Jozy Altidore’s Copa status uncertain after hamstring injury

Published:
MGN

CHICAGO (AP) – The U.S. is uncertain of Jozy Altidore’s availability for the Copa America following yet another hamstring injury. The team also will be without a half-dozen foreign-based players for Sunday’s exhibition game at Puerto Rico because of club commitments.

Altidore, who hasn’t scored for Toronto in Major League Soccer this season, got hurt Saturday while taking a penalty kick against Vancouver that was saved. The U.S. team was awaiting results of an MRI.

Altidore injured a hamstring against Jamaica in the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup and missed the final, then had another hamstring injury during the Americans’ 2014 World Cup opener against Ghana and was sidelined for the rest of the tournament. A hamstring injury last year caused him to be out of shape for the 2015 Gold Cup, and he was dropped from the roster for the knockout rounds, where the Americans lost to Jamaica in the semifinals.

The Americans released their 22-man roster Monday for this week’s training camp in Miami and said 17-year-old midfielder Christian Pulisic will remain with Borussia Dortmund for the German Cup final on Saturday against Bayern Munich. Defender Timmy Chandler will stay with Eintracht Frankfurt for a two-leg playoff against Nuremberg on Thursday and May 23 as it tries to avoid relegation from the Bundesliga.

Defenders Ventura Alvarado (Club America), Edgar Castillo (Monterrey) and Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca) are remaining with their clubs for the Liga MX playoff semifinals, and backup goalkeeper Ethan Horvath will stay with Molde for Norweigan Tippeligaen matches against Odd on Monday and Brann on Saturday.

MLS players will report to the national team ahead of exhibition games against Ecuador (May 25 at Frisco, Texas) and Bolivia (May 28 at Kansas City, Kansas).

The U.S. must submit its 23-man Copa America roster Friday and plans to announce it the following day. The players must come from the 40-man preliminary roster chosen last month.

Seven players at this week’s camp were not on the preliminary Copa roster, including five who have not previously trained with the national team: goalkeeper Zach Steffen, midfielder Caleb Stanko and forwards Paul Arriola, Amado Moreno and Fabrice Pault. The other two are midfielder Emerson Hyndman and forward Julian Green, who scored against Belgium at the 2014 World Cup.

This week’s training camp roster:

Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa, England), Tim Howard (Everton, England), Zach Steffen (Freiburg, Germany)

Defenders: John Brooks (Hertha Berlin, Germany), Geoff Cameron (Stoke, England), Eric Lichaj (Nottingham Forest, England), Matt Miazga (Chelsea, England), Michael Orozco (Tijuana, Mexico), Tim Ream (Fulham, England), DeAndre Yedlin (Sunderland, England)

Midfielders: Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes, France), Emerson Hyndman (Fulham, England), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Moenchengladbach, Germany), Perry Kitchen (Heart of Midlothian, Scotland), Alfredo Morales (Ingolstadt, Germany), Caleb Stanko (Freiburg, Germany), Danny Williams (Reading, England)

Forwards: Paul Arriola (Tijuana, Mexico), Julian Green (Bayern Munich, Germany), Fabrice Picault (St. Pauli, Germany), Amando Moreno (Tijuana, Mexico), Bobby Wood (Hamburg, Germany).

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.