The Captain presented by Verizon: Tyler Adams on Media Scrutiny at Home and Abroad, and USMNT’s surprise “glue guy”

0:00Tyler Adams:It's Rog, here to sing my praise for a very special New Balance football boot, the 442. It's no-nonsense, workhorse midfielders and defenders, the ones who do the dirty work, but also ping a pass to perfection. It's a classic boot design with modern enhancements, with an ultra-lightweight sole, synthetic microfibre material, retains a soft premium in-hand feel, allowing for the lighter weight, the superior touch on the ball. Get a pair for yourself or the footballer in your family at newbalance.com slash soccer. We are delighted to bring you the Men in Blazers City Guides presented by Visa, a joyously assembled guide to the best places to eat, drink and explore and watch the beautiful game across the country.

0:43Tyler Adams:It's a guide aimed at helping fans experience the city as a local. It's built by you, our listeners, recommending some of the best small businesses in your communities, like the finest Viet Cajun in Houston. Yes. The best burrito in San Francisco. Yes. Where to save a lemon pepper wet in Atlanta. Yes, yes, yes. A massive shout out to our sponsor Visa, who's made this guide possible. Visa gives local business owners the tools and support to be ready for moments exactly like this one, welcoming you to enjoy the games this summer. Start planning your journey at meninblazers.com backslash cityguides.

1:23Tyler Adams:You're listening to the Meninblazers Media Network Suboptimal Radio. In England, players get ridiculed for doing certain things. That's just week in, week out in the Premier League and people are starting to take note to soccer here more and they want us to be successful. Noise is noise at the end of the day. Tyler, there's so little noise here that the little squeaks we have actually stand out. I mean, it's crazy. Honestly, that's a good point. It doesn't even get brushed under the rug anymore because it's just like, that's what's relevant.

2:04Tyler Adams:My guest today is a gent that I'm ever more convinced in a parallel universe would have had an alternate career as a quite iconic SEC cornerback in our nascent Premier League season. A few've hit him harder than he, a gent who plays with bark, bite and intelligence, as well as just a dash of Wappingers' full shithousery. It's been the joy of my August watching him and the Golden War Cherries play such dizzying collective winning football. I'm thrilled he's back to lead our young raw US squad into two quite stern tests against South Korea and Japan to break it all down in his inimitable honest style.

2:42Tyler Adams:Welcome back to the captain presented by our friends at Verizon. It's Mr. Tyler Adams. Thanks for having me, Raj. It is a joy to be with you. First of all, congratulations on an incredible start to the season. And Bournemouth are alchemists picked up really at the peak of last season. We'll talk about it. You ran Liverpool close, dropped balls, shocked on them, been on phenomenal form. Has this been the best you've felt in your Premier League journey, form and fitness-wise? Without a doubt. I mean, it's been quite a bit of a revelation since last season. Obviously, we lost a lot of players, some players coming in, but some of the principles haven't changed.

3:19We've continued to push on. The club is making exciting changes all the way around from a new training ground to new stadium plans. Just the excitement in Bournemouth is at an all-time high. So it's an exciting start to the season, but we know we have a lot to accomplish still.

3:33Tyler Adams:But you personally, man, you are smiting all comers. Oh, without a doubt. I feel good. Like you said, probably the best I've felt since being in the Premier League. It's nice to be fit, have that consistency, have had a nice preseason, and yeah, just time to crack on now. That yellow card you drew, taking forever to be subbed out in the 87th minute to close out the Spurs win. Watching Rich Orlison push you off the field. I was like, that is greatness housing, respecting greatness housing. Yeah, he's a top guy. You would know that from Everton. He's quite the character. But yeah, it was a much needed yellow card to give our guys a quick breather.

4:12Because at the end of the game, we were hunkering in a little bit, trying to create chances still at the same time. but we knew that it would be important to hang on to that game.

