I think Joel Campbell has a strong case as the top striker in CONCACAF right now. If I were building a CONCACAF all-star team, he would probably be my first choice based on his talent, skill, form, and potential. He ran out of gas in the knockout rounds of the World Cup for Costa Rica, but still showed his quality, and much like Clint Dempsey, I would argue that he played in a formation that doesn't necessarily play to his strengths. If he were running off of Alvaro Saborio up top, I think he would've been even more dangerous. In any case, the kid has a ton of potential and I'm really looking forward to seeing his career blossom. I think the top group of true strikers in CONCACAF (Dempsey, Giovanni Dos Santos and Bryan Ruiz aren't "true" strikers) includes Joel Campbell, Javier Hernandez, Jozy Altidore, Alvaro Saborio, Oribe Peralta, Aron Johannsson and Blas Perez. I don't agree with this. By age 30, right after his second World Cup, Brian McBride had 63 caps and 20 goals (.32 goals per game). At age 24, Altidore has 71 caps and 23 goals (.32 goals per game). That is a virtually identical strike rate, and while Altidore has certainly benefitted by playing with much better players (Landon Donovan) than McBride did at that time, you could also argue that Altidore has played tougher overall competition than McBride did. Speaking of Brian McBride, one stat I just discovered which I found surprising is that only 4 of his 30 career USMNT goals were scored in friendlies.
Shit, DeNigris can't score the goals Costly scored against Mexico or the USA. At club level yes, but Costly tears it up at National team level (in concacaf).
Joel Campbell would be my vote too. But that list -- and the results of this WC -- show that CONCACAF is playing a pretty good level of ball. CONCACAF teams were a Marquez moment and Wondo missing an open net from having 3 quarterfinalists.
Jozy was playing the best in CONCACAF for a while, especially during qualifying and the time leading up to that - he was on a real tear. He quieted down and fell from the top spot. Additionally, I'd say that Bake benefited from being better in the air for a team that relied a lot more on scoring from set pieces. Jozy has played with better players, but also with much better scoring midfielders. Bake, as you note, was a big-game player (and also missed more friendlies because he was overseas and more of the US team and friendlies were at home then).
good time to bring this back up for discussion. I'm watching Match of the Day cover West Brom/Southampton and i'm wondering how a guy like Shane Long has started for several clubs despite having a scoring rate of like 1 goal every 5 matches in the PL. It's comparable to his stats with Ireland. 17 goals in 71 caps. Jozy went to the wrong club. Relegation fodder clubs in the PL are something our strikers should always avoid. Just shocking though Long has an average PL career yet our boy was a "flop"
Jozy had 2 goals in 70 PL appearances. How does that compare? 1 goal in 5 vs. 1 goal in 35? B/w this and your constant defense of MB, I think you might have a bit of an inflated view of US players...
what defense of Michael Bradley? I'm comparing Long's stats overall. Jozy was terrible at Sunderland without a doubt. But it's just intriguing that he was that terrible, cause at Hull he did contribute far better to the attack. He had quite a few assists. Long ain't exactly a goalscorer yet he seems to keep starting for clubs across the PL. I just thought it was interesting.
I think Jozy could've been good in Italy or Germany on a mid table club. Not sure England is the best place for him, as he sometimes gets marked out of the game by strong, athletic CBs and there are lots of those in the Prem. But really he's not a brutish target man type anyway. I've always felt that he was kind of like a poor man's Benzema. He is good at combination play and short passing in the box. Would be effective on a team that dominates possession and has good wingers/midfielders. On bad clubs that don't hold the ball much, counter attacking strikers like Vardy or aerial threats like Carroll are good because they can convert their one opportunity, cross, or run into a goal. Those guys maybe wouldn't be so effective on teams that hold the ball a lot and play on the ground against a packed box. I think Jozy is the opposite, which is why Sunderland was like the worst possible fit for him.
Oh, never mind, maybe that wasn't you, my apologies. I think that's just quite a significant difference tho. If Jozy knocked in 7 or 8 goals (38/5) for a bottom feeder, he'd probably still be playing in the PL.
I concur. Unfortunately Sunderland offered AZ 11 million pounds and they couldn't turn down the money. I believe while he was at the club, Jozy was among the top earners. So that didn't help when he went an entire season without a goal. I think it'd have been interesting to see him in Italy for a club like Bari or Cargliari or Palermo.
He didn't have to go there. They agreed on personal terms. He could have said I don't want to play for you no matter the price and AZ would be forced to sell somewhere else. He saw money and another chance at the EPL and took it. Unfortunately for him and the men's national team he selected wrong.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. This is actually a title of a thread. Let me help with the answer: No.
Shane Long isn't a goal scorer. What he is, is Jordan Morris. He runs and stretches the defense and links up with the wing players to threaten the defense. Jozy, not so much. In games where he isn't getting service, he walks a lot. His stamina is questionable at best, and to be as tall as he is, he isn't very good in the air. So in a team where chances are limited, and service won't come often. Do you want a guy who runs all out and doesn't score too much, but offers work rate to open things up? Or a guy who jogs around and doesn't score very much? Andy Carroll doesn't score a lot anymore, but he is great in the air and wins knock down balls. It's why he stayed in the top flight for so long even though he isn't starting. Jozys entire game is built on service, not work rate. And you don't get that service on bad teams. His talent isn't going to put him in the bigger teams who can provide service. Which is why the Dutch league was perfect for him.
I like Jozy, but best striker in CONCACAF? I'd like some of whatever whoever came up with that is smoking
It was a while back. 1st half of 2017 he was scoring pretty damn HARD for club and country. Back then he was probably top 5 in the region. Now top 20 .
Top 5 striker or overall? Cause he's never been top 5 overall. There's a plethora of players on Mexico that I'd take over Jozy any day of the week.