Tyler Adams - the best non-Christian Pulisic prospect in the USMNT pipeline

100% agree. Adams has the speed, workrate, technical ability and most important the mentality to be special. The kid does not back down. We saw the same traits with a 15yo Kellyn Acosta at the FIFA 2017 WC.

I would love to see Tyler Adams in a BuLi system ASAP.

As promising as Weston looks, Schalke would love Adams even more.

 

Acosta's more skilled than Adams.

They aren't that similar, other than positional versatility.

 

Definitely some similarities to Acosta. Nothing in this video of Kellyn at 18 that confirms he is more skilled than Adams as some might suggest....

 

Kellyn has developed a lot since he was 18. Notably, he was mostly played at fullback with FCD at that age. In fact, he played left back full time with the U17s. His initial year and a half with the FCD first team was at right back following a significant injury to Zach Loyd. Kellyn has "played up" with most USYNT squads, which made him look a little out of place. He was the youngest member on the 2011 U17 World Cup team and the youngest member of the 2013 U17 World Cup team.

[By the way, if folks want depressing thoughts..................think about that 2011 U17 team.]

One might be able to argue then that we should expect Adams to improve a lot. This whole overanalysis of Adams' shortcomings at this age is a little silly. He's a work in progress like all kids are at that age.

Hell..........................Kellyn Acosta is only 21. He's younger than the many of the players selected in the most recent MLS draft. [Two years younger than FCD's first round pick Walker Hume.] He's been around so long that folks forget how young he is. He's younger than say, Nick Lima of the Earthquakes, who people are describing as a new youngster on the scene with USMNT potential.

 

I'd completely agree about Acosta. He has continued to improve every year and has made a sizeable jump in the last 12 to 18 months. I wasn't arguing that an 18 yo Adams is better than an 18yo Acosta, but that those flippantly claiming Acosta is better than Adams is, to use your word, silly. Acosta is more than 3.5 years older than Adams, so I thought comparing "apples to apples" would provide a little perspective.

Adams could stagnate, grow at a pace similar to Acosta, or even make bigger gains over the next 3 to 4 years. So either a solid MLS dmid, a potential national team starter, or a big time player for us. I have no idea what will happen, but NYRB seem to be behind him and he seems to have a very good head on his shoulder, so I'm not betting against him.

 

Having seen both at similar ages does allow me to make an apples to apples comparison and at the youth level, both playing up, Acosta had a superior touch and better ball control (turning and shielding) and better mid and long range passing/ball striking especially on his weak foot. This doesn't mean he will end up the better player but generally the improvements with age are about speed of play and learning to work with what you have while minimizing mistakes.

 

They share a lot of traits. Adams has a bit more of speed/quickness/engine which gives him more upside from an athletic standpoint. Acosta is way ahead on the tactical front and is IMO the most tactically polished young player in the pool.

I think that at the European Club level Adams may have more upside and projects as an N'Golo Kante style box-to-box terror. I suspect that at least in the BuLi they would project Acosta as a smart outside back and tell him to emulate Lahm.

 

MLS Soccer has a good feature on Adams:

Like I said earlier, yes he has all the physical and technical tools ( for example already two-footed) but it is his mentality that stands out. Reminds me of a young Jermaine Jones at Frankfurt.

“The very first moment I trained with him I was saying, ‘How is this kid 16 years old? If I was 16 years old and I had this mindset, I’d be playing on a different level,” Red Bulls goalkeeper Luis Robles said of his initial impression of Adams. “That’s what sticks out each and every day with Tyler. There’s a certain part that you just can’t teach and part of that is the tenacity, the fight. He doesn’t in any way expect to lose a ball, and there’s a fearlessness to him that’s impressive.

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017...er-adams-continues-impress-new-york-red-bulls

 

People here know I'm not a big JJ fan, and I still think he had way more skill than Adams currently has.

I like Adams, but sorry, the guy is not big on skill. He has talent that could make him a NT player, but its not based on his skill, more about his defensive role, motor and athleticism.