4:19Tyler Adams:I don't want to go in too deep on that. What does that feel like when you're winning? They're powerless to stop you and you're walking off. Do you feel like a bit of an a**hole or does it feel like a victory lap? Are you like, I'm loving this? No, it feels like a victory lap. Are you kidding me? That's what it requires in those games. And I think at times last year, we talked about needing a little bit more of that, not being so naive in certain areas of the game, wasting time. You see so many top teams in the Premier League when they have a 1-0 lead or they're winning 2-1 and it's late in the game.

4:49How do you waste time? How do you draw fouls? How do you slow the game down? Just definitely a growth period for us in going through those kinds of moments.

4:57Tyler Adams:I'm going to get back to Bournemouth because I do think it is fascinating. And I think everyone who listens to this show knows just how much I bloody love them. But what is it like for you to move between club and country, to switch between systems and coaches, squads, teammates? how do you do it does it feel does it feel like mental or tactical jet lag or is it just like that normally it's just like that but uh at the moment obviously when it's the first uh international break of the year it's a little bit more difficult because you're in a good run of form and momentum in Bournemouth and you want to continue that so then when you have to have this little break in the period sometimes it can mess that up but it's always better to go into the international break with a win so that you can have those positive vibes throughout the international break back in Bournemouth and then yeah when all the guys come back it's it's ready to run riot again but you know when you when you switch environments and you know especially after spending 40 days with the team in the summer with the national team we know each other a lot better now and I think the transition is a lot easier.

5:51Tyler Adams:So let's dive into it we're here on US duty squad as Avenger assembled again games against South Korea Saturday in Harrison New Jersey Japan Tuesday in Columbus Plus that magical kingdom for international breaks to go to the world cup squad. I think it could say still a work in progress in terms of the emergence of a core. We're going to talk through the elements in a, in a straight shooting way in a moment, but big picture from the inside world cup, 280 days away. Where are we exactly between, between change and knowing where we are? Yeah, it's, it's getting closer and closer. I think the, the change has happened.

6:31And there's going to be more change and there's going to be progress to be made still. But using these friendlies in the right way, obviously, for the coaching staff, it's super important to see as many players as possible going into the World Cup. And for the guys that have been here and are, you know, a little bit more established, we can't let our guard down. It's time to work even harder, continue to try to progress this thing forward and continue to try and win games.

6:51Tyler Adams:Before we go any further, we do want to mention this episode of The Captain is brought to you by our friends at Verizon. Verizon, they're an official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2026. They will be your ultimate connection to the beautiful game on the journey to the 2026 World Cup. Verizon is committed to enhancing your World Cup experience every step of the way. Together, we're building a paralleled, exclusive, truly once-in-a-lifetime experiences for Verizon customers. Verizon will power your passion, give you more access to make every match, every goal, every amazing moment unforgettable. Stay tuned for more magical updates from Verizon as we march to the 2026 World Cup together.

7:32Tyler Adams:And in truth, we can do nothing at this network without Verizon. They power everything we do. But back to the biggest and most important news of all. Ahead of this camp, Christian Pulisic's back, baby. First time since the Nations League challenges back in March. Goal in his first two games for Milan this season already. How does it work? Does he just return? Come in, start training. All's good. does the football just flow or is there a moment of acknowledgement does he say lads I'm back we doing this is football like real life or is football just like only the football talks no no no it's it's he comes back in he's he's a friend of all of ours now um and I think that's the most important thing that we don't forget is you know he he took this summer to to regenerate get his body right and he's firing on all cylinders already and you can see um from the first training sessions how sharp he is how ready he is how happy he is to be back and um it's a breath of fresh air for everyone uh we're excited to have him back and you know put all what happened in the summer behind us because um yeah at the end of the day he's he's a friend of all of ours this sounds like a stupid question but just bear with me because i think it's important can you explain from the inside how this team feels different how it plays different when christian's on the field from when he's not we've seen him lift the team to its highest heights He can occasionally be very frustrated when we struggle.

