US team worried over Altidore's injuries

By Tim Reynolds

MIAMI SHORES, May 17 AP - Jozy Altidore's hamstring injuries are happening far too often for anyone's liking, and the US Soccer Federation is trying to find a way to solve the problem.

Altidore will almost certainly miss the Copa America that starts next month with what's at least his fourth significant hamstring problem in a span of five years. His latest setback came last weekend, when he got hurt while taking a penalty kick for Toronto in its Major League Soccer match against Vancouver.

So when the US men's national team convened for a training camp on a steamy Tuesday morning at Barry University in South Florida, Altidore wasn't there - and might not be on any other fields for the next two months.

"It's definitely an issue that kind of follows him," US coach Jurgen Klinsmann said. "It's something we're all working hard on to get to the bottom of, to find the cause for these hamstring injuries. Where does this really come from? Is it training-related? Is it environmentally related? Is this lifestyle-related? A medical issue? Where does this come from? And hopefully all the people working with him find the cause ... sooner than later."

Altidore was impacted by hamstring problems in the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the 2014 World Cup, the 2015 Gold Cup and now will likely face the same fate for Copa America - a tournament the US will host.

Given that it's at home, Klinsmann is telling players the Copa is a once-in-a-career opportunity and a possible precursor to another World Cup on American soil.