The Captain presented by Verizon: Tyler Adams on the USMNT's World Cup draw and THAT goal against Sunderland 12/11/25

0:00You're listening to the Men in Blazers media network, Suboptimal radio. There's no security and no win from a friendly game. Like, you beat Paraguay or Australia in a friendly, that doesn't mean you're going to beat them in a World Cup. A World Cup, everybody's giving their all completely. We play friendlies in between, they don't quite feel the same. You have to take both those experiences and know what it means to these countries to be competing at that level. So, all in all, friendlies don't mean anything.

0:27My guest today is an explosive gold machine feared around the world as New York State Erling Haaland, capable of scoring from the logo like Caitlin Clark. He's also the most visible leader on this US men's team who've just found out their pathway through the opening stage of the 2026 World Cup after Friday's draw. And with the Village People's YMCA still ringing in our ears, it's a joy to welcome back for this episode of The Captain presented by Verizon. It's Mr. Tyler Adams. Yes, Rog, thanks for having me back. Tyler, how are we doing living in this post-World Cup draw world? No, I'm doing great.

1:06It was a lot of pent-up excitement. Now we know our pathway and what we have to do, so it's exciting times. I want to break down in minute detail that pent-up excitement. I want to know where you watched, how you watched, how you experienced it and all that. But I do want to say this episode is brought to you by our good friends at Verizon. A proud supporter of the global game and the players who inspire us on and off the pitch. official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Verizon honored to help share the stories of the world's top players. Stay tuned for more on how Verizon can get you connected to the game we love.

1:43And I will say giving away tickets to the World Cup through Verizon, our draw in New York City was unbelievably moving. But Tyler, we are not 72 hours on from the World Cup draw, which felt like it took 72 hours itself. We'll get to all of that in a moment. But, but Ticus, where were you? Where did you watch it? Who were you with? Just fill in the seat. I was watching it from home. So originally I was going to watch it from the training ground with the guys that are participating in the World Cup teams. And then we realized that at five o 'clock there was going to be talks for an hour and a half.

2:18So I decided to go home and watch from my couch. But it was all good. Once the draw started, I was texting back and forth with Christian, you know Chris Richards just a bunch of guys going back and forth and yeah we were just so excited like you wait such a long time for for the draw to happen and um the anticipation and now we know like it's it's real like it feels more real now I just love the notion of like you just sitting there with international cherries like Semenya and you're all excited and then as the draw goes into its you know like is it 12th hour and Robbie Williams is still on stage you all look at each other you're like yeah sod it no literally I mean we were sitting there waiting and you know You know, Trump, the prime minister of Canada, the president of Mexico all got on stage and you're like, oh, it's going to begin now.

3:03And it's just another hour later and it goes by more and more performances. And I was like, wow, this is the most American thing I've ever seen. So, yeah, the most American thing we have ever seen. We're just getting a taste of all that is to come. But really, you get home, you've got the television on, you're with your family. What does it feel like in the run-up to that draw when the draw kind of pivots away from all the opening and then we're getting down to business? Shaq is on stage. Wayne Gretzky's there. Wayne Gretzky don't like to rehearse. He knows every nation's, how it's all read. Yeah, we've all been saying these words wrongly all this time.

3:41But as you're waiting, what emotions do you experience in a second before? You're essentially waiting for your team, your boys, your squad, yourself, your fate to be defined. Is it excitement? and are there some nerves as you think about the different prospects of who you could be drawing against? I mean I think it's nerves because you're waiting so long and anything can happen in the draw and then you're trying to figure out all the rules of what teams are in certain pots and then what teams can go in certain groups and then sometimes they skip over groups and come back to yours so sometimes you know at one point there was a draw and you're like oh my god we got this team and then they're like no they can't go into group d so we're like okay they're not in our group.

