AZ you like it: Jozy at Alkmaar [R]

AZ draw a good Europa League group:

AZ Alkmaar (NED)
FC Metalist Kharkiv (UKR)
Austria Vienna (AUT)
Malmo (SWE)

 

The reality is that Altidore had not been getting in position or getting service to score all these 'tap-ins'. Not with the US, not with Bursa, not with Hull, not with Villarreal.

Everyone implored him to go to Holland, where he would be coached by masters of the attacking game who would teach him how to better get in position and how to better finish his chances.

Now he's done that, and it's somehow lucky or easy. Now the goals are soft and they don't count as much.

Before it was, "forwards just need to score...Jozy's not scoring so all the other stuff doesn't matter"

Now it's "well it was against Guadeloupe. Well the keeper was out of position. Well it was perfect service. Well it's the Netherlands, and my grandma could score there...Well, his hold up play's still not all that. Well he can't play as a lone forward..."

So enjoy your yoga-like contortions to discredit our most promising young player having a breakout season. I'll enjoy the goals.

 

It's a pity that he's turned up overhere this season. A few seasons earlier and he would have been thaught at AZ by the master Shota Arveladze, whom I consider to have been one of the best attackers in Europe. After his career he started to take care of the coaching of strikers at AZ. He was one of the masters of positioning, running lines etc. Shame Jozy doesnot get the chance to tap into that resource of striking knowledge.

Beerens said after his first practice and match minutes that he needs to gear up to match the handling (hope that that is correct English) speed that is usual at AZ. He considers himself to be at about 85% of the AZ level. The same goes with Jozy I think.
When they get at the desired 100% they are going to run wild.

 

Maybe Jozy should join BS...

 

I think Yo See All To Score is a rather funny name

 

Exactly. Engaging at daily yoga-like contortions are why Ryan Giggs and Brad Friedel are still posting at such a high level.

 

except that Earnie Stewart, the Dutch-American, is now soccer director at AZ and knew Jozy. That is how he got to AZ. Earnie is VERY well respected in the USA. So back then they would not know Jozy at all.

 

That a REALLY good group to advance from. (translation: easy)

 

don't underestimate the difficulty in having to travel to the Ukraine

 

Metalist Kharkiv isn't that bad. They just beat Sochaux 4-0 in France. That being said, Austria Vienna and Malmö are good draws from Pots 3 and 4 and there were better teams than Metalist in Pot 2, as well.

 

(1100 miles)About the same for LA Galaxy to travel to Vancouver(1030) or Dallas(1230). Not much more than three hours flight time.
one time out 6 games.

 

I come from Ukraine. You not say Ukraine weak. Ukraine is game to you?! Howbout I take your little board and smash it!!

 

What??

Good group for AZ. Jozy should have fun in the Europa league.

 

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzLtF_PxbYw"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzLtF_PxbYw[/ame]

 

If you can put your histrionics to one side, people were commenting on one particular goal. You cannot say with a straight face that the opposing defense did not completely sh!t the bed, because they did. If you want to hold up that particular goal to say this is why Jozy should be on the field, it's simply not a very good example.

If Jozy's movement on and off the ball continues to improve, then his time in Holland will have been an important success, because that has been one area where his game was quite bad.

If his hold-up play improves, that's icing on the gravy. While people liked to say during the last cycle that Jozy was doing all the little things, in fact he often wasn't and his hold-up play, like his touch, was erratic, and punctuated with his inability to win any long ball out of the air. He sure has hell has shown no ability to play as a lone forward for the USA or any of his prior club teams. You being dramatic about that sheds heat, not light.

I personally think what he's doing at AZ is great and badly, badly, badly needed. He was on a downward spiral and he seems to have very much reversed that trajectory and showed a great deal of improvement in his play and his confidence.

It is very possible to look at his situation in a textured way and not take an ham-fisted, all-or-nothing approach, you know. Acknowledge and celebrate what progress has been made without trying to make mountains out of molehills.

 

Some press that agrees with you:

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2011/08/26/armchair-analyst-altidore-rising-low-countries

 

i agree with most of what you say, but i would argue agudelo is our most promising player... by a mile as well..

 

Disgusting

 

Ha! Yes, definitely, intentionally mixed metaphor. Thought about "that's the cherry on top of the gravy", too.

 

Heh, a lot mlssocer.com writers read BS.

 

You might want to look up an interview with Stewart I translated a few years ago when he was technical director at NAC. In that interview he explains how the coach works with the target man Amoah to improve him. That will give you an insight on how Jozy is being handled, as in that respect there is no difference between Dutch coaches.

 

Who do I have to talk to, to get my screenname changed to Altidore's Accent?

 

I'm not Doyle, but after reading that I think we do share a brain.

 

You think Ukraine doesn't have airports? What, are AZ going to travel by camel back to Ukraine?

 

http://www.az.nl/index.php?id=27&newsid=260914&searchmask=altidore.

Funny quotes/translation from AZ news story on Altidore. Interesting that they compare the American sports mentality favorably to Northern Europeans.