The two youngest players participating in this weekend's 2006 adidas MLS Player Combine at The Home Depot Center also are two of the most promising.
Floridians Josmer Altidore, a 16-year-old forward, and 17-year-old midfielder/defender Blake Wagner arrive from the U.S. under-17 national team's residency in Bradenton, Fla., proving ground of such MLS stars as Landon Donovan, Eddie Johnson, Santino Quaranta and former MLS standouts DaMarcus Beasley and Bobby Convey.
Both signed Generation adidas contracts with MLS.
Altidore, a big, physical striker from Boca Raton, Fla., scored 19 goals, most of them off the bench, in 28 games last year with the U-17s and played in the FIFA U-17 World Championship in Peru.
Wagner, a left-footer from Tampa, spent two years in residency with the U-17s, played in Peru and was part of the U.S. U-20 team at the FIFA World Youth Championship last year in the Netherlands.
Both looked good in their Combine opener Friday for adidas Telstar.
"They both have great athleticism," said University of California coach Kevin Grimes, who is charge of the Telstar squad. "They both have a great attacking mind. I think they both have a great future in MLS."
Johnson, who stars for FC Dallas and with the full U.S. national team, is Altidore's hero, and although Altidore -- listed as 5-foot-10, 170 pounds -- is shorter than Johnson, he has similar bulk and physical presence.
Nothing would make him happier than to share duties up top with his favorite player.
"I hope to be like Eddie," Altidore said. "He's the best."
Wagner, who has maturity beyond his years, appears best suited as an outside back. He made the decision to turn pro after hearing several teams were interested in his services.
"School's always there," he said. "My dream has always been to play pro soccer."
FEW GOALS: The first two Combine games produced only three goals, and adidas Predator Absolute surged atop the standings with a 1-0 win over adidas Telstar on Wake Forest midfielder Jason Moose's first-half strike.
Adidas 7406 and adidas Plus 10 tied 1-1 in the first game; Oral Roberts midfielder Jorge Flor's 61st-minute goal pulled 7406 even after New Mexico forward Jeff Rowland provided Plus 10 a 23rd-minute lead.
"It's important to play well (at the Combine)," said Rowland, the pivotal player in the Lobos' run last fall to the NCAA Division I title game. "The No. 1 thing isn't to score goals, but it always helps boost your confidence ...
"I think it's a little crazy playing with people you've never played with before, but it went really good. It's only been a day, and no one knew everyone's strengths, but it can only get better playing with each other. We'll be better tomorrow and even better on Sunday."
Rowland had few options coming out of La Cueva High School in Albuquerque, N.M. He tore an ACL at the end of his junior year, missed most of his senior soccer season and had no offers despite being a Parade All-American. He walked on as a freshman at New Mexico.
"I already wasn't a big prospect, and I had my ACL repaired at the worst time possible for going to college," he said. "But I realized how much I loved the game and wanted to play, and I had the chance to walk on in my hometown, at New Mexico. I was pretty lucky.
"I came in when a new coach (Jeremy Fishbein) took over, a great coach. And I came in with New Mexico's best recruiting class ever. It was the perfect time to walk in."
Rowland worked his way into a scholarship by his sophomore season, scored 19 goals in 20 games as a junior, then netted 16 in 23 as a senior as the Lobos climbed from rising program to national power to NCAA finalist.
"It was really special," Rowland said. "And it was even cooler doing it in my hometown."
Now he's concentrating on impressing the MLS coaching staffs and starting a professional career.
"I'm just hoping to get on a team, get drafted hopefully in the first four rounds and have things figured out by next week," he said. "Hopefully, I'll get on a team and have a good opportunity to play. Anyone who wants me is the best place to go."
GOOD RELATIONS: Several players at the Combine have names that are somewhat familiar, thanks to fathers, brothers and sisters.
Four players have brothers who play or played in MLS. St. John's midfielder/defender Jeff Carroll is D.C. United midfielder Brian's brother. Georgetown defender Jeff Curtin's brother is Chicago Fire defender Jim. Clemson defender/midfielder Justin Moore's brother is Jason, the No. 1 selection in the 1999 MLS SuperDraft. And UCLA defender Patrick Ianni's brother, Tayt, played for the San Jose Clash.
UCLA defender Marvell Wynne is the son of former San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs outfielder Marvell Wynne.
Santa Clara forward Kelechi Igwe's younger brother, Amaechi, played with the U.S. U-17s at last year's FIFA World Championship in the Netherlands; his sister, Chioma, a star at Cal, was with the U.S. U-19 women's team; and his father, Tony, won two NCAA championships at San Francisco and played for Nigeria's national team.
Maryland forward Jason Garey's sister, Melissa, is a veteran U.S. youth national-teamer who stars for Texas A&M's women's soccer team.
OUT OF ACTION: Two Generation adidas players on the Combine roster won't see any action this weekend. M.A.C. Hermann Trophy winner Jason Garey, who led Maryland to the NCAA title, is sitting out with a hip flexor injury. Seton Hall midfielder Sacha Kljestan, who is from nearby Huntington Beach, is watching from the sideline while resting a knee injury.
Kljestan is one of five players who suited up last season for Premier Development League semifinalist Orange County Blue Star. Forwards Calen Carr (California) and Kei Kamara (Cal State Dominguez Hills) and defenders Jordan Harvey (UCLA) and Tyson Wahl (Cal) also played for Blue Star, which counts German national team coach (and former star striker) Jurgen Klinsmann among its alumni.
Veteran soccer reporter Scott French is an assistant sports editor at the Los Angeles Daily News. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
