoughts on the debut: "It was a great experience. The fans are amazing. It was great to get a win in my first game, especially as we had to battle back from a goal down but I think that just shows the confidence that the team has and the strength and character of the squad."

Up in Germany, Neven Subotic's Borussia Dortmund had their hands full with arch rival Schalke 04. A 20th minute Subotic handball in the penalty area allowed Schalke to take a 1-0 lead on a Jefferson Farfan penalty. By the 60th minute, BVB was down 3-0 before Subotic got one back in the 67th to put Dortmund on the board (his third goal of the young season). A pair of Alexander Frei goals allowed Dortmund to finish the game at 3:3, completing an impressive comeback to earn the point.

In French action, American defender Carlos Bocanegra put in a solid 90 minutes in Stade Rennais' 1-1 draw with Havre FC. Also, American forward Freddy Adu made his first appearance for AS Monaco, coming on in the 79th minute of a 2-0 win over FC Lorient. American Andrew Jacobson did not dress for Lorient.

Down in Italy, American midfielder Danny Szetela went the distance for Serie B side Brescia in a 1-1 draw with Bari. Elsewhere in Europe, Jozy Altidore is listed as among the 18 for Villarreal's Sunday match with Deportivo La Coruña.

Altidore Scores Hat Trick in Exhibition Match

While their American brothers were picking up a 1-0 World Cup qualifying win in Cuba this weekend, a pair of young American players kept their shooting boots sharp in a pair of friendlies across the pond.

In Spain, Jozy Altidore tallied a hat trick for Villarreal in a 7-1 romp over semi-pro club San Rafael del Rio. Coach Manuel Pelligrini is still indicating that he may decide to loan out Altidore in January but first wants to get a good look at what he can do. Two clubs in the running for a future loan appear to be Real Sociedad and Valladolid. Of course much can change between now and December.

Over in Italy, Danny Szetela appears to have secured a starting position with consistent strong play, including in a recent Coppa Italia match which Brescia lost 2-1 against Serie A side Torino. This weekend, he scored a goal in Brescia's 7-0 first team exhibition over their own youth team.

Onyewu: I Deal With Reality

Standard Liege defender Oguchi Onyewu, seeming to be completely disgusted with the transfer process, told US reporters in Guatemala that "I only want to live in reality, and the reality of the situation is that I play for Standard. I enjoy it and what happens, happens."

Meanwhile, the buzz coming from cognoscenti back in the States links Onyewu to Serie A side Catania, which is still looking to replace top defender Juan Manuel Vargas after selling him to Fiorentina. In what appears to be a late house cleaning, they also just sold defender Andrea Sottil to Rimini with three more midfielders and defenders on the auction block. The Sicilian club had a pretty porous defense last season and boss Walter Zenga is looking to shore up the back line.

Another coach looking to anchor the back line is Cologne boss Christoph Daum, who at one time was stalking Gooch like a teenager in puppy love. Its not clear now if Daum is still interested, given the club's transfer focus on bringing in another attacking player.

All that said, I still think Onyewu will either stay at Standard to win another championship or he'll be playing somewhere in France where there has been sustained interest in him since 2007. Plus, its hard to see tiny Catania outbidding PSG or Lyon, two of the bigger teams which still seem to be in the hunt. PSG was also looking at Dynamo Kiev's Senegalese defender Pape Diakhaté, who is also being pursued by Monaco and Rennes (where Carlos Bocanegra is in desperate need of a quality partner in central defense). If Diakhaté ends up at PSG, perhaps Rennes will opt for Gooch, provided there is enough time left to make a deal - the clock is ticking. Two Americans at Rennes? Who knows.

Also when asked in Guatemala, Heerenveen's Michael Bradley seemed mystified by the entire transfer process, telling US reporters: "I have no real idea what is going on but my agent tells me something may happen next week." Greg Seltzer seems to think its Everton, Celtic, or Middelsbrough (a club which always seems to be linked to an American player but never seems to close the deal). Again, my spidey sense seems to indicate he'll head be heading to Germany (Bayer Leverkusen?) but probably not Hamburg which found its replacement for Van Der Vaart in Mladen Petric, just purchased from Borussia Dortmund. In about a week, we'll know the answer for sure.

There have also been whispers here on the boot that a few Serie B teams have taken an interest in Colorado Rapids midfielder Pablo Mastroeni but its not clear if any of them are in a position to acquire him now or wait until mid season, when he would be available on a free transfer. Back in July, Serie A side Cagliari had also taken a discreet interest in Mastroeni but given the club's modest budget, they may also be waiting for midyear.

Elsewhere today, American Jozy Altidore replaced Giuseppe Rossi in the 67th minute of Villarreal's preseason match against Italy's Udinese. Altidore's side lost 1-0.

NOTE: In case you are waiting for the fourth and final installment of The Evolution of American Soccer Players in Europe, I'm waiting for the smoke to clear on this transfer season before finishing it up.

Gooch Plans To Surprise Liverpool

After scoring two goals over the weekend to help Standard Liege beat RSC Anderlecht 3-1 in the Belgian Cip over the weekend, Oguchi Onyewu has his sights on their next foe; Liverpool.

