This sucks. I am sorry for him to be hurt. I hope this is all about legitimate injury and not about "resting" though.
And it's not surprising is it? I'm not faulting Marsch, but he's been riding Adam's athleticism and pushing it. Marsch's growth plan is about stressing the frick out of players. And Adams has grown up fast. Hope his body doesn't crash. Glad he's sitting out the Gold Cup. Sure the US would be a lot more competitive with a fit Tyler Adams, but we have lots to figure out, with or without him.
Sure, being a professional athlete is hard on anyone's body. But, with his break between MLS and Bundesliga, his time out earlier for injuries, etc, he only played 10-12 games the second half of the year. That's quite a low number for a player at a big team in multiple competitions. I see a lot of calls for our guys needing rest, but if we ever get to the point we have a lot of valued players at big clubs, they will be playing a ton of games. I'm all for him resting this injury, which could really be an ongoing issue if not careful, but I tend to think we overestimate the amount of rest players can expect to get when they get to the big time. Some guys are more durable over time than others. Hopefully, this is just a glitch.
Honestly, I think overplaying guys to the point of potential injuries is just the way the game goes these days, which isn't a good thing. But, it's cut throat and if you're not willing to play 60 games in a year or can't hold up to it, clubs will find someone who can.
You've heard Marsch say that stuff though right? And I see it working for Tyler, but I'm not excited about him going into the meat grinder. I figure a lot of people here are interested in him as an American product, and as a US national team player. Those interests can be aligned, but are sometimes at odds. I'd like to see a US kid starring for a prominent Champions League competitor, year in year out. Adams has so much potential, and obviously wants to prove it and keep climbing the ladder, so I'm happy for him. But for some US guys saving their bodies a bit while having greater creative responsibilities and leadership roles, while protecting their bodies/careers a bit might help them show best for us at the World Cup.
It's a problem we will encounter more if we start producing better players. Better players play more games because they are key parts of big teams playing in multiple competitions and are still expected to suit up for their countries. So yeah, sometimes they show up tired or often carrying a little knock, which is less than ideal. But, the other problem is to not have players who are good enough to be wanted by those kinds of teams. I'll take the first problem, but it is a real problem. Lots of countries struggle with these issues.
I don't think it's entirely new to us. Another issue is when players get played out via huge club games, they may have more trouble finding their motivation for national team performance.
I'd say that there's a certain age where a body doesn't wear down as much and then another where it starts wearing down faster due to advanced age. I think Pulisic, Adams and McKennie aren't to that age where they can play unlimited minutes yet.
https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bunde...mpions-league-world-cup-rb-leipzig-usmnt-5269 "For incoming Leipzig head coach Julian Nagelsmann – renowned for his ability to take players up a level – Adams is the perfect student. “He’s already watched me and told me that he is happy to train me,” the 10-time USA international said of his first meaningful conversation with the former Hoffenheim strategist. “We talked about the future, and it's going to be incredibly exciting to be coached by a great coach like him soon. It’s definitely exciting to have a coach that’s coming in that already has faith in you and has watched you. He plays a unique style of play. His attention to detail and how he focuses on each individual player on the pitch and the role that they’re going to play is unlike many coaches in the world."
I heard GGG interviewed on Counter Attack on the Sirius FC channel yesterday. when asked directly about Tyler Adams GGG said his best position is in Central Midfield. TIFWIW
I heard it too and was please to hear it... Perhaps he has finally dropped his lame idea of playing him at RB. Now if he could finally just get back on the pitch....
Nothing new, Berhalter said the same thing in interviews to Jeff Carlisle before the Gold Cup yet he was listed as a defender and was still planned to be played as a RB! ...And his skill set, to me, is more central than it is wide. To me this is a way to bring out his skills, get him on the field and help contribute to the overall success of the team. https://www.espn.com/soccer/club/un...gold-cup-and-moving-on-from-world-cup-failure In light of Adams' injury, this got left on the cutting room floor, but I asked Berhalter why he felt Adams could help more in the RB/CM role than as a dedicated CM. #usmnt pic.twitter.com/no9HSpnSDD— Jeff Carlisle (@JeffreyCarlisle) June 12, 2019
In the end, we all want Adams playing the holding/defensive midfield role.... but the dude has only played roughly 90 minutes for the senior squad due injury. Right now I would be happy if he were anywhere on the pitch. I assume his class will shine thru once he gets his opportunity and either Trapp or Bradley will have to bow out.
