Up until now, when speaking about his preparations for the World Cup, Tyler Adams would say that he was thinking more about cleaning "diapers" after the birth of his son. Now the USMNT midfielder has two kids, but the World Cup begins next month, so it could finally be time for the Adams to have the tournament on his mind.
Speaking exclusively to The American Pitch, Adams said, "Now I've got two, I'm thinking about more diapers than ever. It's been non-stop! With the World Cup so close now, that excitement for now is starting to build."
The player is partnered with Scotts, which specializes in grass seeds, fertilizers, and lawn care products. Their initiative, called Keep It Real, is working to provide more opportunities for youth sports in green spaces across the United States.
With two children, Adams likes to keep his lawn in top condition. "It's one less worry for me knowing that the lawn is safe for them to play in. Whether your dog is trying to eat grass or your kids are playing, you want it to be as safe as possible, and you know with Scotts, they have that covered."
Adams has had his fair share of injuries throughout his career. So he knows how much better natural grass is to play on than artificial turf. "Any professional athlete will tell you that they prefer to play on grass instead of the artificial stuff. For me, in terms of recovery, your body feels it right away, whether you are playing on grass or artificial. My preference is always to be on grass as much as I can."
What will the pitches be like at the World Cup this summer?
Adams has experience of playing on insufficient pitches. "We played in a World Cup qualifier for 2022 against Canada in Edmonton on turf in the freezing cold. I remember I actually picked up an injury in that game. It was one of the few games in my career that I had to play on turf at the professional level. I was not surprised I picked up an injury!"
At the Club World Cup last summer, there were thunderstorms and severe weather that impacted playing conditions. When asked how he thought the pitches would hold up at the World Cup this summer, Adams said, "The weather is going to be one of those factors where we don't know how it will affect the pitches. I think the pitches that we are playing on will be really good. I'm not sure how it changes city to city, but I know weather will be an uncontrollable factor, especially in the U.S., where it varies so much."
The USMNT will be playing Paraguay, Australia, and Türkiye in Group D of the World Cup this summer, which they are co-hosting with Mexico and Canada. Adams is not putting a limit on how far his side can go. "When our group was being drawn, you get really antsy when you know who you are playing against, it's extremely exciting. Because you can start to prepare in different ways, and I'm sure the coaching staff is preparing everything to show us when we get into camp. We have a team that can make it very, very far. I don't want to put a marker or expectation on how much we can achieve. But continuing to build off of 2022, which I know we could have gone further."
At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the USMNT got to the round of 16 before losing to the Netherlands. That was with Gregg Berhalter in charge, but they are now playing on home soil with former Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, and Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino at the helm.
Of course, Adams plays for AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League, where all the pitches are in pristine condition. "One of the things I was most impressed by when I came to England is the way that they manicure their lawns. Sometimes you get on it and think it is actually fake because it looks too good, and you step on it and it is like a carpet. It is unbelievable."
Adams talks Bournemouth and his future at the club
Bournemouth are doing very well this season despite losing several top players last summer, and even Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City in January. The Cherries are in contention to qualify for Europe for the first time in their history.
"The club has done an unbelievable job recruiting players and attracting the right players. Our recent success has made the club extremely attractable. It's a club where young players can come in and thrive right away and getting opportunities to play, which is really rare in the Premier League. That has a lot to do with the recruitment staff at the club and the coaching staff."
It has already been announced that the Bournemouth manager, Andoni Iraola, will leave the club at the end of the season. "It's never nice when you already know a manager is leaving before the end of the season. It can make it difficult at times, but at the same time, I feel that the club and the players have turned it into a real positive. We really want to achieve something special for him before he leaves, and he gets the appropriate send-off."
Even Adams has been linked with a transfer away from Bournemouth. Sky Sports has recently reported that there is interest from Manchester United. However, Adams is concentrating solely on Bournemouth. "My focus has always been with Bournemouth. Listen, they've given me unbelievable opportunities as a player to develop. I think obviously when your name is linked to such prestigious clubs like that, it means you're probably doing something right, but that being said, I have still so much more to achieve here in Bournemouth."
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