The midfielder is getting closer to full fitness and, after a strong international break, it's time to make an impact at Bournemouth
With a swing of his right foot, Tyler Adams made an announcement to the world. He'd been gone for a long time, out of the spotlight and, for some, out of mind. But with that one kick of the ball, he left no doubt: he was back.
Back in the U.S. men's national team fold, Adams' thunderous strike gave his side a 1-0 lead over Mexico enroute to yet another CONCACAF Nations League triumph. He's back for Bournemouth now as well, as he looks to propel himself back into the squad for his first real club minutes in nearly a year.
And it all comes at the perfect time. Adams' return comes just months before the Copa America, where he'll almost certainly be a key player for the USMNT. The U.S. captain at the 2022 World Cup, Adams, as the CONCACAF Nations League reminded us, is still one hell of a player, even when nowhere near full fitness.
He'll have a few months to get closer to his peak, of course, with there still being plenty of games and benchmarks to hit before the Copa kicks off. The important thing for now, though, is that Adams is back and is ready to play.
GettyFalling out of sight
As a professional athlete, you're never physically alone when you're at the top. There are always teammates and fans and journalists surrounding you, building you towards whatever's next. When you fall from that top, though, it's really easy to feel isolated.
That's what Adams experienced throughout his absence on the sidelines. It began in March 2023 with a hamstring injury that ruled him out through to the summer. During that time, he departed Leeds, relegated during his absence, to sign with Bournemouth. He'd have another crack at the Premier League when he returned to full fitness.
Then came the setback. In the fall, in his first game back, Adams suffered another hamstring injury, ruling him out for a long period once again.
"The rehab process was a long one and an enduring one," he said on March 18. "You learn a lot about yourself in those tough moments, because, in those moments, there are no headlines about you. There are no people talking about you anymore. All of a sudden, you like fall off a cliff and you're kind of irrelevant in that moment.
"For me, I kind of enjoyed that if, I'm being completely honest with you. After such a whirlwind of a season, after the World Cup, after everything, my world kind of flipped upside down for a brief moment. Being injured, I just had a moment to regroup."
AdvertisementUSA Today Sports Adams' USMNT inclusion
It seemed like it would be a hard decision but, in the end, it wasn't. Despite his lack of minutes, and the fact that he wasn't fully fit, Adams was needed in the latest USMNT squad.
Berhalter knew that Adams could only be used for 45 minutes at a time. He knew that he may need to tailor substitution patterns around the Bournemouth midfielder's limitations. It didn't matter. Having him around was that important to the team.
"This decision was basically the output of months of communication with his club to track where he's at, to see the levels that he's performing at in training, the loads that he's doing in training," Berhalter said after announcing his squad, which featured Adams for the first time since Qatar.
"Finally, I had a conversation with his coach two days ago and really hearing from the coach where he thinks Tyler's at, he couldn't say enough good things about him. He thinks that he's actually ready to play minutes today in the Premier League so we'll see how that ends up, potentially 30 minutes, 15 minutes, who knows? They think at the club that he has enough to play up to 45 minutes for us.
"Once we heard that, we jumped at that idea, because he means so much to the team both on and off the field. It'll be nice to get him back. His last time with the national team was at the World Cup, so he's been missed for a while. It'll be nice to get him back into this group."
Returning with authority
It'll go down as one of the most memorable goals in this rivalry's history, and that's saying something. There have been plenty of big goals and big moments, and Adams' long-range strike was right up there with any of them.
It surprised just about everyone in the stadium. Chris Richards joked that he'd already turned his head and started jogging back downfield. Adams' former coach Jesse Marsch explained that he had no clue the midfielder had such a shot in him. Few people in that stadium did, to be fair. Few besides Adams.
Overall, it was a perfect international break for the ex-Leeds United midfielder, although he was left frustrated by some moments. Adams was visibly upset by Berhalter's decision to sub him out in the semifinal, a come-from-behind win over Jamaica. It was done for his safety, though. Adams' minutes were restricted, so the USMNT boss wasn't going to take any risks.
In the final, he was limited to just 45 minutes again but before his time was up, Adams made sure to make his mark on the game with big goal, one which served as a true announcement that he was back and ready.
Getty ImagesAdams' USMNT spot
For several years, Adams' USMNT spot has been unquestionable. When you're out for that long, though, question marks do begin to surface. Considering some of the changes to the midfield, and the shift in system, could his spot be under serious threat?
We now have an answer: Probably not! Even if Berhalter does shy away from the 'MMA' midfield that ran the 2022 cycle, it doesn't feel like Adams will be the odd man out.
Gio Reyna's recent form with the USMNT has pushed him into the midfield picture. Against certain opponents, the U.S. will opt to play with the Nottingham Forest midfielder as a No.10, with two defensive midfielders behind him. Considering the ground he covers, Adams will almost certainly be one of those.
So who is the odd man out? Yunus Musah or Weston McKennie? That remains to be seen, although it would seem that the latter would be the best fit. Regardless, those are tough decisions Berhalter will have to make. It does, however, seem certain that Adams will be one of the first names on the team sheet going forward, particularly after his standout Nations League despite not being fully fit.
"I love him to death," Reyna said on CBS Sports when asked about Adams. "I’ve had my tough moments with injuries a few years ago and I know what it takes and how hard it is. I’m just so happy for him. He’s so important to the team as a leader and obviously, as a player, you saw his performance tonight. Unfortunately, he was on a minutes restriction. I would have loved to have him a bit more but I just love him. Hopefully, we can help build our relationship on and off the field for the next 10 years."
