Before the FIFA World Cup started, United States manager Gregg Berhalter named 23-year-old Leeds United midfielder Tyler Adams captain for the tournament, after the captaincy was decided by a vote of the players. Adams repaid the faith given to him by his fellow players, with the American midfielder being arguably the star of the tournament for the Stars & Stripes.
After winning back-to-back man-of-the-match awards in the US’s first two group-stage matches, he continued to be a vital cog in Berhalter’s midfield throughout the rest of their time in the tournament. This scout report and tactical analysis will take a deep dive into the impact the New York-born player had as the midfield general for this young United States squad.
All over the United States midfield
When trying to explain the impact that the young American made during the United States’ tournament, looking at the statistics shows just how impactful he was in making things click. In the group stages, Adams led the World Cup in tackles, while also covering the most distance of any other player in the World Cup during the group stages. This is before even saying how he led the United States squad in almost every statistical category throughout the World Cup.
The heat map above shows the ground Adams covered for the United States during the whole time the US were involved, and it illustrates just how impactful he was. Whether it was distribution from deeper lying positions, tracking back to win back possession in a dangerous area, or just being a midfield general, Adams did it all for the United States. This scout report and tactical analysis will break each category down in more detail, which will show just how impactful Adams was and has become on this very young United States squad.
Starting attacking moves from deeper areas
When it came to attacking moves from the United States, Tyler Adams almost always played some part in moving the ball into the advanced areas. While Adams did not directly contribute to a goal for the United States this World Cup, he touched the ball more than any other player in the US’s midfield.
