Tyler Adams praised the `mentality` of the players who joined the U.S. squad for the Gold Cup. The Bournemouth midfielder observed that they demonstrated a level of hunger and fight he felt was lacking in previous camps.
Despite missing key players like Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson, and Folarin Balogun, and recovering from a poor showing in the CONCACAF Nations League, the USMNT showed impressive resilience in this summer`s Gold Cup, reaching the final against Mexico before a 2-1 loss. Adams felt many didn`t anticipate this deep run from the squad, particularly after pre-tournament friendly losses to Turkey and Switzerland.
The outlook before the tournament seemed unfavorable for the U.S., who needed to prove themselves after Adams himself had publicly stated, “it looks like we don’t care” following losses to Panama and Canada in the Nations League. Now, months later, Adams is convinced the team`s mindset has changed.
`From the inside, I thought it was really good,` Adams commented.
Reflecting on the earlier friendly defeats, he added, “I think it was crucial that the message was clear: we were trusting the process we were following. Few players lost focus; everyone was concentrated on the immediate task. The fundamental point is that you are representing your country, and you must go out and battle as a minimum requirement.”
“Quality isn`t always guaranteed. While I aim to play my best every game, it won`t necessarily happen every time. However, at the very least, I must be running, fighting, tackling, fouling if necessary – whatever it takes to try and win matches. You could see that mentality. It was a new challenge for many players, but they accepted it. When you play Guatemala in St. Louis, you don`t expect 25,000 Guatemalans in the stands. But that`s what we faced, and we embraced it, we fought, we competed, and we aimed to advance. We did that in many instances. I was very proud of the group for that.”
While Adams didn`t necessarily have breakout individual performances like some teammates, the Gold Cup was beneficial for him in terms of playing time. After being rested for the first game and coming on as a substitute against Saudi Arabia, Adams started every subsequent match, although he didn`t complete any of them.
Adams came into the tournament having made his highest number of league appearances since leaving MLS, playing 28 Premier League games for Bournemouth. The midfielder has faced injury issues during his time in England and admitted he wasn`t at his peak physical condition this summer. Adams is currently on vacation and scheduled to rejoin Bournemouth after a three-week break.
`This is the first time I`ve played so many minutes in a season in a very long time,` Adams stated. `Honestly, I was just pleased to have made it through the tournament. My body was, you could say, prepared, but not *fully* prepared, if that makes sense. Mentally, completing a full Premier League season for the first time was something I was genuinely proud of.`
`Was my body ready to perform at the absolute highest level by the Gold Cup? Absolutely not. But I understand I need to be present to support the team and also to secure my own place in the national team, to build a legacy. So, the performances weren`t perfect every game – I knew they wouldn`t be. The focus was more on being there, competing as intensely as I could, and supporting the squad.`
The USMNT is set to regroup in September. Their final competitive matches before next summer`s World Cup are now concluded. Adams believes upcoming friendlies against Japan and South Korea will provide a tough evaluation, particularly for the key players returning to the squad.
He commented, `Those are going to be some tough games. We played Japan before the last World Cup and were soundly beaten [losing 2-0 in Germany]. I hope the next matches won`t repeat that. We`ll approach them with a slightly different mentality. I think the Gold Cup was an excellent chance to assess the squad`s depth. Many players got opportunities they might not have received so soon otherwise. They fulfilled their roles well.`
`There will be difficult decisions regarding the roster for every position. Of course, important players who weren`t in the Gold Cup squad, players who helped establish our style of play, will return. It`s going to be intriguing.`
