Altidore, Pulisic take home U.S. honors
Toronto FC striker Jozy Altidore has been named the United States Male Player of the Year, and Borussia Dortmund wunderkind Christian Pulisic the Young Male Player of the Year.
The honors were announced late Friday evening, with Altidore winning the award for the second time after also being named Male Player of the Year in 2013. The 27-year-old New Jersey-born forward becomes the sixth player to garner the honor multiple times, joining Landon Donovan (4), Kasey Keller (3), Clint Dempsey (3), Marcelo Balboa (2), and Tim Howard (2).
Altidore was also named the Young Player of the Year in 2006, and the robust attacker was gracious for the recognition ahead of his participation in Saturday's MLS Cup in Toronto.
"This is truly an honor to receive this award. It's also very humbling when you look at such a talented group of teammates nominated for this accolade along with you," Altidore said, courtesy of U.S. Soccer. "At the end of the day, any success I have had on the field this year is in large part due to their success and contributions."
Altidore led the men's side in 2016 with six goals and two assists in ten appearances after missing the Copa America Centenario with a hamstring injury.
Votes for both awards were compiled by national team players, with Altidore (32 percent) narrowly edging fellow striker Bobby Wood (30 percent). Stoke City defender Geoff Cameron was third with 15 percent of the vote.
The Young Player of the Year award was not nearly as close as the senior men's honor, with Pulisic nabbing 86 percent of the vote. Seattle Sounders homegrown star Jordan Morris was second (5 percent).
(Photos courtesy @ussoccer)
Pulisic's meteoric rise has been nothing short of amazing, and after making his Bundesliga debut in January, the 18-year-old attacking midfielder was called up to Jurgen Klinsmann's national team set-up.
At 17 years, 193 days, Pulisic became the youngest U.S. player to appear in a World Cup qualifier and the youngest American male to score in an international, matching his exploits with the national team with those for Thomas Tuchel's Dortmund. With club, Pulisic became the youngest non-German to score in the Bundesliga (Apr. 17 vs. Hamburg) and the youngest to bag a brace (Apr. 23 vs. Stuttgart).