Let’s have an exercise in honesty today. Two simple questions … and be honest!
Were you upset with U.S. manager Jurgen Klinsmann for leaving Jozy Altidore off the roster late last year?
And, are you willing to admit that Klinsmann was 100 percent right to do so?
How can anyone see it any other way now? You watched Altidore in Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Panama, right? If the 23-year-old Alkmaar striker has played a better match in the U.S. shirt, someone will need to point that out for me.
Back to last October, when Klinsmann delivered a clear message by leaving Altidore off the U.S. roster ahead of two World Cup qualifiers. What I said all along: it was a calculated risk by a coach who had the bigger goal in mind. Klinsmann, after all, was not brought to qualify for a World Cup. He was hired nudge the United States off a plateau.
A huge part of his plan is finding ways to get the most from individuals – squeezing every last little drop of juice from the fruit. Klinsmann adjudged that Altidore had more to offer, and he correctly calculated that his team could manage the job last October without the Alkmaar high-scorer.
He wanted more from Altidore in the big picture. Klinsmann didn’t desire 90 percent of Altidore’s abilities last October, he wanted 100 percent of Altidore in Brazil next summer. That was the bigger picture.
(MORE: Klinsmann takes time last year to explain the Altidore decision)
If you saw Tuesday’s match, you saw a complete game from a young striker, one still trending up on the career performance curve. His technical work, positioning, awareness, astute use of the ball and general tenacity were exactly where they needed to be.
Here’s what Klinsmann said afterward about Altidore, who has scored in the last three U.S. matches:He knows he has our full support in his development. Again, we have talked often about Jozy and often we forget how young he still is. You got to give him a bad game or a bad performance as well. But you also got to kick him in his backside when you think he needs it. It’s just normal.
“He’s playing a position I played my whole career for 18 years for big clubs so I know what’s going through his mind, I know when he struggles and what we demand from him is when you struggle just fight for your way back into the game and do your job for the team. How he is doing that in the last couple of games is absolutely outstanding.”(MORE: Player ratings from U.S. win over Panama)