I wanna preface this by saying that I’m looking at both Club and Country performances. No he isn’t. He isn’t a RB and when he was played there in that stupid hybrid role he didn’t look good in the portion that required him to be a RB. With RB NY he was used as a wingback and it was MLS. Could he develop into one... sure. Right now? No. Also doesn’t look like he’s progressing towards that position. As for CM, possibly/likely but Wes has a case as well. Adams flashed it but has a small sample size in the top flight and national team. Neither are a fit for 3Gs ”system” which doesn’t help.
Adams has 20 games at B1 and senior international levels. That's plenty of sample size. At this point, he's a much better CM than is McKennie, who gets moved around quite a bit at both levels. In terms of tactical understanding, ball hawking, and passing there's quite a bit of distance between the two. McKennie is still learning how to be a consistent CM, hence why Wagner and Berhalter move him around. In terms of RB, I can't think of any US player who would be better. Adams played RB and RWB while at NYRB.
20 games is not a large sample size. Just for note... Chelsea played 60+ games last year. You’re combining his club and country to get 20. Yes Wes gets moved around. That speaks to his ability not lack of. Adams passing certainly improved but it’s got a ways to go (so does Wes). Positionally he's better. Motors are a wash tho. Wes is better in the air. Tackling is a wash tho they have different styles. Physically Wes is bigger and stronger. Finishing is Wes. Final ball is Wes but neither are great in that area. Adams looks to be more consistent. They both are exciting prospects with a lot of room for development. They both seem to keep improving each year. If you want to argue Adams over Wes be my guest but it’s not a slam dunk.
10 games of National Team play and 10 of B1 play are a reasonable enough quantity to make a preliminary judgement of a player's quality. Getting moved around, including to the bench, is indicative of being valued but also of not being a building block. That's fine with McKennie, as he is still developing. He is good enough to be effective while learning on the job. It's not uncommon for the young CMs to get moved around, before they are able hold down a spot in the engine room. Against Italy, Adams had an astonishing 15 net positive defensive incidents(recoveries, ints, tackes, etc). Including subs, the other CMs to play--Delgado, Acosta, Trapp, Lletget--had a combined 15! Both McKennie and Adams started in central midfield against Ireland, France, and Brazil Net positive defensive incidents: ------------------Ireland----France----Brazil---Mexico-- Adams-----------5-----------12-----------6---------9--- McKennie-------0------------2------------2---------4 Adams has also been the better passer. Not bagging on McKennie; Adams is simply an elite mid, for us, right now. He gets on the ball. He dominates the ball, even against elite teams. McKennie had a jaw dropping 18 npdi's in the Portugal match. Was that a one off, or could he do that again in a similar tactical setup? That was the only time he was backed by a real d-mid, instead of Trapp/Bradley. Source = mlssoccer boxscore
Weston is a very good player... but Adams could be an elite CDM. If his body holds up and he progresses I see him starting for a top team in England/Italy/Spain in the near future. Rose-colored glasses? Maybe... but there hasn't been a USMNT player in a decade that I have had more faith in developing into a stud... the only worry is his health.... two legit injuries keeping him out for 1/2 year is nothing to dismiss.
If Red Bull and Adams had it to do all over again, I wonder if they would have opted for surgery. McKennie has a very high ceiling if he can nail down the tactical aspects of the position. With Adams: USA 1-0 Mexico. Without Adams: USA 0-4 Mexico.
Cross-posting this with the Yanks Abroad Adams thread.... Adams is set to return by the end of the month! https://www.prosoccerusa.com/us-soc...rning-fitness-rb-leipzig-kicker-german-usmnt/ We really need him to come back and be what he was at the end of last year and grow from there. How good was he? He was rated as the 4th best DM over the second half of the Bundisliga at his age and as a rookie. Wow. Here is a specific paragraph with some incredible stats: After joining Leipzig, Adams led the Bundesliga side with 12.16 recoveries per 90 minutes and was second only to Diego Demme with 10.83 final third passes per 90 minutes. The New York Red Bulls’ product also completed 30 sprints per 90 minutes last season, which put him among the top players in his position in the league.