Jozy Altidore facts for kids
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Altidore with the United States in 2019
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Josmer Volmy Altidore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | November 6, 1989 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Livingston, New Jersey, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Striker | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2006 | IMG Soccer Academy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2008 | New York Red Bulls | 37 | (15) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2011 | Villarreal | 9 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | → Xerez (loan) | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | → Hull City (loan) | 28 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | → Bursaspor (loan) | 12 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | AZ | 67 | (39) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Sunderland | 42 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2021 | Toronto FC | 139 | (62) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | New England Revolution | 27 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | → Puebla (loan) | 6 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005 | United States U17 | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | United States U20 | 5 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | United States U23 | 3 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2019 | United States | 115 | (42) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of June 3, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Josmer Volmy "Jozy" Altidore (born November 6, 1989) is an American professional soccer player. He is known for playing as a striker. Altidore last played for the Major League Soccer club New England Revolution.
He started his professional career in 2006 at just 16 years old with the New York Red Bulls. Later, he moved to European clubs like Villarreal in Spain, Hull City in England, and AZ in the Netherlands. He then returned to MLS, playing for Toronto FC for many years.
Altidore has also played for the U.S. National Team at different levels. He represented his country in major tournaments like the FIFA World Cup and the CONCACAF Gold Cup. He is one of the top goal scorers for the U.S. team.
Contents
About Jozy Altidore
Jozy Altidore was born in Livingston, New Jersey, and grew up in Boca Raton, Florida. He was the youngest of four children. From a very young age, Jozy loved playing soccer. He played for several youth teams in South Florida. He also trained with the U-17 national team at the IMG Academy.
Jozy's Club Career
Playing for New York Red Bulls
Altidore was chosen by the MetroStars (now the New York Red Bulls) in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft. He spent most of his first season finishing high school.
He made his professional debut on August 23, 2006. He scored his first goal on September 16, 2006, helping his team win 1–0. He quickly became a fan favorite. Altidore also became the youngest player to score in the Major League Soccer playoffs. He broke a record held by DaMarcus Beasley.
Time in Spain
On June 4, 2008, Villarreal, a team in Spain's top league, La Liga, signed Altidore. The transfer fee was about $10 million. This was the highest fee paid for an MLS player at that time.
Altidore made his La Liga debut on September 14, 2008. On November 1, 2008, he became the first American to score in La Liga. He scored against Athletic Bilbao. In January 2009, he was loaned to Xerez to get more playing time. However, he had a toe injury and did not play for Xerez.
Playing for Hull City and Bursaspor
On August 5, 2009, Altidore was loaned to Hull City, an English Premier League club. He joined them for the season.
He made his debut for Hull on August 22, 2009. He helped his team score the winning goal in a 1–0 victory. On August 25, 2009, Altidore scored his first goal for Hull in a League Cup match. He scored his only Premier League goal on February 6 against Manchester City. Later, he was loaned to Bursaspor in Turkey in January 2011. He scored one goal for them.
Success with AZ
On July 15, 2011, Altidore joined AZ, a Dutch team. He quickly found success there.
In his first game on August 7, he scored a goal, helping AZ win 3–1. He continued to score regularly. In the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League, he scored two goals against Aalesunds FK. He finished his first season as the team's top scorer with 22 goals.
In the 2012–13 season, Altidore continued his great form. He scored his first hat-trick for a club on September 16. On April 14, he scored another hat-trick. On May 9, he scored the winning goal in the KNVB Cup final. This helped AZ win the Dutch Cup for the first time in 31 years. He ended the season with 23 league goals.
Time with Sunderland
On July 5, 2013, Altidore moved to Sunderland, an English Premier League club. Sunderland paid about $13 million for him.
He scored his first goal for Sunderland on August 27, 2013, in a League Cup match. He also played well in a derby match against Newcastle. On December 4, 2013, he scored his first league goal for Sunderland against Chelsea. However, he struggled to score more goals after that. He left Sunderland in January 2015. He had scored three goals in 52 games for the club.
Joining Toronto FC
In January 2015, Altidore joined Toronto FC in Major League Soccer. He was a "Designated Player," meaning he was one of the team's highest-paid players. His U.S. teammate Michael Bradley also played for Toronto FC and influenced his decision to join.
2015 Season Highlights
On March 7, he scored two goals in his first game for Toronto FC. He was named the MLS Player of the Week. He continued to score important goals throughout the season. He helped Toronto reach the 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time. He finished his first season with 14 goals.