8:56Tyler Adams:What does he bring and how does the team need to be set up to have him really thrive? Christian is a player that can make something happen out of nothing. And it's very rare to find that in a team. And when you have a player of that quality that you could say, you know, the game is tight, give him the ball and, you know, let him go 1v1 or find a solution or create something. That's a rarity in football. and you could see he does that in Milan week in week out and he's that guy and he's that guy for us so to have him back in the squad you know it gives a confidence to everyone around the the team that if we just stay in games and we continue to compete that he could be that guy that makes something happen when we need it.

9:32Tyler Adams:Do we need to do something Tyler to bring the best out of Christian or is it just like in moments he's going to be that moment player that's what international football is less systems more moment? Yeah it's exactly that he creates moments like I said out of nothing and when he's in his groove wow it's it's fun to watch and fun to be a part of and we just need to continue to try and get him the ball in the right situations to have success. Christian's back but there are so many new faces in this squad so many newcomers how's the mood at camp compared to camps past how would you describe it? It's it's really really good I think the vibe has been great a lot of like you said new faces getting their first opportunity and it's a little bit of a learning curve I think when you get that first opportunity to play for the senior national team.

10:14But it's great to see the eagerness, the hunger to improve, to learn, to continue to try and develop because there's so many players in here that are going to be important for us moving forward.

10:23Tyler Adams:What has Pochettino's message been? Because this squad from the outside feels so experimental. You know, is it talked about like that, that this is about opportunities? Or is it more like, this is it, you're my boys, let's do it? This is about competition. You need to create a squad where when the World Cup comes around, you could pick from 40, 45 players, not just 21 players. So giving these guys the opportunity to play in high-level games when they perform well, it gives the belief and confidence to the coaching staff that, hey, I can rely on you in a big, big game. And, you know, when the World Cup comes around, there's injuries, there's players that are not in form, there's a lot of variables that come into play.

11:01And you need a big squad to be able to pick from to give your team the best opportunity to have success.

11:06Tyler Adams:You're talking about that depth of options, and we've talked in the past, Tali, you've been quite honest, that at times it's felt like the squad got a little bit complacent. Pochettino's talked about that he's trying to set a new culture, a new set of realities. Does he talk explicitly about the values of that culture to you? Or again, is it all football, football, football? Or is it talk about the values that he wants this team to represent? Yeah, no, I think one of the things he emphasizes is that, you know, it's not about any individual. It's about playing for each other. You know, we showed clips throughout the Gold Cup of, you know, guys getting in scraps and guys coming over and backing each other up.

11:43And, you know, that's what makes a team. You have each other's back in the toughest moments and you go through the good moments and you celebrate success. And when you look at our squad now and you look at how young our team is and how many players have experience, you know, it's important for these games to be important. Everything, every single game, every single camp holds an important value going into the World Cup. And he's emphasized that. But it's about the collective at the end of the day.

12:06Tyler Adams:It's incredible to see a number of strikers back in our loving arms. I've got to say, we're seeing Flo Balogun with the squad for the first time under Mauricio Pochettino. Welcome back, you beautiful human being. But I am so thrilled to see Josh Sargent back after not making it this summer. He's goal scored his way back into our loving arms. Top of the charts in the championship. You know Josh so well. I mean, you're both so bloody young, but you've both also been around forever. It's been hard to watch his US goal drought. I'm not going to lie, particularly this Gordon when he's banging them in for fun for Norwich City.

12:42Tyler Adams:How do you explain it? And what do we need to do to get Josh Sargent going again and do what he does in England, but on American turf? Yeah, me and Josh have played together for a really long time now. And it feels like it was yesterday that at the under 20 World Cup without playing a game for the under 20 national team, he got called into the World Cup. And that just goes to show his quality. and he has a knack for scoring goals, and it's only a moment of time before he starts putting them in the back of the net for the national team. I believe in that for sure. He does it week in, week out in Norwich, and everyone raves about him in England because they know his quality.

