Whatever it was that made us proud that Jozy Altidore was going to Spain and wreck shop in La Liga has taken a bit of a hit. Villareal, the team that will be paying a $10 million transfer fee for the Red Bulls player, is considering sending him to the soccer league’s finishing school equivalent—a team in Spain’s second division. Yeah, that’s all well and good for his development, but that might prevent the prodigy from representing the U.S. in this year’s Olympics.

There has been a report that Villarreal, which finished second in the Spanish League, might send the 18-year-old American to Recreativo Heulva on loan to indoctrinate him into European soccer.

“That is something that a lot of clubs do when you go to a new league,” Altidore said Thursday, a day after Major League Soccer agreed in principle to his record transfer. “It’s not easy to adjust, especially for me. I would see a little bit of a faster-paced game. It’s a bit different over there. That would not be a bad idea.”

Come on, Jozy Won Kenobi, you’re our only hope (for a gold medal). Tell the Spanish equivalent to the Durham Bulls that you need some time off in August. Bosses like it when you tell them about your travel plans/Olympic medal hopes in advance before they hire you.

Jozy Altidore expects to be loaned out by Villarreal [The Sporting News]
Image [Daily News]