4:14It's anticipation, it's excitement, it's nerves, it's a bundle of emotions but all in all I mean, you can't be more excited. So I'm going to break down the individual aspects of it. And it is fascinating because some of the teams we are recently very familiar with. But the draw itself, I guess the critical question, are you more or less of a village people fan now than you were three days ago? I think just looking at the draw in general, like people are going to want to say that this is like the ideal draw for us. But there's so many pros and cons to it because we just played these teams, all these teams so recently and potentially with the third team being turkey also recently and you know you you look at it now and it's like you know just as much as we've done our research on them to be able to beat them they've done their research on us and they're going to be able to tweak things as well so um yeah there's pros and cons but it's exciting when you are thinking about who to play as a player a competitive player an intensely competitive human being do you want to avoid the group of death do you want to have a group of life where you're like you know what we can you I know you, you're a very optimistic man.

5:19You're like, we can beat anybody. What are you rooting for, getting into it? No, listen, in the tournament aspect, you have to be savvy in some sense. Do you know what I mean? No one's going to sit here and say they want the group of death. That's just not an ideal scenario to be in. But at the same time, to find a different pathway from some of the more difficult teams is also ideal. So you look at our group and yeah, I think we can navigate this in the right way. I mean, you look at 2022 World Cup and people didn't know what to expect. And I think, you know, being a little bit naive probably helped us in that sense.

5:50But at the same time, like we drew England. We had an important point. We set ourselves up to play the last game and be able to go through. So we controlled our own destiny. And I think we want the same going into this tournament. So it is fascinating. Pot two, it could have been Colombia, it could have been Croatia, it could have been Morocco, Japan, Senegal, South Korea. That ball in particular, I mean, it's the first one that's pulled. What do you think and feel going into that? Yeah, pot two was a lot of difficult teams. You, to be honest with you, like, I don't want to say we're lucky. Any team that you get on a World Cup occasion is not going to be easy.

6:22But that being said, to avoid teams directly in the first round, like a Morocco, like a Colombia, which are very difficult teams to play against, especially if you had to play them in the first game, it becomes really challenging. So, yeah, listen, I think that our draw is favorable for us. I think we need to navigate it in the right way. But there's expectations no matter who you're playing against. So we now know who will play 39th in the world, South American upstarts Paraguay, 26th in the world, robust, physical, determined Australia and a European playoff qualifier. We'll find out in March exactly who, possibly Turkey A.

6:58So, yeah, I mean, summing up that pathway in a couple of words, what would you say? What do you feel? I think it's going to be difficult. And I, to be honest with you, like, I don't think people quite understand the magnitude of what it means to play in a World Cup for these nations. You know, like, you almost know more going into a World Cup when you have to play against France, Brazil, like the bigger nations that have the reputation of winning World Cups, then the nations that are here ready to prove themselves, you know, every single game, battle for their countries, represent smaller nations.

7:35and really have their whole country on their back supporting them. So listen, I think for us, we can't get too ahead of ourselves. We just played both of these teams recently and obviously two good results against Paraguay and Australia. But when a World Cup comes out, they hear their national anthems. There's fans everywhere for them. It's a completely different ballgame. Yeah, I mean, Australia are a physical, determined, quite feisty opponent. They've got a lot to prove. They're almost like us playing against ourselves in a World Cup in many ways. When they got pulled out of the pot, a lot of American fans cheered.

8:08It's all these videos, relief mostly. I mean, I know I felt relief that we were not playing Colombia, that we were not playing Croatia, that we were not playing Morocco. But I've loved, I have really, the videos of Australian fans reacting to the draw also. Because you've got to remember, they could have gotten England or France and Argentina. They were probably cheering too that they got us. We're probably one of the preferable draws for them too, Tyler. Yeah, without a doubt. I mean, I don't think anybody that draws the U.S. is going to sit here and say, wow, like, you know, they're so scared of us.

