Sunderland AFC forward Jozy Altidore will captain the United States national team when they take on the Czech Republic on Wednesday night.
The decision by Jurgen Klinsmann to hand the armband to the forward highlights his influence on the team both on and off the pitch, after he missed the majority of the 2014 World Cup due to a hamstring injury that was suffered in the Stars & Stripes’ opening match against Ghana.
His leadership and influence will also be key as Wednesday’s match will see the USMNT take to the field without Tim Howard, who is on a year-long sabbatical from international duty with Brad Guzan and Nick Rimando set to split time in goal.
Altidore, 24, has already notched 71 appearances and scored 23 goals for the US and is his country's sixth-highest all-time goalscorer.
He is also the youngest American to score a hat-trick in an international game, netting all the goals in a 3-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago before scoring in a 2-0 Confederations Cup win over reigning European champions Spain.
He has also scored against the likes of Germany, Poland and Nigeria whilst scoring a second hat-trick against Bosnia & Herzegovina in a 4-3 win.
