Altidore Scores First La Liga Goal

Former New York Red Bulls striker Jozy Altidore has officially gotten on the scoresheet for the first time with his new club, notching Villareal’s final goal in a 4-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday just seconds after entering the game as a substitute.

Coming on in the 90th minute, it took the 18-year-old American just 18 seconds to find the back of the net, receiving a pass from Santi Cazorla and calmly pushing his effort past the opposing goalkeeper at the near post for his first-ever La Liga goal.

See the goal toward the end of this highlight compilation from the game:


Altidore is considered one of the United States’ brightest stars, featuring for his country at various youth levels, including the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup and the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He has become a favorite choice of Bob Bradley for selection to the senior squad in recent months, earning five caps and scoring twice, including a goal in his first World Cup Qualifying appearance in a 6-1 victory over Cuba last month.

Taken 17th overall in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft by New York, Altidore scored 15 goals in just 37 appearances for the club. His first goal came at the tender age of 16, making him the fourth-youngest player to score a goal in MLS. Making the move to Spain in June 2008, Jozy’s transfer fee was reported to be around $10 million, an MLS-record amount paid for any player.