Jozy's excellent Spanish adventure (cont.)

MLS sold Altidore's rights to Villarreal for a U.S.-record transfer fee of $10 million. AP

"Their team has just started to be successful, so they're very good fans," Altidore says. "They're not as ruthless as others like Barcelona's booing their [own] play. They just want to see their team succeed. If they win they're happy. If they lose a close game they're happy still if their team gave a good effort. So it's nice to be around that for the beginning of your career and not just right away go into that hostile environment where you're forced even by the fans to play well or you'll hear from them."

"Also, this is a team," he continued. "That's the most important thing. It's not a bunch of individuals, and it doesn't rely on one guy to do everything. All the players get to win when they win."

But if Altidore does make a good first impression, it's possible that he could get some playing time in the near-term. Villarreal should have a heavy demand for forwards, not least because it has a packed schedule involving Champions League and because Nihat is out for up to four months after undergoing thigh surgery on June 28.

"The opportunity is there," says Altidore, who plans to have mother, Giselle, living with him at Villarreal this season. "It's up to me what I do with it, but it definitely looks like it's going to be there."

As for the Olympics -- an Under-23 tournament that allows each team three over-age players -- it's expected that Altidore (along with Freddy Adu, Michael Bradley and Maurice Edu) will be on coach Peter Nowak's roster when it's released by the July 23 deadline. The question now is which three over-age players will be on the U.S. team. The roster is being kept under wraps, but from talking to several U.S. soccer insiders what I have learned is this:

• The U.S. will definitely name three over-age players (unlike, say, Italy, which included none).

• It's growing increasingly likely that Landon Donovan and Kasey Keller will not be among those names.

• It's growing extremely likely that 36-year-old forward Brian McBride (who's back in the U.S. and without a team for the moment) will be one of the over-age players on the U.S. roster.

"If we're both selected that would be awesome," says Altidore. "Brian's a superb player. He's probably been the best U.S. striker we've ever had in terms of target men, and I think he's one of the better ones in the world now at this point in his career."

The U.S. has a tough first-round group, opening against Japan and following that with games against the Netherlands and Nigeria. And it's looking like the tournament will have some star power. Argentina has announced a roster that includes Lionel Messi, Juan Román Riquelme and Sergio Agüero, while Brazil has announced a roster that includes Ronaldinho, Robinho, Alexandre Pato, Anderson, Diego and Jô. (Some of their club teams have balked, however, and a club-vs.-country ruling by FIFA is expected this week.)

"You get excited to play against those players because they're the best players around the world," Altidore says. "So you have to test yourself and see how well you can do against them, and if you come away successful you feel good about yourself and your abilities. It's going to be tough, but I wouldn't be surprised if we did better than people thought. I just want to be on that roster. I'm waiting to see that roster come out and after that I'll be at ease."

Altidore got a preview whiff of some of that European star power last weekend in Houston, where he took part in the Free Kick Masters, a schlocky made-for-TV event that nevertheless allowed him to meet Ronaldinho, Messi and new Villarreal teammate Pirès in a relaxed setting. That alone was worth the trip, Altidore says.

Pirès filled Altidore in on life in Spain ("He said they eat dinner at 10 or 11 o'clock") and at Villarreal. Messi talked to Altidore about the Olympics, where La Pulga (the Flea) is playing for Argentina despite Barcelona's wishes to the contrary. ("He said his club is trying to keep him with fines and things like that, but he's going no matter what.")

And Ronaldinho? The Brazilian star and former Mexican goalkeeper Jorge Campos had some fun with the already-chiseled Altidore in the stadium tunnel before the event.

"Ronny, this kid thinks he's 18," Campos said in Spanish.

Ronaldinho looked Altidore up and down, shook his head and laughed.

"Jozy, they don't think you're 18," Pirès joked.

"But I'm 18!" came Altidore's reply.

"No way," said Ronaldinho in Spanish. "No way."

He was laughing as he said that, of course. And so was Altidore, who couldn't quite believe the whole thing was real. "These were guys I used to watch all the time on TV," he says. "Seeing them face-to-face was unbelievable."

Better get used to it, kid. This adventure's only beginning.