It couldn’t have been a better week for Josmer “Jozy” Altdidore. Coming in as a substitute and turning around a seemingly already lost game vs. El Slavador, and then the 3 goals vs. Trinidad and Tobago put him into the headlines in the soccer world. Despite not playing for his club team in Spain for almost 4 months, Josmer showed his high caliber talent by putting 3 more World Cup goals behing goalkeeper Ince of T&T on Wednesday night in Nashville. With his 4 goals in a span of 200 minutes USA is leading the World Cup qualifying CONCACAF group with 7 points in 3 games, and is on the right track to South Africa 2010.

Watch Josmer’s Hattrick Versus Trinidad and Tobago
Jozy Altidore scored three impressive goals of varying skill against Trinidad and Tobago, but all were equally important to the youngster. Altidore’s goals marked the first time in his career in which he has scored goals in consecutive games, having scored the USA’s first goal against El Salvador in the 2-2 draw on Saturday, March 28, at Estadio Cuscatlán.

“This game just showed the talent Josmer has. Normally when you don’t play for 4 months in regular season games on a high level, you are completely lost on the field in a game like this. But his extraordinary talent overshadowed this disadvantage and he answered with 3 more World Cup goals putting the US ahead of their group. I just hope he can get soon into a normal weekend by weekend rhythm at his club in Spain, and then we will see even a better Josmer, which is after his prime time performance almost impossible to imagine”, states Josef Schulz, who trained Altidore between the age of 8 and 16 at the Schulz Academy in Florida.


Despite the impressive individual effort, Altidore credits a lot of his success in the match to the unity of the team and how well they play together.

“I just felt like it was a camp where we came together as a team,” said Altidore of the state of the team. “I felt like everyone was working hard and doing things for each other. You see in a game 11 guys working together, that’s just how it happens. When the team plays well, good things happen.”

Being the youngest player to ever score for your national team comes with a great deal of pressure, but so far this year Altidore has done well to live up to that hype and continue his strong play as the competition gets tougher.

Altidore will now return to Spain to regroup with Xerez, but will surely be in Bob Bradley’s plans for the next round of qualifiers in June against Costa Rica and Honduras.