On the radio Wednesday, Tommy Smyth had this to say about U.S. forward Jozy Altidore. “He’s so big. He’s so strong. You can’t push him off the ball.” So big? So strong? At 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, Altidore would be the smallest player on almost any NBA floor or NFL football field. After losing for the second straight World Cup to Ghana — a country smaller than Oregon and less populated than Texas — the United States needs to think big. Imagine the possibilities:
1. Dwight Howard » Forget 6-foot-3 Tim Howard. The United States needs a goalie with serious height (6-11) and wingspan (7-5).
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2. Adrian Peterson » In a nation of 309 million people, the best scorer we can produce is balding 5-8, 148-pound Landon Donovan? We can only dream how great a soccer player Peterson (6-1, 217) would have been.
3. LeBron James » We love the pride of Sherwood High, Oguchi Onyewu (6-4, 210), but imagine a man four inches taller, 40 pounds heavier and faster. Who would challenge King James in the air?
4. Rajon Rondo » Imagine the NBA’s best perimeter defender as a soccer marking back.
5. Albert Haynesworth » The master of the phantom injury would be a natural in soccer despite his low “work-rate.” All he’d have to do is learn to bury his face in his hands when he goes down.
