The U.S. men’s national team managed to advance to the knockout stage at the 2014 FIFA World Cup without Jozy Altidore, but it could certainly use the dynamic striker in the Round of 16 when it takes on Belgium on Tuesday.
One day before the big match, the Americans got a promising development from their young star.
Altidore was present at USA’s training session on Monday and participated in warmups with the team, according to ESPN.
The 24-year-old suffered a hamstring injury in the USA’s 2-1 win over Ghana in their World Cup opener that forced him to sit out the next two games against Portugal and Germany.
Altidore’s status for Tuesday’s game against Belgium remains uncertain, but U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann told reporters on Friday that he’s “very optimistic” about Altidore’s chances of being available.
If Altidore is able to return, he could provide a big boost for a U.S. offense that was held to just four total shots and no goals against Germany in their last game.
The U.S. will square off against Belgium at 4 p.m. on Tuesday and must win to advance to the next round.
Photo via USA Today Sports Images
