USMNT Watch: Alvarado Struggles in Club America Return, Jozy Sent Off

As preparation for the Confederations Cup play-off in October against Mexico begins, the United States men's national team is looking for its top players to round into form so that it can qualify for the tournament in Russia in 2017.

Unfortunately for one of the squad's first-choice center-backs, he carried his rough patch of form into his return at the club level. With all eyes on him, Ventura Alvarado struggled to impress in Club America's clash with Atlas on Saturday in a 3-1 loss at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

North of the border in Major League Soccer, the USMNT's top forward ran into some unwanted disciplinary action in what was a wild Saturday of matches in the league. 

Continue reading below for more on Alvarado, Jozy Altidore and other Americans who featured in the news over the last seven days in our latest USMNT watch. 

Alvarado Fails to Impress in Club America Return 

The last thing Alvarado needed on Saturday was an awful performance to back up his less-than-stellar set of outings at the Gold Cup. But that is exactly what he delivered in his return to the pitch with Club America. 

In the 46th minute, Alvarado committed a brutal own goal that saw the ball deflect from his left leg to his right knee while on the ground, eventually bouncing into the back of the net.

At the end of the match, Alvarado did his reputation no favors with a terrible attempted clearance that led to a late strike from the visitors. 

With his struggles extending down to the club level, one has to wonder if Alvarado needs to take a step back and work on the little things before participating in a major international match. 

Altidore Earns Red Card in Toronto FC Match 

In the 39th minute of Toronto FC's match against the New England Revolution on Saturday, referee Chris Penso sent Jozy Altidore off. The replays showed Altidore kicked out at Jose Goncalves following an aerial duel.

The sending off marked the second time in a row Altidore left the Gillette Stadium pitch earlier than expected in 2015. On May 16, the USMNT forward lasted 21 minutes before leaving with an injury. That injury eventually cost him a spot on the roster during the knockout stage of the Gold Cup.

Since Altidore displayed violent conduct, we should expect to see him sidelined for an extra game or two on top of the required one-game ban. Ultimately, the Revolution won 3-1.

Flurry of Americans Score in MLS

Elsewhere in MLS, plenty of potential USMNT players scored for their respective sides on a day when 39 goals struck the back of the net.

New England's Charlie Davies was one of the standout performers as he bagged a brace for the Revolution against 10-man Toronto. Lee Nguyen also scored for Jay Heaps' side. 

Kyle Beckerman scored from distance in an insane 10-goal shootout at RFK Stadium between Real Salt Lake and D.C. United. Chris Rolfe netted a pair of strikes for D.C., while Perry Kitchen and Taylor Kemp also found their way onto the scoresheet.

Benny Feilhaber extended his impressive form into Week 22 as he earned an assist on Sporting Kansas City's lone goal against Houston. Brad Davis provided an assist on Ricardo Clark's equalizer in the 1-1 draw at Sporting Park. 

One under-the-radar name worth watching over the next few months is Sebastian Lletget of the LA Galaxy. The former West Ham United player scored his sixth MLS goal on Saturday against Colorado. If the 22-year-old continues to shine on the left wing, do not be surprised to see his name on a USMNT roster sooner rather than later. 

Clint Dempsey was one of the few USMNT stars who struggled in Week 22. Dempsey and the Sounders fell 3-0 to the Vancouver Whitecaps in a match where the defensive midfield duo of Matias Laba and Gershon Koffie silenced the forward.

Yedlin Update

DeAndre Yedlin remained in the United States after the Gold Cup to link up with his Tottenham Hotspur teammates ahead of the MLS All-Star Game on Wednesday. The right-back entered the contest as a second-half substitute. 

After the match, the player and his manager answered questions on his future at the club. Some see a loan as the best move for him, but Yedlin could stay and fight for a place in the first team as well. 

"We need to see him and speak with him and maybe he stays with us the next season, maybe no. He was in the Gold Cup and he met us here in Denver. He needs time to show his quality and we'll decide in the next few weeks," Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino said in his postgame press conference, per MLSSoccer.com. 

"I'm feeling comfortable wherever I go. Whether it be with Tottenham, whether that be a loan, it doesn't matter. That's one of the things you have to deal with as a pro. Wherever I'll go, I'll give it my best effort," Yedlin said.

News and Notes

Freddy Adu missed Tampa Bay's NASL match with Carolina on Saturday due to a lower leg knock he picked up in practice, per the club's Twitter account: 

Cameron Carter-Vickers featured for Spurs on Saturday in a friendly against Stevenage. The USMNT U20 international is seen as one of the top young prospects in the talent pool.

On Friday, Kristian Dyer of Yahoo Sports linked Aron Johannsson with a possible move to MLS. Johannsson currently plays for AZ Alkmaar in the Eredivisie. 

Joe Tansey covers U.S. soccer for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter, @JTansey90.