365 Q&A with Josmer Altidore
(Soccer365.com) - With three goals in 3 games, Red Bulls rookie Josmer Altidore has made a huge impact during New York's playoff run. It's been an amazing stretch, especially when you consider his is just 16 years old! Soccer 365's Lars Lifrak spoke with with Altidore about his sudden impact, and what it's like to play along side a World Cup winner in Youri Djorkaeff and for former national team coach Bruce Arena.
365: You’ve had a great stretch of games, but you spent most of the season before this on the bench. What were the events that led to you breaking into the lineup?
Josmer Altidore: Practice and reserve games. I tried to prove myself in reserve games against opponents. I tried to perform well so I could catch the eye of the coach.
365: So did you get an idea from Coach (Bruce) Arena that you were starting to get noticed?
JA: Yeah. It was funny because we had a conversation, me and Bruce. I walked in one day and he was like ‘yo Jozy, your sixteen’ and I was like ‘yeah, I came here off the national team program.’ I think that’s probably the first time that he knew I came from there. I’m not sure, but I think it is. He told me that he was going to try to get me into the rotation, get me going young, so I could get used to the environment.
365: So you end up playing and the game where you started to get some notice is when you scored your first goal. It ended up being the Sierra Mist goal of the week, and it’s the kind of goal people love to watch on the MLS website. Can you describe the goal for us?
JA: It was a tough game. You gotta get three points so the urgency is there. The ball was switched, I just checked back for it. There was a lot of space in the end zone because Columbus had gotten two red cards. I got the ball and turned, took about three touches and just let it rip.
365: Yeah, but from how far out?
JA: I think like thirty (yards)?
365: Yeah, it was far enough that the ball was in the air long enough for some thoughts to go through your mind. What were you thinking about as the ball was headed to the net?
JA: I was like, ‘whooo, it has a chance, it has a chance!’ Then it went in and I was like, ‘Wow! I can’t believe I just did that!.’ It took the roar of the crowd to make me realize what I just did. It was amazing.
365: It was a great moment. When you are a rookie, let alone a sixteen year old rookie, I’m sure you’re excited to get the chance to play, but nothing more could have been expected of you so far in your career. Did you think you would make this big an impact?
JA: Honestly. No. I always thought to myself, if I train really hard I might be able to help this team. But the impact I’m making now is far from what I believed I would be able to do. But, I’m happy I’m doing it, and I’ll try to keep it going.
365: How about Bruce Arena? How has he been with the team and to get along with?
For the complete Altidore interview visit Soccer365
Comments
Cross your fingers and pray that the next coach of the US National Team will have the good sense to put Altidore & Adu on the team. Talking about an A game; these guys are the real deal.
Posted by: tesoro | October 2, 2006 06:36 PM
Haha dude are you on crack? the us would be better off sending the girls team in place of the mens teams for the next world cup haha i bet the girls would at least make it out of the first round haha face it dude the us will never be a world power at the international level haha at least not in your lifetime haha
Posted by: Robbie Quaid | October 3, 2006 04:31 AM
haha people need to stop kidding themselves in the US and realize that their game is just not that good. Americans keep hyping about how "were gonna win the world cup next time". Its embarrassing really your just setting yourselves up for a letdown. European Football will "Tread all over you" for years to come haha u can all hate me but u know I am right. Just stick to what ur good at AKA trying to control the whole world
Posted by: Victor | October 3, 2006 11:12 PM
Der USA Team Fogla Achlas!
Posted by: Heinz | October 5, 2006 03:07 AM
Everyone knows that as soon as the U.S. decides to take its football seriously it will dominate on every level. For now I am content to watch the EPL walk all over every other league. Hopefully the U.S. will soon hire a national coach that actually played sometime in his life and wil allow players on the team that go play in europe. I just want to ask those who posted before me, when has the U.S. not dominated at something it took seriously?
Posted by: David | October 29, 2006 09:31 PM
by using the term "haha", you've completely ruined this forum
Posted by: Brit | February 9, 2008 01:23 PM
I think what Martek is siyang is that FIFA might very will insist that non-U.S. based soccer entities deal with USSF when playing friendlies inside the U.S.The U.S. courts can't control what FIFA tells Manchester United it can and can't do. Additionally, as it stands now, the USSF is the assigning and certifying body for referees in the U.S. which would complicate any attempt to hold games in the U.S. with professional club teams outside the purview of the USSF.Obviously the real risk is follow-on suits claiming collusion, or even under the RICO act. Sunil Gulati is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to potential USSF/MLS (or even USSF/WPS) conflicts of interest.
Posted by: Dioen | February 16, 2012 10:22 AM