Big-money Altidore Continues to Prove His Worth
Jozy Altidore has come a long way from learning the game of soccer while growing up in Boca Raton. From playing youth soccer in South Florida to the prestige of representing his country in a World Cup, Altidore’s rise in the game was highlighted this week after it emerged that the striker is one of MLS’s best-paid players. The 27-year-old, who moved to Boca Raton from New Jersey as a child, has spent large parts of his career playing in Europe. But after returning to North America in 2015 and signing with Toronto FC, Altidore has gone on to establish himself as one of the US’s highest profile players.
The salaries of those playing in MLS was released on the MLS Players Union website, revealing that the star is the seventh-best paid player in the league. The fact that only international superstars Michael Bradley, Sebastian Giovinco, Kaka, Andrea Pirlo, Bastian Schweinsteiger and David Villa earn more than Altidore’s weekly salary of $93,000 is evidence of just how integral both Toronto and the MLS view the goalscorer.
Despite struggling to impress during his two spells in England’s prestigious Premier League, Altidore’s prolific form for the Canadian franchise has seen him firmly put his European disappointments behind him. For those punters visiting comparison sites such as Latest Betting Sites and looking where to place their free bets, Altidore’s form during the early stages of the new MLS season make Toronto a very worthwhile bet to finish as champions this year.
Having spent his early career playing youth soccer in South Florida with the likes of Boca Raton Juniors Soccer Club, Schulz Academy in Fort Lauderdale and Sunrise Soccer Club, Altidore caught the eye of the MLS scouts while playing at the IMG Academy in Bradenton. Selected 17th overall in the 2006 draft, the Floridian moved to New York after being selected by the Red Bulls, scoring 15 goals in 37 appearances before convincing Spanish giants Villarreal to pay a fee of $10 million to take Altidore to Europe in 2008.
The striker’s time in Spain never really worked out, spending time on loan with teams in England and Turkey, but Altidore enjoyed a breakout spell in Holland with AZ, scoring 51 goals in two successful seasons with the Eredivisie. Another big money move soon followed for the Florida native, with Premier League Sunderland spending $13 million to sign Altidore. While his time in England didn’t work out, the USMNT star proved his mental strength by wasting little time in reacquainting himself with North American soccer fans after signing for Toronto.
With Orlando City now in their third season as an MLS franchise, soccer in Florida appears to finally be gaining some level of traction. While talks regarding a team coming to Miami appear to have stalled, it does look as though the game is becoming more popular with Floridians. As the game continues to grow in the state, though, having Altidore represent both Boca Raton and Florida so well on both the domestic and international stage, it only helps put the region on the soccer map.