13:16It's just about setting him up for success, putting him in the right situations to score goals because at the end of the day, he gives you so much more than scoring goals, and I think that's what people forget. His hold-up play is unbelievable. His work ethic is unbelievable. The amount of distance he covers for a striker is unbelievable. So when you have players working that hard, it's only a moment of time before they start scoring.

13:37Tyler Adams:So that's really it. We have to play to his strengths. And at times he's come to the U.S. team and we just haven't set up for him. Yeah, I mean, I think that, you know, in certain scenarios, of course, when you get chances, you have to bury them. But there hasn't been so many games where you're like, ah, he's missed a clear chance. We need to create chances at the end of the day. And I think that's something that we did really well at Gold Cup, for instance, where we were creating a lot of chances, probably more than in a lot of other tournaments and in games. and yeah, people were there to finish them, but I know that he'll finish goals.

14:07Tyler Adams:We are delighted to bring you the Men in Blazers City Guides presented by Visa, a joyously assembled guide to the best places to eat, drink and explore and watch the beautiful game across the country. It's a guide aimed at helping fans experience the city as a local. It's built by you, our listeners, recommending some of the best small businesses in your communities. Like the finest Viet Cajun in Houston. Yes. The best burrito in San Francisco. Yes. Where to savour lemon pepper wet in Atlanta. Yes, yes, yes. A massive shout out to our sponsor Visa, who's made this guide possible. Visa gives local business owners the tools and support to be ready for moments exactly like this one, welcoming you to enjoy the games this summer.

14:55Tyler Adams:Start planning your journey at meninblazers.com backslash cityguides. Let's talk about the midfield. A lot of headlines. No Western, no Brendan Aronson, no Yunus Moussa, no Johnny. I mean, looking at you are once again the Ibiza final boss of our midfield core. It's a young, raw cohort. You know, I adored Diego Luna. Back, Maverick hustle. He's almost like a throwback to US men's national team eras past. Sebastian Berhalter, LDLT, Luca De La Torre, Jack McGlynn. Oh, what a hammer. And Sean Zavarsky. Oh, yeah, Columbus crew. You were a young raw kid international when you cemented your place in this squad after 2017.

15:42Tyler Adams:This feels like a moment of audition for a World Cup. And you're now in it, kind of caught in between eras of talent. some of the more familiar names may or may not return we all think they will they might not how do you experience these moments of transition from the inside it's football at the end of the day isn't it um you have to take your chance when it comes and you know when I look back on the opportunity that I had to come into the national team um it wasn't so much a do or die situation I knew that we were going through a period of change and um hopefully if I continued to play well in my club environment I'd get the opportunity to get called in and and develop with the growth of the national team.

16:20Whereas now I think that when you get called in, it's time to show what you're capable of in the lead up to a World Cup. Like these friendlies, like I said, have a lot of value. I think being able to play alongside a core group of players helps these players, you know, ease their way into the national team and is important. And I kind of view my role as that, you know, I want to be the consistent player in the team where I'm able to help these guys ease in and not really fear the consequences of making a bad pass or doing something. That's all normal in the process. So, yeah, I just want to continue to try and be that consistent player for the team.

16:55Tyler Adams:You're in training. We're not. Who should we be excited about, Tyler? Who's caught your eye? There's so many good players in this team. And, you know, I've said it time and time again. I'm really excited to have Josh back in the squad because I think that he can offer our team something that we don't always have. Just the combination and hybrid of, you know, his hold of play, his runs in behind, his ability around the goal. So I want to get him firing on all cylinders, and I know that he can be important for us. I loved seeing you with Michael Bradley. God, I missed his ferocious clenched fist play when I saw him.

17:27Tyler Adams:Now a coach at Red Bulls. He hung out with you. What's that like? What did he say? We obviously go a little bit back. You know, when I first broke into the national team, he was still on the national team. And, you know, what a player, person, professional to learn from. It's someone that I obviously, you know, looked up to for a long time in my career that was in my position. You know, being able to wear the number four now as well. You know, it's really cool just to kind of follow in his footsteps. So, you know, we speak about the game. We speak about life. You know, he's coaching my brother at Red Bull 2 right now as well.

