Thanks to a sizzling Christian Pulisic performance, the USMNT kickstarted their Copa America campaign with a win. Gregg Berhalter’s side ticked all the boxes in their 2-0 victory over Bolivia. However, the big surprise was the inclusion of midfielder Tyler Adams in the starting XI. The midfielder who sat out the previous two matches for Gregg Berhalter’s team was impressive early on. However, by the end of the first half, he looked to be in physical discomfort. After half-time, coming out in place of him was Yunus Musah! Did the midfielder really go off injured?

The crew at ESPN FC has given their theories on what happened to Tyler Adams. Pundit Ale Moreno compiled his observations. He said, “In the body language right? Bent over a couple of times towards the end of the first half. Kind of turned to the bench and then we saw him slowly jugging around for the final two-three minutes of the half.” Moreno added that this is not how the dynamic midfielder operates.

Moreno did say that the substitution could have been precautionary. But his worry is what if it is not. The pundit added that Tyler Adams might have felt something in his leg. His co-hosts mentioned that Adams winning the argument against his coach Gregg Berhalter might not be a good outcome after all. But what was this argument all about? Let’s find out below.

Why did Tyler Adams and Gregg Berhalter disagree in the first place?

Tyler Adams, who considers himself to be among the world’s best midfielders, has struggled to keep himself fit recently. In a shocking stat, the midfielder has played just 96 minutes since the 2022 World Cup! As a result, more often than not, he has remained an elusive figure in Gregg Berhalter’s plans. Moreover, midfielder Yunus Musah has been impressive recently when called upon. Consequently, it seemed that Tyler Adams faced the pressure to prove himself judging by his pre-match comments.

Before the match, the midfielder was asked whether he was ready to take on Bolivia. Adams replied, “100% ready for Sunday. Gregg [Berhalter] may say otherwise but I’m 100% ready for Sunday.” Considering his fitness worries, it’s absolutely normal that Berhalter didn’t want to risk his star midfielder. But, it seems that Tyler Adams somehow managed to convince his coach to do so. Unfortunately, his substitution at half-time indicates that the midfielder is still not at 100% fitness regardless of his claims.

How do you think the USMNT should line up in case Tyler Adams is out with an injury? Let us know your preferred alternatives below.