TYLER ADAMS HAS NO TIME TO WASTE - AMERICA'S CAPTAIN IS READY TO PROVE HIMSELF ONCE MORE IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE AS USMNT COPA AMERICA PREPARATION CONTINUES
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.
Falling 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."
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."
Adams' 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."
Returning to Bournemouth
With USMNT duty now over, Adams returns to a Bournemouth team that's about as comfortable as you can be in the Premier League.
Heading into the weekend's match against Everton, the Cherries sit 13th in the table. They're on 35 points through 28 games, which puts them 14 points clear of the relegation zone with a game in hand. Considering there are just 10 games remaining, they seem pretty safe.
Because of that, there will be no massive rush to get Adams in. Manager Andoni Iraola will understandably look to take things slow with the USMNT star, the idea being to build him up, not put him into a scenario where he breaks down again.
Still, Bournemouth are very excited to have Adams back involved - he was their second-biggest signing of the offseason and, so far, they've seen so little of a player that could be vital for them for years to come.
“I think it's going to be like a new signing for us, for the last part of the season," Iraola said of Adams after the USMNT's win over Jamaica. “I think he was very good in the minutes he played. I haven't seen the minutes [with the USMNT], but they did well. He went in when they were losing and he went out when they were winning, so I hope he has also played well.
“I know that he has finished with good feelings physically, so I think it's a very good addition, because we have obviously big expectations with Tyler.”
Looking ahead
Adams was, admittedly, frustrated to be on a minutes limit during the international break, but he understands. There are more important moments ahead, particularly for the USMNT.
With his hamstring issue now hopefully behind him, the hope is that he'll continue to blossom. He was so good at the World Cup in Qatar and, in the year-and-a-half since, we've seen so little of him. At 25, he's just about to enter his prime and, considering what we've already seen, he can be one heck of a midfield destroyer once he gets to his peak.
To get there, though, he has to stay healthy. He has to get Premier League minutes. He has to get closer and closer to full fitness. And, this summer, he has to step back into the USMNT for the Copa America, a chance to make a major statement on the world stage.
"I understand we have to be smart for the long-term plan," Adams admitted on CBS. "It’s not just to play minutes now; it’s to play in the Copa America, another World Cup and so on. I still have a long career ahead of me, I want to be smart in what I’m doing."
Adams is getting closer but he isn't all the way there yet. He'll hopefully get there, though, which is certainly something to look forward to for both club and country.