Altidore, Howard, Donovan top US award finalists

Five-time winner Landon Donovan, teen star Jozy Altidore and top goalkeeper Tim Howard were named Wednesday as finalists for the US national football team’s Player of the Year Award.

A media panel selected the candidates, with the winner to be announced on October 20, six days after the US squad plays Costa Rica in its final North American qualifying match for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Donovan, 27, captured the honor the past two years and from 2002 through 2004. The all-time US national team scoring leader has 41 goals in 118 matches for the Americans and plays for the Los Angeles galaxy.

Howard, 30, received the Golden Glove award from this year’s Confederations Cup in South Africa after minding the nets for the runner-up US team. Howard, who has 46 caps, plays for Everton after a past stint with Manchester United.

Altidore, 19, is a first time finalist who has eight goals in 19 caps. He became the youngest US player to record a hat trick last April in a 3-0 qualifier win over Trinidad and Tobago. Altidore plays for England’s Hull City on loan from Spain’s Villarreal.