Together they are the face of Major League Soccer for the past four years. Freddy Adu's had that role since he signed with D.C. United as a 14-year-old and Jozy Altidore is the one with the high profile adidas commercial seen everywhere.
For the U.S. Under-20 national team they make up an explosive attacking duo, which they displayed in a 2-1 win against Chile in a World Cup tune-up at Giants Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Unlike his role with the Real Salt Lake, Adu is the playmaker for Thomas Rongen's squad while Altidore remains a lethal striker, just as he is with the New York Red Bulls.
Against Chile, the two combined for the first goal, with Altidore doing his part to fend off a defender and play a perfect ball to Adu, who took a touch into the box and beat Chilean goalkeeper Christopher Toselli from 16 yards out in the 34th minute.
"On that goal, it was all Jozy. He fought for the ball, he muscled the guy off the ball. I just did my job," Adu said. "I'm supposed to make runs coming in, get in the box and support Jozy and he was able to find me."
Even at 18 years of age, Adu is the veteran of this U-20 team. This will be his third World Cup and Rongen gave him the added responsibility of being the team's captain.
"I'm playing a position where if I don't play well the team's going to struggle a little bit," Adu said. "I'm pretty much the playmaker on the team, the play has to go through me so I always have to be in tune, ready to play. I can't take plays off, I can't take days off."
And it's a role he's never had in his four years in Major League Soccer.
"Since I've been in the league, I've never really had a chance to play that position so I'm excited obviously playing that position with this team," he said. "I've been playing out of position ever since I've been in this league."
Altidore doesn't need to adjust. At a solid 5-foot-10, the 17-year-old he is doing the same thing with the U.S. team that he's done with the Red Bulls -- creating havoc on opposing defenders.
"That's a run you need to make. The right back's in trouble," Altidore said. "Tony [Beltran] did a good job of serving the ball and Freddy make a great run. All you guys remember Landon Donovan? That's what it reminded me of -- against Portugal [in the 2002 World Cup] -- running through the midfield on a 60-yard run. Sometimes you don't get it but he got it. He did well to finish it."
Adu played the part of playmaker on the U.S. second goal, a brilliant strike by Robbie Rogers. The Columbus Crew forward took Adu's cross, cutting outside of a defender and blistering a shot into the upper 90 to give the U.S. a 2-0 lead in the 77th minute.
That individual flair is something that makes the U.S. a dangerous side in the World Cup, which begins next week.
"If we can understand what we need to do as a team in the areas that we need to excel, our work rate, our mentality, then we have a shot because we have some individual special players to maybe go very far," Rongen said. "But young kids are unpredictable too."
But together, Adu and Altidore are a fairly well-known commodity.
"I think Freddy is a very good player, he has so much to offer," Altidore said. "He showed today he always doesn't have to be the one making the goals. He can finish as well. He's going to have a good tournament as well. He's fired up about it."
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
