An Altidore Highlight reel from the Man City game: http://watchsocceronline.blogspot.com/2010/02/altidore-specific-highlights-v-man-city.html
Jozy makes TOTW http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=738271&sec=england&root=england&cc=5901
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11979_5925321,00.html Sky Sports as well. Mr Friedel also made both teams.
Like I said... that would be just one factor... There's a social factor as well. Really there are many factors, so you can't really predict with any one person, just observe that it will *tend* to happen more given those factors.
I think it has something to do with an ingratiating personality also. I had an idea that Jozy would be a good candidate to pick one up fast just because of the way he seemed in interviews. I have a friend who only speaks American English, but I guarantee you in Scotland he would quickly start to sound like Shrek.
If you are a defender, you are looking for football (the American version) pads. And you will still probably get your ass kicked. I think it is important to note Altidore coming into form coincided with Vennegoor of Hesselink lining up next to him. In other words, Jozy is still more a finisher than a target forward, and is best used next to a big guy doing the dirty work. For the US Team, should Davies not be fully fit, that means Casey.
Alot of us were calling for this. Good thing Phil Brown finally caught up. Interesting. You're going to be hated for suggesting this, but you might be right.
They kind of share the dirty work. Jozy's hold up play has improved a whole lot and Hesselink will play off of him at times and vice versa. They seem to be developing a good understanding.
It might have been earlier in this thread, but I detailed before that Jozy plays different with nearly every American forward he has been paired with. He plays one way with Davies, another way with Dempsey or Cooper, and another way with Casey or Ching. As much as people can't stand Ching, Altidore played better while paired with Ching then he ever has with Casey. The thing is that in none of those pairings was Jozy ever expected to be a pure target forward like he was at Hull for a while. He doesn't necessarily need a target guy doing the dirty work next to him, but I think it has proven that his best role is playing off of that bigger player. Whereas when he was paired with Charlie, Davies was actually the one who stood out more.
I agree. My earlier point was when Altidore was the lone guy doing the dirty work, he struggled. The pure target forward role is a brutal one and not usually done well by young guys. Adding Vennegoor of Hesselink was important in liberating Jozy to be more dangerous going towards goal. Davies and Casey can do the same for Jozy on the US Team. Point being the physicality of an Altidore/Drogba pairing would scare the pants off most defenders.
I think it would be wrong to note this. Lately, Altidore has been doing more of the "target man" work with Hesselink playing off him. Altidore's goal was the opposite, but that is the exception not the rule. Altidore will score more when somebody else is doing the hard work, but that doesn't mean that he or the team is playing better. In my view, Altidore's target work (a great example is last week against Terry) has improved immensely, giving Bradley the option to use him with another big man or with a Cunningham/Findley/Davies type.
I will meet you halfway and concede they share the target work, and I do agree Jozy has gotten better as a target forward. I am not sure I would partner him with either of Findley or Cunningham. I just am not convinced he is ready to take on the full burden of a Brian McBride type role.
Fair enough. For me, in the last two games, Altidore has done more of the target work. If he can do it against John Terry, he can do it against anyone.
On his day, Altidore has now shown he can do it against anyone. He has half a season (more or less) to also show that he will do it, consistently, against everyone. If he can clear that hurdle, he'll be ready to take on the McBride mantle - that's why it's great that he's getting starting time in the EPL. Even if not, there are already possibilities for his pairing that allow us more flexibility - as was said, pairing with Dempsey or with Davies if back; pairing with Ching or with Casey; even pairing with a pure speed set-up. It should, in theory, allow us to adapt our personnel to fatigue/suspensions/injuries/the opponent...not starting that debate in this thread, though
I think it's more that he has a forward partner, rather than specifically a target man like VoH. Before, Jozy was played as a lone (loan) striker, which certainly doesn't play to his strengths at the time.