8:41And I think that's what we're trying to trying to build. We want to build this reputation of being a team that teams don't want to play against. And I think we're starting to develop that. We're starting to develop that mentality and and get better. And you could see that in the past couple of camps. But listen, there's going to be teams out there that want to play against us on home soil and beat the home nation. And, you know, just as we're going to be confident that we can win big games playing on our home soil, teams are going to want to come and be the underdog in that scenario and be the villain.

9:08So we need to be prepared for that. You've mentioned this already. The U.S. have beaten the first two opponents in the last two months. We beat Australia 2-1 in October, Commerce City, Colorado, a pair of had you right beauties. We beat Paraguay 2-1 in the great Chester, Pennsylvania last month on goals from Juan Gio Reyna and Flo Balogun. needs to be said, Turkey A, the scoreline was 2-1, but they completely outclassed us back in June. So Tim Ream said, the fact we played all three of these teams in the last six months is terrific, but they were unfriendly friendlies. It can be a false kind of security.

9:44Does friendly play have any bearing at all on what is to come? You've already said it, World Cup games, a crucible of pressure, really a knife fight, the whole spotlight, the glare, completely different gravy. What can we take from a friendly win, if anything? I think you look in the mirror at your own performances and friendlies rather than how the opposition approaches the game and plays. And I say that because you don't know what version you're going to get of an opponent and what mentality they're really bringing, whether they're playing at 60%, 70%, 100%. But you know from your own effort and what you put into the game as a team, whether you were at your best.

10:27So I say that just looking back at the two games that we've obviously played recently, and obviously I wasn't a part of that, but I think what Tim Ream said is spot on. There's no security in a win from a friendly game. Like you beat Paraguay or Australia in a friendly, that doesn't mean you're going to beat them in a World Cup. And I think from my World Cup experience and knowing what a World Cup means to these nations and then, you know, look in the mirror and look at the Copa America and how that that challenged us. And those were were real competition games and were knocked out in the group stage and on the bus on our way back home.

10:57So I use those both as different experiences because a World Cup, everybody's giving their all completely. We play friendlies in between. They don't quite feel the same. You go to Copa America, everyone's giving 100 percent and you're on the bus back home and you have to take both those experiences and know what it means to these countries to be competing. at that level. So all in all, friendlies don't mean anything. I think that's a great construct, actually. Read nothing in the opponent, read plenty into ourselves is actually an incredibly good way because a lot of us are losing our minds over here, you know, counting the wins already.

11:30Something I've been thinking a lot about since the draw, Tyler, is the United States will actually take the field in the opening game against Paraguay and then against Australia, who I think are a very good football team. You've already, you know, talked about where they are mentally and physically, will be on home turf. The US will be favourites in a Men's World Cup game, a number of them. Something we've honestly not been too many times in our existence. It's a different kind of expectation, right? Not always a good one. It creates a very different psychological reality for you than when, say, you play England or when we had to play 2014, Ghana, Portugal, Germany.

12:07Without a doubt. And listen, in sports in general, I would say the hardest thing to do is to win, right? And then to continue winning. So you look at people that have been a part of dynasties and come back the following year and they continue to win and they win the championship again and again and again. And, you know, there's something about being the underdog at first before becoming the winner where you're hungry and you have to continue to poach the people above you. But when you are in that top position and you're the one being hunted, how do you handle that pressure? And I'm not going to say we're going to sit here and be hunted at the World Cup, but home soil you're already hunted no one wants to see you succeed in a home world cup everyone's going to be rooting against us except our home fans of course so the expectation is there and it's a it's a matter of how you handle that pressure we ultimately the friendly diet this this which makes us kind of hard to place within the food chain of of world football the weight classes of world football we have no idea what our true weight class is right now and i wonder how you think about that you know if you've got like the Argentinians the French maybe England uh as like heavyweights and and teams like the Netherlands and Norway um just below where are we in the in the weight class right now it's so hard to say and I only say that because we've had such little exposure to playing some of the top dogs and um you know like when we're going through the world you know I use 2022 as reference when we're going through that World Cup experience and And, you know, you play Wales at first and that's that's difficult.