 

Robles is confirming what we see on the field. The kid is a dog. He's hungry. He's going to fight. He's going to push to impact the game. That's an unusual trait for young soccer players in the states. It's also what makes Pulisic the type of kid who has made the most of his opportunity at Dortmund.

 

It is no coincidence that the U20 run came to an end when Adams ran out of gas. People can talk about "skill" all they want (a generally useless term, but Adams' touch on the ball, his passing vision, and his tackling are all good for his age), but there is a lot more to the game than looking pretty.

 

Disagree, the U-20 WC came to an end because that Venezuela team , was a FANTASTIC U20 team, one of the best i ever seen at the youth level outside of finishing ability. But, 5-10 years from now Venezuelans are going to likely be saying " we beat the US U-20 team that had Palmer-Brown, Carter-Vickers, Josh Sargent, and Tyler Adams in that game.

Similar to us now saying our 2007 U-20 World Cup team beat Uruguay that had Suarez, Cavani, and Caceres- and best of all- beat the 2007 Brazil u-20 team that had :............ David Luiz, Marcelo, Willian, Pato, Jo, Renato Agusto, Carlos Eduardo, and Luiz Adriano.

And helps explain why Freddy Adu's career is still even followed despite how bad it sucks, because he completely outclassed all these cats highlighted above in 2007.

 

Freddy Adu looked 'prettier' than those other guys.

 

The league office has to approve all transfers.

 

I remember being excited about Acosta, but don't remember much in the way of specifics of his game. It seems a little odd if all that is true that he didn't get off the bench at the u20 WC (was he injured) and still seen as an outside back. Where do you see or think his coaches see Adams ahead as both have played him regularly in the middle of the park?

I've kind of assumed something just clicked for Acosta in the last 12-18 months but maybe the positional switch gives him more freedom, allows his strengths to come out and better hides his weaknesses???

 

Josh Sargent?

 

Holmes needs to get on the field somewhere.

 

The answer to this question is Erik Palmer-Brown, but thats not the thread for this.

 

Acosta is very two footed, has a big engine and great range of passing. All of that is highlighted more in the middle than on either outside back spot. He was fantastic for U20's at Dallas Cup in the middle at the Cotton Bowl against River Plate but rarely played that position after that. Now he is back to playing his best position and more people are seeing him there than left back which is probably his fourth best spot.

 

He's not even our best CB prospect, which says a lot. I'd take CCV over him without 2nd guessing.

 

Oh my! Now you did it!

 

Gotta go with Matt Miazga as the best CB NT prospect. I'd like to see EPB and CCV play somewhere at club level.

 

He was listed as a MF on the 2013 roster. He was also 5 months younger than Adams relative to the cycle. I always encourage people to pay attention to the specifics of the game.

His playing time at other positions was more a sign of his overall quality, the lack of depth there, and the desire of coaches to find a way to get him on the field.

I would say that professional minutes are important for a young player's development. Adams got a bunch in the USL. Acosta got worked into the first team where there were openings. They sharpen what a player has to work with.

 

The more than 2 days extra rest probably helped Venezuela as well.

 

Since his name is in the thread...

Adams and Pulisic are alike in temperament and character. Both, when interviewed, are confident and humble at the same time. They both seem to be leaders on the field, even when playing with older players. They both seem to have a burning desire to be the best player playing at the highest level.

If there is a flaw or weakness in either's game, I would expect them to put in hours and hours working on it until it is a strength, not just adequate. Both I've seen a lack in their game then seen them correct that 3-6 months later. Both seem to quickly adjust and play better at each higher level.

There are tons of 18 yr olds that can do pretty Brazilians, it is the mental make-up that really propels these kids to the top. Donovan never had that burning desire to play for the Champions League title in his club career. He was still a very good player but it isn't "skill" that separates Everton/LA Galaxy from Bayern Munich/Real Madrid.