2016 Season Highlights
Altidore started the 2016 season slowly but found his scoring form later in the year. He scored in four consecutive games for the first time in his career.
He won his first trophy with Toronto, the 2016 Canadian Championship. He also played a key role in the 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs. He scored important goals that helped Toronto reach the MLS Cup Final. Toronto lost the final on penalties to Seattle Sounders FC. He scored 15 goals and had nine assists that season.
2017 Season Highlights
In 2017, Altidore's partnership with Sebastian Giovinco and Victor Vázquez became very strong. This helped him score more goals.
He scored consistently throughout the season, including two goals against the Houston Dynamo. He helped Toronto win the 2017 Canadian Championship again. Toronto also won the Supporters' Shield with a record 69 points.
In the MLS Cup Playoffs, Altidore was sent off in a game against the New York Red Bulls. He missed the next game due to suspension. However, he returned for the Eastern Conference Final and scored the winning goal against Columbus Crew.
On December 9, Altidore scored the first goal in the MLS Cup Final. Toronto won the match 2–0 and lifted the MLS Cup. Altidore was named the MLS Cup MVP (Most Valuable Player). He finished the season with 18 goals.
Later Toronto FC Years
In 2018, Altidore continued to score important goals. He scored in the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League quarter-finals and semi-finals. He helped Toronto reach the final, where they lost on penalties. He also scored a hat-trick in the 2018 Canadian Championship Final, helping Toronto win the title again.
He scored an injury-time goal in the 2019 MLS Cup Final, but Toronto lost to Seattle Sounders. On September 23, 2020, Altidore made his 150th appearance for Toronto FC.
New England Revolution
On February 14, 2022, Altidore joined the New England Revolution. He played for them until June 15, 2023, when his contract was bought out. He scored two goals in 27 league games for the Revolution.
Loan to Puebla
On July 28, 2022, Altidore was loaned to Puebla, a team in Mexico's top league, Liga MX. He played six games and scored two goals during his loan.
International Career
Altidore has played for the United States at many levels. He played in the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship and the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup. In the U-20 World Cup, he scored four goals.
He made his debut for the senior national team on November 17, 2007. On February 7, 2008, he scored his first international goal against Mexico.
On April 1, 2009, Altidore scored three goals against Trinidad and Tobago. This made him the youngest American to score a hat-trick in an international game. He also scored a key goal against Spain in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup semi-final, helping the U.S. win 2–0.
Altidore played in all four of the United States' games in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He also played in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
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In 2013, Altidore ended a scoring drought by scoring in four consecutive international games. This tied a record for U.S. players. On August 14, 2013, he scored another hat-trick against Bosnia and Herzegovina. This stretched his scoring streak to five games, a new U.S. national team record.
On January 29, 2017, Altidore reached 100 international games for the U.S. team. He was the 17th American male player to do so.
How Jozy Plays
Jozy Altidore is a fast and strong striker. He is good at scoring goals and also at working with his teammates. His height and strength allow him to hold the ball and create chances for others. He can also play on the wing or as a second striker.
Personal Life
Altidore was featured on the cover of the North American version of FIFA 08, a popular video game.
After the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Altidore helped with relief efforts. He encouraged people to donate money to help those affected. In December 2012, he wrote the names of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting on his soccer boots to honor them.
In April 2019, he got engaged to American tennis player Sloane Stephens. They got married on January 1, 2022.
Altidore is also part of a group that bought a share of the Buffalo Bills, an NFL team. He is a big fan of American football.
Honors and Awards
AZ
- KNVB Cup: 2012–13
Sunderland
- Football League Cup runner-up: 2013–14
Toronto FC
- MLS Cup: 2017; runner-up: 2016, 2019
- Supporters' Shield: 2017
- Canadian Championship: 2016, 2017, 2018; runner-up: 2019
- CONCACAF Champions League runner-up: 2018
- Campeones Cup runner-up: 2018
United States
- CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2017; runner-up 2011, 2019
- FIFA Confederations Cup runner-up: 2009
Individual Awards
- U.S. Soccer Young Male Athlete of the Year: 2006
- U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year: 2013, 2016
- MLS All-Star: 2015, 2017
- MLS Cup MVP Award: 2017
- CONCACAF Gold Cup Best XI: 2017
Images for kids
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Altidore (number 17) celebrates the United States' victory against Algeria at the 2010 FIFA World Cup
See also
In Spanish: Jozy Altidore para niños
