Tyler Adams begins second stint as USMNT captain ahead of Mexico rivalry match

TEMPE, Ariz. — Whether or not he wears the captain’s armband, Tyler Adams, through leadership and example, has always been a natural-born leader of the U.S. soccer team. On Friday, though, Mauricio Pochettino put an official stamp on the 27-year-old midfielder’s role, naming him captain for the 2030 World Cup cycle. It’s a reprise role for Adams, who, at age 23, captained the 2022 World Cup squad in Qatar and, in perhaps his finest moment, answered politically charged questions with eloquence and maturity the day before the U.S. match against Iran. Center back Tim Ream was Pochettino’s captain at this summer’s World Cup. With Ream retiring from the international arena, Pochettino made a point at the start of this training camp — the first since the World Cup — to name a captain midway through the four-game schedule. Adams captained the team in last Saturday’s 4-1 win over Peru in Orlando and wing back Antonee Robinson did the honors in Tuesday’s 4-2 victory over Chile in St. Louis. On Friday, at a news conference previewing Saturday’s showdown with rival Mexico at State Farm Stadium in nearby Glendale, Pochettino announced Adams’ appointment. “He's a perfect role model for everyone in the way that he can translate the philosophy, the culture, and represent this amazing country,” Pochettino said. “He is the player and the person that can lead that period that we have ahead.” Pochettino consulted with his staff — but not the players — and informed the U.S. Soccer Federation’s board of directors about his decision before telling the players ahead of Thursday’s training session. “Tyler is the perfect person first, and player and professional to be the leader in the way that we expect,” Pochettino said. He added that he spoke with Adams throughout camp and “he knows exactly what we expect from him. He needs to challenge us, of course, the coaching staff.” Tyler Adams says receiving the captain’s armband will not change the way he leads or represents his USMNT teammates. AP Photo/Abbie Parr Adams, in his third season with Bournemouth in the Premier League, has been a mainstay for the national team since 2021 under previous coach Gregg Berhalter. “Getting the armband doesn't mean anything to me in being a leader or being different from who I am,” he said. “I'm going to be the exact same person. I'm going to try and obviously lead this group into a winning culture and continuing to build what we're trying to build here. I want to represent my teammates in the best way possible. I want to represent the country in the best way possible, of course. This is just kind of the icing on top, cherry on top. We have a lot of work to do still but we're getting there.” Center back Chris Richards was also widely seen as a potential captain because of his leadership qualities, positive energy and relationships with the coaches and players. Reflecting on his first tenure as captain, Adams said, “In 2022, obviously we were a very young team — one of the youngest at the World Cup. And although I was ready for that role, at the same time I've had the ability to grow both on and off the field in the period now leading up to this past World Cup.” He said he has learned from Ream and others who wore the armband during the last World Cup cycle. His first match of this term is one that, with a roster peppered with international novices, will require the utmost direction and temperament. Meetings with Mexico are the most impassioned on the U.S. calendar, often replete with the dark arts and confrontations. With most of the crowd expected to support Mexico, the U.S. is bracing for what amounts to an away game. “One-nil down for us,” a smiling Pochettino said of El Tri’s “home-field” advantage. Pochettino said he will use a similar lineup to the prior two matches, starting experienced and inexperienced players. Twelve U.S. players have made their senior debuts in this camp, with some playing pivotal roles in the impressive victories against South American competition. In choosing his lineups, Pochettino has taken into consideration workloads for players balancing club and country.  “We need to be responsible with the players and also with the clubs,” he said. “It's a very difficult window with four games, a lot of travel, long distance. That is what I want to translate to the clubs. I think that we are caring about the player.” The U.S. will also play Canada on Tuesday in St. Paul before the players return to their clubs. “What I expect is the same intensity that the team showed against Peru and Chile,” Pochettino said. “It’s not going to change. The message from the beginning was enjoy, give your best and to play not because of the opponent but because of ourselves. We will defend our shirt. They are so smart, so intelligent – the whole team and the whole group.” Adams has been a part of many U.S.-Mexico rumbles. “Dislike, hate — I mean, it's a rivalry,” he said. “However, you want to describe a rivalry. When you talk about rivalries, whether it's in Europe in club football or whatever it is, there is a sense of just always wanting to win and compete at the highest level. This is one of those games.”