By: Pedro Heizer
Jurgen Klinsmann has called 24 players into training camp to prepare for the United States’ final two matches against Antigua & Barbuda and Guatemala, in the Semifinal Round of qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
In a shocking surprise, Klinsmann did not call up AZ Alkamaar forward Jozy Altidore.
“I communicated with Jozy that I was not happy about his latest performances with us, maybe over the last 14 months,” Klinsmann said Monday in a conference call. “Jozy can do much, much better. The reason why he’s not coming in is mainly about his performances at Jamaica and at home, also in training, also certain things that went on through the May-June camp.”
Altidore, who is tied for the Dutch league lead in goals with eight for AZ Alkamaar, had played in a team-leading 17-straight World Cup qualifiers for the U.S. before not being called up for the games against Antigua & Barbuda and Guatemala.
Despite all his success in the Dutch league these past two seasons, goals for Altidore have been hard to come by with the National team.
Altidore’s last goal as a member of the National Team came against Slovenia last November.
It’s no surprise that with the lack of goals and poor performances versus Jamaica,Klinsmann did not hesitate to drop Altidore from the roster and make room for players like Alan Gordon and Eddie Johnson.
Altidore struggled mightily to get touches in the away match against Jamaica on Sept. 7, and contributed little in a substitute’s role in the home encounter four days later.
But what makes this story interesting is not the fact he didn’t call up Altidore, but the fact Klinsmann said that club performance would matter in his roster selection, and if you went by club performance there is no way Altidore is not making the team.
But then on Monday, Klinsmann backed out of those comments by saying the circumstances around Altidore are different, “I think club form is absolutely important. Now it looks a little bit different in Jozy’s case because he’s doing well with Alkmaar, and he’s scoring goals. But he hasn’t done well with us in the last couple of camps.”
Under Klinsmann, the U.S. has scored more than one goal just three times, which makes you wonder why he left out the United States’ most productive European-based goal scorer, at the moment, off the squad.