Jozy Altidore: Patience, Patience (New York Times)

September 14, 2007, 5:18 pm
Jozy Altidore: Patience, Patience

By Jozy Altidore

Red Bulls forward Jozy Altidore contributes items for The New York Times Goal blog each week about his life, soccer and his ambitions. This is his fifth post.

Jozy AltidoreRed Bulls’ striker Jozy Altidore.

I was talking to one of our trainers on Thursday about how easily things get blown out of proportion. Especially in soccer, I think, we have so few players that anybody promising that comes along is blown up into the next big thing. Personally, I don’t feel it, but then someone read me some quotes by Tim Howard that he made after last week’s game against Brazil.

I just think they were trying to wind me up a bit, but I happen to agree with Tim Howard: The fans want somebody to step up and score goals. But we’re still human and can only do so much. Fans seem to be very fickle and get sick of guys who go through droughts for two or three games. Just because they don’t score every game, suddenly they’re all washed up.

I don’t know what it is, but it seems to me that fans in other countries stand by their players. Here, if you have a bad game fans let you hear it, instead of being more loyal, as fans are across the world.

I guess it’s just a bit of impatience. I was watching the Brazil-Mexico game last Wednesday and Mexico brought in a couple of young players — (Giovani) Dos Santos and (Carlos) Vela for about 20 minutes. They are young kids who didn’t show signs of being brilliant or of being the type of players I know they can be. If that was two young Americans on the pitch I think the feedback would have been negative. That’s my opinion. They didn’t have much of an impact, I mean they were playing Brazil, the No. 1 team in the world. They were just trying to fit in.

I’m sure Mexican fans understand that and will support them. In the U.S., I just feel when people get their first chance on the national team and might have an off day or be a bit nervous, the fans go negative too quickly. I just don’t understand why. Maybe because Americans always want to be on top and always expect the best from their players.

In this game, they need to learn a little patience.

They might have a right to be antsy and anxious, but they also have to remember that we’re still developing as a soccer nation. They look at our teams like we’ve already won three World Cups. We’re not Brazil, we’re not supposed to produce instantly. People should not count out players too quickly.

For me personally, my expectation is to play for the national team someday, probably in the Olympics first, then hopefully in the World Cup. If I don’t fulfill other people’s expectations, that’s not my problem. I set my own goals. People feel that if you don’t reach their expectations then you’re a failure and you get written off. Fans can say what they want to say, but it doesn’t mean they’re right.

To me, Freddy Adu is the perfect example. He’s only 18 and people have already written him off. The kid has 10 years until he hits his prime and plays his really best soccer. To say he should be a great player at 18 is ridiculous. A lot of us, myself included, have a lot to learn. To Americans, Freddy has already been written off as a failure. But obviously Benfica sees something in him or else it wouldn’t have signed him. In other countries they realize that young players have their youth and a ways to go to develop as quality professionals. But here, because he’s had some rough times, he’s done.

Could the same thing happen to me? That’s a good question. I’ve been lucky enough to sit back and see how fans react, which is why I say that I set my own bar high. Fans might have set their expectations for me — whether it’s playing for the national team or going to a club in Europe — but those expectations are tough for me to fill because they are not mine. I want to bring myself along gradually and to compare myself to other players would be a mistake.

I know people have pointed to the fact that some of my teammates from the U-20 World Cup team — Danny Szetela, Sal Zizzo, Freddy, Gabe Ferrari — signed with European teams. But every player faces his own unique situation. Hannover was very interested in Zizzo, they made a great offer and it seems like the right choice for him. The same for Freddy, it was a great offer.

But I haven’t had those things happen to me yet, and it’s no problem because the environment I’m in now is fine for me. Fans seem to think that I can pick up the phone and decide to leave tomorrow. It takes time. You have to build relationships.

Finally, my message to American soccer fans is that it’s coming, be patient. There are players who you are soon going to see at 17 who are better technically and mentally stronger than the players we have been producing.

It’s coming. Soccer is growing more and more in the U.S. There are many growing ethnic groups in this country, they are going to bring their different styles to the table and they’re all going to combine into one American style.

People have to be patient. The time will come when the United States is a world power, but that time is not right now. So let’s stick together. We’ll get there. I’m a believer.