Onyewu told the Belgian press that he thinks Standard can surprise a team like Liverpool when he said "Now we must concentrate our Liverpool. There are always chances, I think nobody thought that Anderlecht would be eliminated but we surprised them." He further told the national TV station RTBF that "In football sometimes the underdog can surprise you. Hopefully, we can do something on Wednesday to show what Belgian football is about."

From the way Onyewu has comported himself the past few weeks, you would never know that he is perhaps on the verge of being transferred to a bigger European club. Regardless of whether he ends up at FC Koeln, Fulham, or somewhere in France or Italy, it seems he wants to go out of Liege with a bang. Standard will face Liverpool at home on Wednesday in the third round of Champion's League qualifying.

A few quick hits from the weekend:

- Villarreal may be missing Giuseppe Rossi and Jozy Altidore in training but they can be proud that the pair has already scored a combined three goals in Olympic play.

- American defender Bryan Arguez did not play for Hertha Berlin in their 3-1 German Cup win over Trier this weekend.

- The US team played very well within themselves yesterday against the Dutch and coach Piotr Novak proved what a good tactician he can be with his adjustments and substitutions. The missed US chance near the end came back to haunt them after the Oranje equalized but the card collecting in the waning minutes was annoying. If anyone's international stock rose yesterday, it was Sacha Kljestan and Freddy Adu (the AS Monaco discussion boards are buzzing already).

- I have a good feeling about the Nigeria game, when Altidore, Danny Szetela, and Benny Feilhaber will need to step up. The team is starting to gel and play with much more confidence. They seem to believe in their coach, his system, and each other - not a bad way to go into Wednesday's match.

Monaco Still After Bradley

According to Le Parisien, now that a deal to bring Freddy Adu to the Rock is sealed, Monaco boss Jerome De Bontin is now focused on signing Heerenveen starlet Michael Bradley. Recent reports from Le Figaro and Nice Matin indicated that Monaco had offered €8.5 million euros for the high scoring American midfielder but that Heerenveen was demanding a price closer to €10 million. Previous reports had Middelsbrough offering circa €5 Million while Germany's Bild had Bayer Leverkusen's offer at €4.5 million.

With only 20 days left until the French transfer deadline, Monaco will need to resolve the Bradley transfer soon. If they cannot afford Heerenveen's asking price, they'll need the time to sign another attacking midfielder - namely Bordeux's Alejandro Alonso from Argentina.

A few Spanish clubs are also interested in Alonso so Monaco may be keeping him on the back burner until they know the outcome of their Bradley gambit. With four goals in 80 appearances, Alsonso is not quite the goal scoring threat that Bradley is but he does come with a good understanding of the French game, UEFA Cup experience, and (most likely) a lower price tag.

It remains to be seen whether another club is able or willing to match Monaco's offer for the 20-year-old American and whether Heerenveen will accept it. The Stade Rennais FanZine Da'Squad mentions that Bradley is among the options the club (which recently signed Carlos Bocanegra) is considering to fill a hole at attacking midfielder.

Either way, if the leaks and rumors turn out to be true, he could be the most expensive American player ever which (at today's exchange rates) would price his transfer at circa $13.7 million. This would surpass the previous record of $10 million Spanish side Villareal paid for the New York Red Bulls' Jozy Altidore just over one month ago.

Altidore Sees First Action For Villarreal

Villarreal got a good look at its four new signings, including American Jozy Altidore in a Sunday friendly against third division side Navata. The match turned out to be a 12-0 romp for the primera side and the club's faithful got its first look at Altidore before he departs to participate in the Olympics for the USA.

Yellow Submarine coach Manuel Pellegrini has indicated that Altidore will remain with the first team until at least January due to an injury to veteran forward Nihat Kahveci. Kahveci suffered a thigh injury during the Euro 2008 tourney while playing for Turkey and eventually required surgery, keeping him out of action for the first half of the Spanish season.

So, Altidore will have a chance to prove his worth as Villarreal faces a tough run of Spanish league and Champions's League matches during the fall. Regardless of how well he does at the Olympics, he'll need to work extra hard to integrate into his new club team after missing so many weeks of preseason training. Opportunity is knocking - will he be ready to answer?

Altidore's Loan to Huelva Looking Less Likely

Villarreal's new signing from the New York Red Bulls, Jozy Altidore, is looking less likely to be loaned out to Recreativo de Huelva for a six-month period. While the Yellow Submaine have offered the loan to Huelva, there is less interest in borrowing the 18-year-old American now that they have signed striker Adrián Colunga from Las Palmas of the Spanish Segunda (second division).

Now its a waiting game to see if Huelva will consider bringing on Altidore as well or if Villarreal can find another team wanting a shirt term loan deal. Otherwise, he'll stay with his new team but will have a tough time working himself into the lineup. The fact that Villarreal was looking to arrange a loan means that there was no place for him in the scheme this fall. Of course, he has a chance to change all that if he can prove himself during pre-season training which starts on July 15th. Opportunity may be knocking but the question is - will Jozy Altidore be ready to answer?