Altidore discusses the USMNT, Villarreal, Rossi and the Red Bulls

                                                                                     Photo by ISIphotos.com

With a budding career in Europe and increasing role with the U.S. national team taking up his thoughts, you wouldn't blame Jozy Altidore if he didn't have time to think about the club where it all began.

"What's up with my Red Bulls," Altidore asked after the U.S. national team's 6-1 win vs. Cuba on Saturday. "I hope they can get it together."

Altidore admitted that he still follows his former team's fortunes from Spain and offered an unsolicited reminder that he plans on returning to the Red Bulls one day.

"I'lm gonna play there again," Altidore said. "I'm going to come back (one day)."

Altidore also discussed the transition to Spain, Giuseppe Rossi and finally making his debut in World Cup qualifying:

"It was definitely tough at first, the first couple of weeks being at the hotel and not knowing the language, not knowing anybody and being by yourself," Altidore said of the transition to Spain. "The most important thing is that on the field I'm learning more and more how to be a better professional."

One of the people who helped Altidore with his transition was fellow New Jersey native and Italian national team striker Giuseppe Rossi.

“He’s a good friend of mine and we’re roommates every trip on the road,” Altidore said of Rossi. “When he came back from the Olympics it was a huge weight off my shoulders. He told me where places are, how to do this and that. He’s been a huge help.”

When asked about Rossi's status as one of the most hated players among U.S. national team fans because of his decision to play for Italy instead of the United States, Altidore stated that he bears Rossi no ill will for his decision.

"I think he’s a great player and it would have been great to have him with the U.S. because he‘s a very good player but, having said that, his heart was set on Italy so I think he’s going to be a great player for them as well.”

As for the lack of playing time in World Cup qualifying, Altidore downplayed notion that he has been frustrated by the lack of call-ups in recent months. Saturday was his World Cup qualifying debut.

“There’s no frustration because it’s a process and everybody has to go through it,” Altidore said. “We have to trust in our coaching staff that they’re making the right decisions, and they do. We’re all very confident in them and trust them. They have a plan, we all have a plan on what to do for the World Cup and I’m going to have a role to play.”

Altidore should get plenty of playing time in the U.S. team's two remaining qualifiers this year and looks like a safe bet to start on Wednesday night against Trinidad & Tobago.

Comments

[mexicanbluefish]

Jozy is a class act. Humble, honest, forthright. I will be proud to have him carry the torch for u.s. soccer.

[Betinho]

Thanks to Rossi for showing our boy the ropes! See he's not so bad.

[daniel]

jozy rocks. he looks to be on pace to start for the nats in the next w.c. who do you think has a better chance at scoring goals against world class defenders, ching or altidore? the answer is so obvious it doesn't need stating.

[Javier]

nice piece Ives. good work.

[rick]

He is already our better then Ching and will probably be a lot better by 2010.

[HomeyBoehme]

Shocked that the Rossi haters haven't been all over this. I mean, they don't want Rossi in the American's Abroad (even though he is American), so I'm surprised they allowed you to get away with mentioning him in this article.

@daniel - If you meant the answer was Kenny Cooper, I totally agree. ;-)

[MF73]

At least Jozy didn't say something messed up like, "Ching-Chong, Deuce is better than you."

[lakaix15]

Ives great work

Jozy is the man

[pwip]

c'mon, i'm waiting for it.

no follow-up on Jozy tanking it in his final months with Red Bulls?

[Reid]

I didnt realize this was another article about Brian Ching

[Kyle]

This kid is great. He seems so down to earth and I'm happy he is so patient with verything on the national team and also for Villareal. He's going places for sure.

[CD]

First of all Clint Dempsey looks like a psycho in that picture.

Secondly if NYRB can't get Henry as their DP striker at least it looks they have a lock on Altidore for the 2025 season.

[Faux Fur and Soccer Shirts]

Giuseppe Rossi, you say?
Never heard of him.

He's an assistant with the club? Hotel staff? Jozy's personal concierge (or consiglieri, as it were)?

[Tony in Quakeland]

Everytime Josy opens his mouth...I like him even more.

