Jozy Altidore and the U.S. U-23s begin Olympic qualifying against Cuba on Tuesday. The tournament hosts were placed in Group A alongside Honduras, Panama and Cuba. The top two go on to the semifinals along top two from Group B; the winners advance to the Beijing Olympics. The grueling tournament requires the finalists to play a total of five games in 12 days.
With so many games in such a short span, you could forgive the players for looking beyond the first round. Not a chance, says Altidore. “The only game we’re thinking about is Cuba. In these type of tournaments, it’s important not to look past the first game,” the 18-year-old striker said, adding that the team can’t take qualifying for granted. “Now that we’ve established ourselves as one of the best teams in CONCACAF, people think we should be considered a favorite, but that’s not the case because anyone can beat anyone,” Altidore said. “The pressure is there, but we’re going to embrace it.”
Indeed, the U.S. failed to qualify four years ago for the Olympics in Athens, losing 4-0 in the semifinals to Mexico in Mexico City. U.S. Olympic team coach Peter Nowak refuses to dwell on that failure. “I’m not a guy who looks over my shoulder and I encourage the team not to look over their shoulders,” he said. “This is a completely different team, a completely different environment.”