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Jozy Altidore reaches 100 caps as his USMNT legend continues to grow
Jozy Altidore is already the United States' third greatest goalscorer of all-time. He's been the team's leading striker for nearly a decade now and he's done it all by 27 years of age. And now he's a member of the Americans' hallowed 100-cap club.
When the opening whistle blew for the Americans' friendly against Serbia on Sunday, and Altidore was out on the pitch to kick off the national team's 2017 campaign, he had officially picked up his 100th cap. He's just the 17th American man to ever reach that mark and the second youngest.
By almost any measure, Altidore's U.S. career has been nothing short of extraordinary. Whether it was his four goals at the 2007 U-20 World Cup, scoring his first goal for the senior team against Mexico at just 18 years old, setting a U.S. record as the youngest player to notch a hat trick, scoring the winning goal in the Americans' shock win over Spain at the 2009 Confederations Cup, leading the line at the 2010 World Cup or tying a U.S. record by scoring in four straight World Cup qualifiers, all he's done is put the ball in the back of the net for his country.
Altidore is now on his third U.S. manager and all of them have seen him as their first choice striker. He's scored in meaningful matches and friendlies. He's done it for nearly a decade now and, as of Sunday, across 100 matches.
Simply put, any discussion of best U.S. strikers ever has to include Altidore.
It's easy to forget how good Altidore has been for the U.S. because his club career hasn't been as straightforward. He spent years bouncing around Europe and while his two years at AZ Alkmaar rank among the best any American has had abroad, his stints with Villarreal, Xerez, Hull City, Bursaspor and Sunderland were plagued by infrequent playing time and a lack of goals.
Struggling abroad isn't exactly easy to deal with for any American upon which the country has thrown its hopes, but it was especially tough on Altidore because of he was tapped for greatness at such a young age. Scoring nine goals for the New York Red Bulls at 17 years old and finding the back of the net against Mexico, then bringing in an MLS record transfer fee -- it all raised expectations on Altidore to the point that he had to be a legitimate global star for him to be considered "successful."
Altidore isn't a global star. And that's plagued the way people view him. But now that he's made his 100th appearance for the U.S., it's long past time to put aside what he isn't and look at what he is.
He is one of the best strikers the U.S. has ever had. He's done it for years. And, at just 27 years and coming off of a truly spectacular close to Toronto FC's 2016 season, there's still plenty more to come.
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