Jozy Altidore’s injury status uncertain; future World Cup play a possibility
USMNT striker Jozy Altidore is scheduled to be examined by doctors in São Paulo today, after injuring his left hamstring in the 18th minute of the United States’ match against Ghana on Monday.
Altidore had been sprinting down the left sideline when he came up limp, and had to be stretchered off the pitch. Though he was in tears at the time, Altidore was later able to walk under his own power, and joked with reporters after the match.
When speaking of the injury, Altidore was upbeat and optimistic, and repeatedly turned his attention to the team:
I was sprinting and I felt something. We’ll see what happens. I’m praying for the best….At the end of the day, what matters is the team. We had three points tonight. It was a tough game. It’s looking good.
Altidore has suffered hamstring problems before. Most notably, he missed the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinal and final against Mexico with similar injuries.
Coach Jürgen Klinsmann was also optimistic about the striker’s return, saying that he is hopeful Altidore will play in the US’ next match–against Portugal, on June 22–but cautioned that he would wait to hear the doctors’ opinions before making a decision himself.
On a related note, Klinsmann had the quote of the day when asked about the broken nose US captain Clint Dempsey suffered after getting kicked in the face in the win against Ghana:
Clint has to shake it off with his nose. I broke mine three or four times, it’s all right. Give him three or four days.
What do you, the viewers at home, think? Will the US be back at full strength against Portugal, and against a very dangerous German team on June 26? Can the team make it out of the group stage?
