Jozy Altidore to Villarreal

[HL]

wow!!

This gives me goose pimples.

Happy for the kid!

I think he is a better overall striker compared to Johnson.

[Zeppo]

Altidore signs six-year contract with Villarreal

American teenage striker Jozy Altidore expressed his satisfaction about joining Villarreal at his presentation ceremony Wednesday after signing a six-year contract with the Spanish club.

"I'm very happy about everything which has been happening to me over the last few days. To come to Spanish soccer is really exciting," Altidore was quoted as saying by news agency Efe.

Villarreal has agreed to pay a transfer fee reportedly close to $10 million for the former New York Red Bulls player, nearly twice as much the previous record for an American and more than the previous high for anyone from Major League Soccer.

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[Mosiah]

6 year deal?! I didn't know that was possible!

[Peter R]

Zimbabwe dollars?

pr

[Zeppo]

Jozy Altidore: It’s a Done Deal

I just got off the plane from Spain Thursday afternoon. My two sisters, Sadia who is 20 and Lindsey who is 25, went with me. My parents stayed home.

It was a good, no make that a great trip. It was pretty much straight business. I landed on Wednesday, went right to the hospital for a physical, had a little lunch with the president of Villarreal and then was introduced to the fans as the team’s training facility.

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[Zeppo]

Jozy prepares to take on the world

American soccer's $10 million man is about to begin his Great Spanish Adventure.

Jozy Altidore starts preseason training on Monday at Villarreal, the La Liga powerhouse that purchased the 18-year-old striker for a U.S.-record $10 million from the New York Red Bulls last month. And with a couple weeks to acclimatize before he's expected to join the U.S. Olympic team, Altidore is hoping to make a good first impression on his new outfit.

"I'm just excited, man," Altidore told me this week from Bradenton, Fla., where he's been training at the International Performance Institute. "I can't wait to have my first training session and see what it's like playing European soccer."

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[Don1]

Zimbabwe dollars?

pr

Prices for American players reflect the huge marketing potential these clubs see in the US and their desire to capitalize on that market.

A big % is therefore somewhat unrelated to their intrinsic value as footballers.

In other words they are overpriced in strict footballing terms.

[Peter R]

"I can't wait to have my first training session and see what it's like playing European soccer."

¡Buena suerte! anyway... Zeppo, tell yuh bredrin him mus learn fi say "fútbol" now.

pr

[Don1]

I would have to see that first.

What would you think would be Altidore's value if he happened to be Jamaican... with everything else being identical.

My guess is US$3m.

or Zimbabean $990 trillion.

[Peter R]

"him free paper bun" - Sepp Blatter

[Zeppo]

Altidore made his Spanish league debut for Villarreal last Sunday, coming on as a 2nd half sub in thier 1-0 win over Deportivo La Coruña.

Video Highlights

[Peter R]

HL obviously didn't do Spanish in school otherwise he would know that deal (deel) in English does not rhyme with real (ray-al) in Spanish. I'll concede a visual rhyme.

[Gamma]

in atlanta it does!!

[Culture Sound]

yo is Atlanta yuh deh Gamma...mi a try find a ball game up here...mi just move up couple months ago and can't find a ball game

[Gamma]

no...mi inna di caribbean....'sass deh a atlanta...