[paul Lorinczi]

Ives,

Can you explain why this kid seems to be the most down to earth genuine article, despite his talent? In all the interviews I have seen of him, he comes across as mature, articulate, and extremely smart.

His parents must be great.

[Tony in Quakeland]

By the way, I look forward to the day when Josy consoles Rossi on the field after Josy fires the goal that eliminates Italy from the world cup....

[Steve]

Is Dempsey rockin' the Peter Crouch robot in that picture?

I think reasonable fans don't 'hate' Rossi and can hardly blame him for the choice he made. Lash out out of disappointment because of how it impacts the team for which we have the rooting interest? Sure we can do that too.

[A.S.]

So, Ives, you edited out the part where Jozy says that he nicknamed Rossi "Benedict", right?

[Brian]

If only every athlete in the world had the class of jozy.

Kid is miles ahead of 99% of the world in terms of perspective and maturity.

[Betinho]

Steve - hahahahahaha. Great Crouch robot sighting - hahahahahaha

[wendel]

jozy is above all else a classy professional. this kid is so mature sometimes you forget how young he is. as long as he keeps that head of his on his shoulders he'll be fine.

[Amit]

I think Jozy's class is a reflection on his parents. He is humble because that's how he grew up. That being said, at 18 he has better responses than players twice his age.

[Amit]

Ives or anyone else, did the Haitan national team ever try to secure Jozy's services?

[Nicole]

That Jozy is such a kiss-up.

Just kidding. I like this kid.

[metrostar 4 life]

I wait for the day Jozy comes back to RBNY!!! I never hated Rossi as a person, just his decision of leaving his country for italy.

[SonicDeathMonkey]

I doubt it Amit, because I'm sure Jozy would of jumped at the chance to play for Haiti.

[irishapple21]

I'm sure that Rossi is a very nice person. Unfortunately, he also chose to turn his back on the country of his birth because he thinks it will give him a better chance of winning the World Cup. Where I come from (USA!), that is not classy.

[yoman]

Wow, Ives I had suggested you go to Villarreal and interview Rossi and Jozy afew months ago....Well nice of you to do it right in the US. Anyway, one question I would have asked...
How does he feel about not playing much @ Villarreal.....

Ciao Yoman

[Yoman]

Time to make people go nuts here.
=============
Rossi commenting on his first cap, “My debut in Sofia? I was emotional, but not too much. -> In these situations my American side shows itself - I take the situation calmly.”
==============
:P
Ciao Yoman

[Yoman]

Ives or anyone else, did the Haitan national team ever try to secure Jozy's services?

Posted by: Amit | October 13, 2008 at 05:32 PM

================

I bet if Jozy's was family was from a famous football nation, he too what have ditched US.

Ciao Yoman

[Scott A]

Jozy's awesome

[amy]

yeah, Jozy!!!!!!

[areign]

the Jozy portrayed in this article is a stunning contrast to the cocky bigmouth who i had seen playing for the red bulls a few months earlier. im quite happy to see that hes maturing as both a player and a person. i had conflicting opinions about him back then, loved his play, didnt like his attitude, now i happily hope he gets called back many times for the USMNT

[eric]

Since everyone here loves talking about Rossi, I lmao reading his quote when asked about his debut for Italy:

"I was emotional, but not too much. In these situations my American side shows itself -- I take the situation calmly."

[jpc]

Giuseppe who? I'm afraid i'm not familiar w/ the boy. New Jersey you say, but he plays for Italy. Hmmm, that doesn't make sense, it must be a mistake. Oh well...

Yoman, that's a funny comment by him... As if he is primarily Italian, but has only flashes of American that come out once and a while. Nobody ever argued the kid was a bad guy, I just think he's got an identity problem, He's not Italian, but for some reason he doesn't want to be American. he talks and acts as if he grew up in Rome, and not in Clifton, NJ surrounded by a bunch of polish and latin kids.

But anyway, who? I don't know where that rant came from b/c I've never even heard of him. that's Weird

[yoman]

areign
============
Stiting on Villarreal's bench, has made Jozy humble....and mature

[BCC]

I don't know about you guys, but I am so happy that Jozy is going to come back to play for the Red Bulls when he is 35 and washed up. So magnanimous for him to throw a bone to the little people.