13:38And you see how their fans react to every single play and how everyone's rooting for them. And then you play obviously England, who's a who's a top dog. But we go in as underdogs and we compete and execute a game plan well. And, you know, we come out thinking, wow, we can we can really compete. You feel good about yourself and then you can quickly get humbled playing against a Holland and, you know, not being up to par in the round and in the next round. So it's so hard to judge. I think we can go toe to toe with anyone when we're at our best. and we have the right mentality. I think it's a matter of we just haven't consistently played against high level opponents.

14:11Do you know what I mean? There hasn't been a group where you look at the group and you say, OK, we have to play against France, England, Portugal, all in a row and really see how you adjust and adapt throughout that period. So it's hard to say, but I do believe we can go toe to toe with anyone when we execute everything right. But it's a matter of having moments in games and really being able to come through. How did the draw feel different, Tom? You said earlier, like 2022, maybe we were a little deliriously or wondrously naive. How did the draw feel different to your second time around, Tyler?

14:41So for me in 2022, personally, having gone through that, you know, really treacherous process of qualifying and, you know, really feeling like, wow, I earned this. I earned the ability to play in the World Cup because of everything that we did throughout the qualifying process to get here. When the draw happened, I didn't care who we drew just from the perspective that, you know, I'm going to a World Cup. You know what I mean? And that's the naive part about it. That was like, wow, we got England, you know, the day I think it was a day of Thanksgiving or day before Thanksgiving. Like, I don't care.

15:10All eyes on us. Do you know what I mean? Whereas now it's like, again, we've been in this culture of playing friendlies and not really, you know, competing at the highest of level apart from, you know, Gold Cup and Nations League games that this draw felt really, really strange to me. It's like, wow, we have a World Cup. Like, I've just been playing friendlies. Like, I can't believe we have a World Cup in six months. but it made it feel more real in that sense and I think that's that's why now going into the March camp we can really use these games as like wow we're getting closer and closer like it's happening how does it feel the morning after Thursday the World Cup was just an idea like a vague blurred idea Friday evening you knew who you would be playing well these two of the teams in that opening stage how does that change things for you emotionally mentally feels more real like you said um a lot of excitement but man it's so hard to look that far ahead especially when you play in the premier league and you have game after game that's super challenging so i try not to think about it too much of course that's what everyone wants to talk about constantly and um they have every right to because it's an exciting time for u.s soccer and i think you know if we do what we're supposed to do as players then we can really push soccer forward as a as a generation in the u.s um and really be the the stepping stone that we need to be but it's it's hard to think that far ahead it's really hard

16:33so you mentioned bournemouth uh thank you for giving me that in the business it's called the pivot i want to talk about bournemouth beautiful bournemouth um i'm actually coming out to be with you to sully your your day in person next week which i can't wait for we'll go a lot deeper uh a little bit on the world cup but a lot about the the premier league next week um i can say it's been a tough November, really one of margins. But the Premier League is such a ridiculous league of chaos this season. I think Bournemouth are in 13th, but he's like five points off the Champions League places. It's like one win and just like the whole mood changes.

17:09I actually loved your manager, Irola, this week. He was asked if he was pushing for Europe with Bournemouth or fighting relegation. And he said, a bit of both. What's the mentality right now the mentality from the group has been so good and like you said literally every single game has been a game of margins um you know you have some var calls you have some penalties that we've given up we've we've had some calls that could have gone either or way yeah and we find ourselves in a position where we went on an unbeaten run at the beginning of the season and now we've been in a winless run uh through the past five or six games if i'm not mistaken and it feels deeper than it is but we know we're not playing to the level to be winless do you know what i mean and i think that's the right mentality to understand and have is that you know the games could swing either way and it will swing in our favor for doing the right things on the pitch so the mentality the morale everything of the group has been really good and for me that's the most important thing because i was you know a part of a relegation team and i could tell you that the morale of the team means everything you have to be positive you have to continue to train hard you have to make sure you're doing all the right things it is a chaos league i mean i know that it's like everton it felt like there was a moment when we were like hello darkness my old friend suddenly were like six.

