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RIGHT RESULTS, 'WRONG' TEAM: Goal-hungry Red Bulls could use Altidore now

Toronto -- Consider the irony:

By finding the back of the net only once in their past three games -- in Sunday's 1-0 win at Colorado -- the Red Bulls could use someone like Jozy Altidore to perk up the attack.

But as long as Altidore keeps scoring and playing well for the U.S. at the Under-20 World Cup, there is a decent chance the 17-year-old phenom won't be back with the MLS club until next week at the earliest.

Altidore, who has three goals in as many matches, and the unbeaten Group D winners U.S. (2-0-1) take on third-place Uruguay (1-1-1) in a second-round Wednesday. If the U.S. prevails, the Americans will meet the winner of the Austria-Gambia match in the quarterfinals in Toronto Saturday.

In the knockout phase, there is so little room for error.

"We'll have to come out and play our best," Altidore said. "We only have one chance and if we come out flat it's over. We have to keep the same intensity, the same effort has to be there and we have to play for each other as we have in the other three games."

Looking back with 20-20 hindsight, playing -- and defeating Chile, 2-1 -- made U.S. Soccer's decision of holding that friendly against a South American side that much more vital.

"It will definitely be helpful that we've played a couple South American teams as of late," Altidore said. "There aren't many teams that play with the energy and speed like Brazil, so getting to see that style already is helpful. But Uruguay is a whole different team and they're have their own tactics as well, so we need to be on top of our game."

Added coach Thomas Rongen: "We've shown we can play against South American teams, and we know it won't be easy. Behind Brazil and Argentina, Uruguay is a team that is right up there in South America, and we know they tied Argentina in their qualifying process."