9.3.2013
ASN Morning Read: The Hex, Bedoya, and "Pay me!"
As the United States national team converges on Florida to prepare for Friday's World Cup qualifier against Costa Rica, we have updates on Jozy Altidore, Eddie Johnson, and more.
BY
Noah Davis
Posted
September 03, 2013
1:18 PM
Jurgen Klinsmann doesn’t think Jozy Altidore’s hamstring injury will impact his presence in Friday’s qualifier.
The Miami Herald has a nice story about Alejandro Bedoya returning to his roots in South Florida. “I have many great memories growing up and playing here,” Bedoya said. “I played many times on this field (FIU Stadium). It’s always emotional coming home and even more special now as a member of the national team.”
Klinsmann and Tim Howard weighed in on the upcoming qualifiers.
“It definitely gives the team confidence with every win,” Klinsmann said. “World Cup qualifying is down to the moment. Once you get out on the field, sold-out stadiums and a lot of tension and a bit of nervousness you have to prove yourself.”
“It puts more pressure on us, which I think we thrive off,” Howard said. “We’re in a good frame of mind. We’re in a good rhythm and winning helps.”
Eddie Johnson made a bit of noise with his “money” celebration in Seattle’s 1-0 win over Columbus, but it didn’t really concern Sounders GM and part owner Adrian Hanauer.
“I’ve said it before, Eddie is underpaid at this point and we’ll address that behind closed doors,” Hanauer said. “For me, as long as those sorts of things aren’t getting in the way of us winning a championship, I couldn’t really care less.”
To be fair to Johnson, most probably didn’t realize he was likely mimicking Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel who made the same gesture earlier Saturday, causing an uproar across the country.
Don’t forget to check out the new ASN 100 for September, ranking the top 100 U.S. soccer players. Developments over the last few months have led to some moving and shaking.
Need a pick-me-up now that you’re back at work after a three-day weekend? Check out ASN’s Tweets of the Week for some laughs and Will Bruin’s overwhelmingly adorable puppy
