【原文地址】http://altidore.theoffside.com/v ... lay-in-la-liga.html
【原文标题】Jozy Altidore becomes first American to play in La Liga
【预计奖金】500fmb
【文章内容】
Yesterday, Josmer Volmy Altidore became the first American to take the pitch in a La Liga regular season game for the Yellow Submarine of Villarreal, sporting the #24 kit. Villarreal defeated Deportivo La Coruña 1-0 in the match, but dominated both play and possesion for most of the game. After a wasteful first half, Altigol came on for Guillermo Franco, who did not threaten Depor’s defense much, and certainly deserved a seat on the pine.
Not only did Altidore make history, he also made an impression, and not only on this blogger. Altidore looked supremely confident form the second he stepped on the pitch, immediately outpacing Deportivo La Coruña back Laure to collect a loose ball, cutting behind Alberto Lopo and setting up Santo Cazorla whose one time shot went straight at Deportivo’s keeper Daniel Aranzubía.
Altidore nearly struck later with a 25-yard blast that the keeper spilled, but mercifully rolled by the far post.
My favorite moment came in the 75th minute, when Altidore received a post at the top-right corner of the box and took the ball straight at Laure and Lopo once again. Blowing by Laure, Altidore then muscled Lopo off the ball before a foul was called on the striker. The announcers, both with heavy Argentine accents, talked about the call:
“I did not see a foul there.”
“No, me neither, that wasn’t a foul, that was a clear case of superior strength.”
Jozy, at age 18, in his first game in La Liga, muscled a seasoned, 28-year old career starter off the ball in front of his own goal. Johnny Cochran (RIP) could not have thought up a better opening statement.
On a side note, injuries to Nihat Kahveci and Guiseppe Rossi, Villarreal’s primary strikers are largely responsible for Altidore seeing the field today, and possibly even his presence of the first squad. Upon their return (Rossi Wednesday, Nihat ???), the young striker will certainly see himself move back down the depth chart.
However, if Altidore can see the field and build on Sunday’s performance, he could see himself leapfrog the 31-year old Franco and Llorente on the depth chart, possibly finding a spot as a super sub in the Chilean manager Manuel Pellegrini’s preferred 4-4-2 line up.
The Ratings:
(Ratings on a 1-10 scale, 10 being the best)
Confidence: 10
Jozy had no fear. He took on defenders, went 100% for loose balls, and had no problems mixing it up with the big boys of La Liga. I am sure he was getting all kinds of “Yanqui de mierda” comments, but he clearly did not let that faze him. The long range blast from 25-yards out erased any doubts that the young man might be shy around the goal.
Athletically: 10
If there were any doubts about the American’s pace and strength being adequate for La Liga, they were definitively dispelled within his first 5 minutes on the pitch.
Positioning: 7
Jozy moved well off the ball in the attack. He put himself in good positions on the near post twice in the final 10 minutes, and found himself wide open at the far-post again in the 88th. All three situations created pressure on the defense and forced a corner. He was dangerous making runs and creating chances as a RF.
Altidore also seemed to be very aware and alert about being caught offside, a reflection of the head on his shoulders, and also being under the auspices of a truly excellent manager.
One area I found Jozy to be very weak was in defensive support in the middle third of the field. Perhaps this has to do with something the coach said, but Altidore seemed all too stagnant to me in many cases, standing around watching instead of providing defensive support to his teammates
Technically: 5.5
We aren’t in New York anymore, Altidorthy. Jozy has the speed and strength, but he needs to realize that he is no longer facing MLS defenders. Many times, he tried to go straight by opposing players or simply muscle his way past. It worked for about 10-15 minutes, before Depor’s defenders started to figure him out.
While his imposing figure worked well against the scrubs back home, veteran players in one of the world’s top leagues are used to playing against world-class athletes everyday. He must improve his arsenal of moves and footwork in order to become more effective when running at defenders.
Altidore’s final touch and finishing also proved to be a bit lacking. His lay-off in the opening moments of the second half to Cazorla was perfect. However, the long range effort would have been easily handled by most keepers in the world. Aranzubía made the strike look much more difficult to handle than he should have.
In addition, in the 82nd minute, Altidore broke down a defender on the touch-line, and had both Robert Pires and Cazorla waiting in front of the goal. He looked indecisive with his final touch, and his pass arrived about half way to his teammate’s feet, squandering a great opportunity to bury a perfectly capable home side in Deportivo.
One positive thing I took away was that he can hold the ball, a decent accomplishment in an elite league. Overall, the signs were encouraging. Altidore must and will continue to develop in this very important area.
Overall: 7.5
Josemire Altidore is the real deal. This is one game, but a game that showed he has what it takes. Before anyone gets too critical about that comment, remember the context: Altidore is 18 years old.
Goal.com rating:
Altidore 8 - Really impressed when coming on and certainly caused Depor’s defence more problems than Guille Franco had.
Quotables:
“After the interval, Altidore was introduced and the American forward showed that he has strenghth, pace and skill and could be one of the finds of the season, even if there were occasional touches of naivety.” -Goal.com
“This win leaves me feel calm and satisfied. The team was strong and I am pleased with the way that all my players performed” -Pelligrini
“Jozy with a near assist and a near goal, as well as some good touches in the last 18 mins. He’s definitely making a strong case for more playing time.” -Dale Murphy on www.soccerbyives.net running commentary
If anyone caught the game or has another take on his performance, feel free to leave a comment! |