18:19And it's been like two, three wins that changed everything. This is a league of chaos. It's a league of margins. It's a league of utter knee-jerk mood where the emotional sentient of the table is almost more important than the points total and the place right now. So in terms of emotion, and I really believe in, in reveling, in joy, wherever you can find it. And now it's time for our special segment, Getting Closer, presented by Verizon. segment in which Tyler gives us an inside look at the pivotal moments of opportunity, challenge and growth that has forged his rise. Today, talking about one of my moments of the season, and I just watched it.

18:58You actually did it. End of November, in the heavy, heavy rain, Tyler Adams swooped on the ball deep in your own half in transition and then suddenly looked up and just unleashed a, I've got to say, stunningly controlled 47-yard masterpiece. How many times have you seen that ball fly in your dreams since then, Tyler? none at all because I'd rather win than score a goal. But for me, it was an exciting moment because like we've talked about earlier, me and you just like, I think adding a little bit more to your game is important and making sure that you're continuing to develop. And I have challenged myself a little bit to just have a little bit more of an eye for that because I'm not going to say I'm capable of scoring from 47 yards week in, week out, but I'm capable of doing more on the offensive end.

19:43And I think I want to add that to my game a little bit more without taking away from what I do really well on the defensive side of the ball. So yeah, in that moment, I think it's one of those kind of blackout moments of, you know, you find yourself in a scenario and you're like, just have a go and go for it. And I've had the confidence to try it and it ended up going in the back of the net. And it's amazing. I texted with your dad in the moment and he just texted out, he goes, he'd looked up, he saw, he meant it. And it was lovely. I mean, it was a Wayne Rooney-esque goal. And we had Wayne on this show a lot around the time he was scoring those goals.

20:17And he was the master of it. He told us he always used to look early in the game, every game, to see if the goalkeeper liked to push off his line. And then he'd know, you know what? If there's a moment he's off his line, I'm going to try it. Did you notice that Robin Roof, the Sunderland goalkeeper, was off his line the whole game? We said in the scouting report that he comes off his line very often. And I don't think in that moment I was thinking that. What I was thinking is I picked my head up as soon as I got the ball and I saw he was off his line and I was like, I'm way too far out right now to try and shoot.

20:46So I took a few more touches and I looked up again and I was like, he's still running back to his goal. So I was like, now I feel like I'm in range to be able to do it. So I had to go. And yeah, fortunately enough, it fell right in the back of the net. Again, Wayne Rooney said, there's a moment before you pull your foot back where you realize, oh my God, if I can control this, I'm going to look unbelievable. But there's like a, probably a 60 % chance it's going to skid off my foot and go out for a throw in and I'm going to look like an arse. Probably more than 60%. More than 60%. For Wayne Rooney, 60%.

21:19For Tyler Adams, maybe a little bit more. Are you thinking, man, I could be giving a throw-in to Brentford here. Here goes nothing. A hundred percent. I mean, you look at where you are on the field and if you ask me to do that with no goalkeeper in the goal, I mean, maybe two out of 10 times you hit it like that nicely. So yeah, I was happy it was one of those two times. You ran off, tongue out. Now, again, I thought we talked about the celebrations, Tyler. I thought you were going to unleash something a bit more practice, an archer pose, a lotus position, urinate on the corner flag like a little dart, you know?

21:53I have no celebrations planned, Rog. I have none. It's better that way, honestly. Trust me. America, this is going to be a national project. We put a man on the moon. We can help Tyler Adams. Meninblazers at gmail.com. Please help Tyler as he needs. There's one. There's now one. And Doniola told his man to start scoring goals. He's now scoring goals. There's one weakness. It's a celebration game. We've got to get on this. But it is amazing. I used to, ahead of the 2014 World Cup, I used to talk a lot about it. And EA Sports FIFA actually created the goal for me that we used to talk about, that Kyle Beckerman would win the World Cup with a banger just like that.