[who??]

yoman, areign...

I don't know what interviews you saw of Jozy during his time at RBNY but every single one I've seen ( and I seen many) he was always very humble and down to Earth. Oh, and I've also met him in person a few times, very polite.

[Mark F.]

Well, jpc, he did spend 5 years back in the Fatherland starting at the age of 12... only people who have grown up around the children of immigrants really understand that in many cases, they really do consider themselves "X Nationality" before Americans. You seem like a WASP to me, and a pretty snobbish one at that... by European tradition, he's as Italian as any child of Italians born in Rome.

[Daniel F.]

HomeyBoehme: Mention Rossi as a player all you want. Just don't associate him as a Yanks Abroad. Playing for Italy for your Dad doesn't mean he made the right decision. At the same time, don't bribe the head coach of the US Men's National Team that you will play for the Stars & Stripes if he hands you a roster spot for the World Cup.

He may have been born here, but he doesn't deserve to be mentioned as a Yank at all.

[areign]

@who?? i was talking about his conduct on the field. maybe his on field conduct is the same, but things should change if he starts seeing time with villareal. he will either talk less or get carded

[mark]

Good work here, Ives.

[ETucker]

Great stuff Ives.

Jozy's patience stems from his confidence and talent. He knows that he will get a chance, and when it happens he will take advantage. This is the right attitude: train hard every day. I think he will do well- like Beasley, this kid can handle adversity and has the desire to play overseas

[RK]

"I just think he's got an identity problem"

I think the only ones that have the problem are the myopic Rossi haters.

[jh]

It is very sad that some of you people have held Rossi's decision against him for so long.

I would put a lot of money on the fact that if most of these readers were put in the same situation, they would have made the SAME decision.

Have a chance to win a WC vs. probably not ever getting out of group play?

Seems like a no-brainer to me.

[Mario in SJ]

We all need to get over this Rossi thing.
Of course the potential Altidore-Rossi attack combo would surely have been nice! But I digress.

Both players are on their way and now we look forward to the day they meet in 2010.

[Betinho]

Mario - and we hopefully see them in tandem soon at Villareal. Having two Americans at a top European club is something to be happy about and - dare I say - proud of as an American soccer fan.

[jpc]

Mark F.
First off my family comes from Sicily. But the fact that you use the term WASP as if its synonymous with ignorance is a fairly ignorant statement in and of itself.

Snobbish? I was unaware its snobbish to expect people who grow up in a country to not treat it as if it were a foreign land, especially a country like America that gave him every opportunity he needed to succeed in life and soccer. I understand if he was from Haiti or Cuba, but he's not.

Your right, a lot of second generation people in this country feel more attached to their parents country then the one that they were raised in. Now you need to explain to me why its okay for him to turn his back on the country that provided him with this opportunity he has? The fact that his outlook on his identity is based on his parents lives and not his own doesn't make his decision right.

And your use of the fact that he lived in Italy for 5 years is generally not important, as he has been on record before as stating that he made his decision that he wanted to play for Italy before he ever moved there.

Also, you mention European tradition. THIS ISN'T EUROPE, EUROPEAN TRADITION DOESN'T APPLY.

I'm done w/ Rossi, you may reply if you want, but I can't guarantee I will do the same.

[Joey]

No more mentions of Benedict Rossi's name, ever, please... If the good journalists of Italia or the Dirty Jers want to discuss him, fine, but let's be done with this greaseball once and for all.

[Jacob A.]

Back to the point here: Great news from Jozy, and I gotta tell you, as someone around the same age (a year older), he comes off almost every time I hear from him as a really cool guy to hang out with.

[Donjuego]

Brian Ching just does whatever he is asked to do and gives his all for his team and country -- 1000%. And he wins. What does he get for it? A bunch of abuse from know-it-all so-called fans who really are only fans of their own little egos.

[ciaofornow]

No more mentions of Benedict Rossi's name, ever, please... If the good journalists of Italia or the Dirty Jers want to discuss him, fine, but let's be done with this greaseball once and for all.

Posted by: Joey

-----------
Hey Pea Brain....your bud Jozy mentioned him. and Ives reported it.