17:59So, you know, our relationship goes even a little bit deeper. But he's just an amazing human being and a great professional role model.

18:06Tyler Adams:No, Michael Bradley, he probably turned out and was like, do you need me to play? Honestly, he's probably ready. He could still run, I'm sure. I believe that. One player it is incredible to see back, Seginio Dest. First time under Pochettino, that Dutch nutmeg addict is back. He loves you, Tyler. We had him on yesterday and he talked about, you know, who he's excited to play alongside. I think you were first on the list. Can you talk about, I mean, he's an inimitable character. Seginio Dest is just different. What does his presence in camp as a real ball of energy and on the field. What does that bring?

18:41He's just confident on and off the field. He's quite the character to say the least. And honestly, I think he's probably a little bit misunderstood by a lot of people. And, you know, I've had a lot of good conversations with him as a person and on the field as well. And his love for the game and the love for the team runs deeper than people think. You know, when he was, I can't even think of how old he was, maybe 15, 16 when he started playing for the youth national teams, maybe even a little bit younger. and his passion to play for the U.S. and represent the country and also his relationships that he has with everyone on this team are important to him.

19:16So it's great to have him back in the squad because, to be honest with you, when he went through those injury problems, I saw a lot of what I went through and what he had, and I had conversations with him about it, and I'm like, it will take time. Don't be impatient with yourself and don't be too hard on yourself because he is that type of person. If he has a bad game or if he has something like that, he's quite hard on himself because he expects the best from himself. And we know that we expect a lot from him as well, but it takes time. And I'm happy to see him back doing what he does best.

19:42Tyler Adams:And this team, it's not talked about enough. We talk about the biggest names, the most familiar names, but Serginio Dest and Anthony Robinson, tactically, you know, losing both of those guys for a long, it was like losing, you know, the two can openers for this team and then trying to open a camp. Absolutely. No, we rely a lot on our fullbacks in the way that we play. And when you have two fullbacks of that caliber, obviously losing them is very difficult because they both offer something completely different. Anthony just getting up and down the pitch and creating stuff out of nothing. And Serginio literally can dribble from one end of the field to the other.

20:17So when you lose both those variables, it becomes a little bit difficult. But at the same time, again, it's a test of our depth. And, you know, to have Alex Freeman come in and continue to get opportunities to play and then to have Max Arfsten come in and, you know, get these valuable games and experiences where, you know, if something happens and we need a backup and we need someone or if we need a starter in a big game and just the personnel that that goes to to each opponent um we have options now and that's

20:41Tyler Adams:important we talk about seginio des being a true character of u.s football on the men's side right now amidst all the gents in camp who are the glue guys who are the warmest funniest guys who bring the core of this squad together i'm gonna be honest one of the the biggest glue guys in our team right now is is sebastian berhalter he's uh he's just someone that you could tell has been around the environment a lot understands um people and i'm sure that's growing up in and around that culture um but he's just an amazing person he's he's hilarious he's one of the guys that i hang out with a lot um so yeah he's he's going to be one of the big glue guys for us it's incredible to have a u.s squad with a berhalter and a klinsman in under mariccio pochettino yeah it's pretty cool and and jonathan klinsman as well as one of the guys that i played with in the under 20s as well so i know him from the past and um it's great to have these guys back in and around the group because again opportunities are there to be had we need to get kenny arena back

21:42Tyler Adams:oh my god who's the toughest guy to go up against in training and toughest guy to go up against oh i mean we we have so many good players you know luca's one of my favorite players luca del torre He's so good on the ball, so tidy on the ball. He's one of those guys in training that you want on your team because he doesn't lose the ball. But when you play against him, you're like, why does he never lose the ball? So Luka's one of those players for sure. What's one thing fans don't see about this US men's national team group behind the scenes? You're experiencing it all in training. What's the one thing we should know, Tyler?