IRENE, South Africa — U.S. forward Jozy Altidore sprained an ankle during a training drill and is day to day.
Altidore hurt his right ankle during a workout on a shortened field Wednesday, U.S. Soccer Federation spokesman Neil Buethe said.
Altidore was taken to a hospital for X-rays and was diagnosed with a mild sprain.
“It’s nothing more than that,” Buethe said Thursday. “He’ll undergo a fitness test (today) to determine whether he can play Saturday.”
The U.S. faces Australia on Saturday in the final exhibition for both teams ahead of the World Cup. The Americans open against England on June 12.
Blow it up and start over.
Marcus Hahnemann is no fan of the new Adidas ball being used for the World Cup.
“Technology is not everything,” the American goalkeeper said. “Scientists came up with the atom bomb, doesn’t mean we should have invented it.”
Adidas said the Jabulani, its 11th World Cup model, will travel more accurately because it has eight bonded panels and is perfectly round. Goalkeepers have said it is unpredictable.
“If you get no spin on the ball, it’s supposed to knuckle. If you get spin on it, it’s supposed to bend. This ball you don’t know what’s going to happen with it,” Hahnemann said. “It’s a nightmare for us.”
Gooch watch.
Look for Oguchi Onyewu to see extended time against Australia.
Onyewu started against the Czech Republic last week, the central defender’s first game action since tearing his left patellar tendon in the last Cup qualifier Oct. 14.
“We will certainly use him more against Australia and try to again assess exactly where that fits in as we make the decisions for a starting 11 vs. England,” coach Bob Bradley said.
