Altidore To Sit Against Germans – World Cup Update

UNDATED (AP) — The United States will be without veteran striker Jozy Altidore (JOH'-zee AL'-tih-door) for Thursday's key World Cup match with Germany. He'll miss a second straight match due to a strained left hamstring he suffered in the opening win against Ghana. U.S. coach Jurgen (YUR'-gihn) Klinsmann says that if the Americans qualify for the knockout stage, there's a good chance Altidore will be back.

The U.S. can earn their way into the next round with a victory or tie against Germany.

Italy has been bounced from the World Cup in the opening round after a 1-0 loss to Uruguay. The Italians join defending champ Spain and England as unexpected spectators heading into the knockout round.

Uruguay advanced with the win, but it could be without its top player for the remainder of the tournament. FIFA has charged Luis Suarez for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during Uruguay's 2-1 win over the Italians in the World Cup. If the disciplinary committee finds Suarez guilty of assaulting an opponent, FIFA rules call for a ban of at least two matches up to a maximum of 24 months.

A decision must be published before Saturday, when Uruguay plays Colombia in a round-of-16 match.

Suarez appeared to bite Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini on the shoulder around the 80th minute. Suarez already has been suspended twice for other biting incidents the last four years.

In other World Cup play:

— England played to a scoreless tie with Costa Rica, which had already qualified for the next round.

— Greece scored on a penalty shot in stoppage time to edge Ivory Coast and earn a spot in the next round.

— Colombia improved to 3-0 with a 4-1 win over Japan to win Group C.