Jozy Altidore ready to play for USA in knockout clash against Belgium

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jun/30/jozy-altidore-ready-belgium-usa-klinsmann-referee

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Striker Jozy Altidore has recovered from his hamstring injury and is ready to play at least some part for the USA against Belgium in their last-16 clash on Tuesday, according to coach Jürgen Klinsmann.

The forward’s tournament was feared to be over after he went down clutching his left hamstring early in his team’s opening game against Ghana, but his manager said that he was available for selection once more after returning to training over the weekend.

“We don’t know how much he can play because we’ll have to see how he’s going,” said Klinsmann at a press conference on Monday. “But he’s available. This is what we want, this is what we hoped for. This is what the medical staff has been hoping for since the injury on him. They’ve done a tremendous job, they’ve worked day and night with Jozy. Just having him with us is huge. How many minutes can he play? We’ll see that during the game.”

Klinsmann also questioned the wisdom of Fifa’s decision to put Algerian referee Djamel Haimoudi in charge of Tuesday’s match. “We know that he took two games so far and he did them very well,” said the manager. “So we wish that he continues refereeing in the perfect way he has done so far. But is it a good feeling that we have? No. Because he’s coming from the same group with Belgium and Algeria.

“He’s able to speak French with their players out in the field, not with ours. And Algeria is a country that we beat at the last World Cup. Sometimes I understand it is difficult for Fifa to choose the right referee for the right games, it’s always tricky, but it is what it is. We give the absolute benefit of the doubt, we respect the decision. We’re going to be spot-on in the game and hope that everything does well.”

Despite any concerns he might have, Klinsmann also said that he was feeling confident about the USA’s preparations for this match. He advised players’ families over the weekend to re-book any return flights for after the World Cup final on 13 July, and reiterated here that the “sky is the limit” for his team.

But Belgium, too, arrive at this game with high expectations. After winning all three of their group games, midfielder Axel Witsel said that anything less than a quarter-final berth would be a failure.

“I think it’s very clear,” he said. “We have a wonderful team with wonderful players, so of course we will be disappointed if we don’t go through.”