It wouldn’t raise any eyebrows if a USMNT well-wisher rooted for some core shakeups in the team. Even their 2022 World Cup captain Tyler Adams is no different. For starters, the ace midfielder needs a ‘ruthless‘ coach to take Team USA’s reins after Gregg Berhalter’s exit. The Bournemouth star candidly observed that the US Soccer Federation needs to get better at this point. This comes from the midfielder when the USMNT’s senior squad is still recovering from the premature Copa America exit and the U-23 squad faced a knockout blow in the Olympics. On the Copa loss, Adams lamented USMNT’s abysmal pre-tournament campaign and failed ‘individual’ and ‘collective’ displays.

USMNT’s plight after the Copa exit was one of the hot topics discussed by Tyler Adams during his appearance on the Men in Blazers podcast. Minutes into the conversation, Adams laid bare how abysmal the Copa run was for the US. “The performances individually and collectively in the Copa weren’t good enough,” said Adams. “I think the buildup to the Copa obviously let us down a lot. It was unfortunate that I couldn’t be a part of that,” he added.

As Adams pointed out, USMNT’s buildup to the Copa America did not pan out the way they wanted. Colombia handed USMNT a shocking 5-1 defeat in June, a few weeks before the Copa. However, Team USA then managed to hold a mighty Brazilian side to a draw in their next friendly game. Tyler Adams observed that he could have helped the team maintain a rhythm and balance during the pre-Copa matches, had he not missed the US camp due to an injury.

The Bournemouth midfielder also urged the USSF to better prepare for the 2026 US-hosted World Cup. Meanwhile, he also insisted that all of his teammates should take responsibility for the Copa America disappointment.

Tyler Adams hopes for USMNT’s betterment, as the World Cup is on the doorstep

During the conversation about USMNT’s pre-Copa campaign, he and his teammates failed to ensure they started wrongly. He cited untimely vacations as a primary reason for players’ overtly ‘relaxed’ approach. “I’m not one to point the finger I think everyone can you know take the burden in some way,” Adams said, referring to the Copa America failure.

The Copa America is anyway a story of the past. The World Cup which is to be played at home is the next big thing for Team US. And Tyler Adams knows it. He wants the US Soccer Federation to urgently hire an astute manager to lead the team to the World Cup. He wants that coach to be “ruthless” and capable of showing a bunch of youngsters their place when needed while leading the USMNT.