22:31That was, in all seriousness, one of the best goals ever scored by an American in the Premier League. It was reminiscent of the long-range screamer that you unleashed against Mexico. You do have that in your locker. You think I have it in my locker or no? I think you've got it in your locker. I think you've shown us that you do. I mean, you know that you have it in your locker. This is the thing. I do know I have the ability to do it. It's a matter of moments, though. Do you know what I mean? Just like we've said earlier, football is a matter of moments. And you don't want to overdo your moments, if that makes sense.

23:05I'm not a player now because I've scored a goal that I'm going to go on the field and then forget my responsibility and my role as a player. Do you know what I mean? And I think that's where the development of players gets a little lost. Just because I scored a goal doesn't mean I'm Justin Cliver or Antoine Semenya. That's their job to do that. If I have my moment to do that, I'll take my moment to do that. But I tackle better than the majority of the people in the league. I win balls better than the majority of the people in the league. That's what I'm good at. So I'm going to make sure I do that to the best of my ability.

23:31And when I have these moments, I'm going to try and take them. I'd love a World Cup in which is just you taking like, whenever you were within 48 yards of goal, you're like, that's my distance. I'm going for it. Just let it fly the whole time. And by the way, that will probably make Americans who don't love football, love football all the more. Just like, who's that guy who just lets fire from everywhere? He's my man. Do you have a sense? I know you hate talking about all this. When something special like that happens, that it will stay with you for life. Like whenever Tim Howard is profiled, his goal that he scored from a goal kit is always showing.

24:04decades from now when people talk about Tyler Adams Premier League at that point pioneer for the United States that people will still be showing and talking about that goal or do you just I know the answer for you'll be like just move on don't care no I mean I I genuinely don't care I think when I'm done playing football like I don't know if they show it they show it you know what I mean like I don't know if I don't know if Clint watches some of his goals back do you know what I mean like he scored some amazing goals but I'm sure he's just like that's what I did I play them for him he's like oh yeah yeah that's part of who he was like he knows what he was capable of and what he did like you don't need to you don't need to remind me do you know what I mean have you watched this goal you can tell you'll pretend you've watched it twice once with your son of course I watched it because to be honest with you what I was confused about when it happened was the ball hit the back of the net and bounced out so I was like wow what a save so like then I needed to watch it back to make sure like I was so confused of like how it happened because from my perspective but tab was already running over to me and celebrating so i was like oh it must have gone in so i started celebrating but that's why i was a little bit of a delay you know what i mean god bless you robbing roofs um so did you watch it with your son by the way my son no he doesn't care he could care less he's like he's like take he's like take me to the park i don't care about this yeah take off that superhero mental and take me to the park you know by the Anyway, KDB always used to say that he'd do a hat-trick of assists or just do something unbelievable.

25:33And it was the greatest feeling to get home and have his kids just be like, Dad, just know your place, Dad. Oh, without a doubt. Get that frozen pizza out of the freezer. Get it in. I'm starving. Yeah, he does not care. I mean, he'll sit and watch games now a little bit better, but he could care less what I do. You got Manchester United on Monday. Can you talk about what that feels like? New York Gent playing in the Premier League. Does it all just feel normal at this point, like no big deal? Or is it still part of you, Tyler, that's like Old Trafford? You know, I played that in Wappingers Falls on EA Sports FIFA and it will never get old.

26:11No, no, no. I mean, I think for me, I played against Manchester United at Old Trafford during COVID with Leipzig. And that was the first time I walked into Old Trafford and I was like, my dream is really to play in the Premier League because this is what it's about right here. This is what you grow up watching. Whether you're a fan or not a fan of Manchester United, walking into Old Trafford will change your perspective on everything. So I think now being able to go back and play there multiple times, have good results especially, makes it a little bit better. So yeah, I always get excited to play against United.