WHERE WORKING HARDER AND BEING BETTER THAN YOUR PEERS DOESN'T EARN YOU ANYTHING:

U.S. 3-0 T&T: Altidore hits hat trick (ESPN SoccerNet, 4/02/09)

Jozy Altidore made the most of his chance.

After sitting on the bench for European clubs during most of the season, the 19-year-old became the youngest American with an international hat trick, leading the United States over Trinidad and Tobago 3-0 in a World Cup qualifier on Wednesday night. [...]

Making just his fourth international start, Altidore connected in the 13th, 71st and 89th minutes, all three times off passes from Landon Donovan. He also scored as a substitute in the 77th minute last Saturday to start the U.S. comeback from a two-goal deficit in a 2-2 tie at El Salvador.

"He's a player that, you know, we have known for a while is going to be a big part of our team going forward, but things need to be earned. Things need to come at the right time," U.S. coach Bob Bradley said.

He doesn't get starts in Europe because he's American nor for the US because he's young. The game is filled with that sort of counter-productive short-sightedness. In no other that I'm aware of do coaches so often quite intentionally not start their best team.

Posted by Orrin Judd at April 2, 2009 7:37 AM