JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Forward partnerships are typically formed on the practice field. Preferences, from a player's favored foot to the runs he likes to make, are noted. Repetition and time are then needed for such knowledge to take hold, though the infrequency of national team matches can make this difficult at international level.
But in the case of Jozy Altidore and Bobby Wood, there was work off the field as well.
When Wood was first getting called into the U.S. national team on a consistent basis, he endured some inevitable ups and downs. It was Altidore who reached out to offer emotional support.