The USMNT icon publicly challenged Adams over his post-match comments following the national team's disappointing 2-1 loss to Turkey
Lalas questions Adams' failure to recognize current state of fan sentimentBournemouth star’s positive assessment contradicts widespread frustrationBelieves Adams’ words ring hollow without improved performancesGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED
Following the United States' 2-1 defeat to Turkey in their international friendly, USMNT legend Alexi Lalas expressed frustration with Tyler Adams' post-match assessment. The Fox Sports analyst felt it lacked proper acknowledgment of the team's current standing with its supporters.
“They interviewed Tyler Adams after the game,” Lalas said on his podcast. “And we’ve seen Tyler Adams grow up, and I think from the moment that he stepped on the scene, we’ve marvelled at his maturity, the way he expresses himself, the way that he talks about the team and that’s all fine and well, it’s wonderful and it’s positive. It’s the reason why people look to him as the leader."
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He added, “However, I did think that his postgame comments failed to at least recognise at least where we are right now. I was left looking at him and thinking about Tyler Adams and what he was saying… the self-awareness of the fact that people are fed up with this team, there is an angst related to this team.
While Adams highlighted positive aspects of the performance despite the result, Lalas argued that such comments demonstrate a concerning disconnect between the team's perception of their situation and the reality.
"At the end of the day, you lost," Lalas said. “And when you’re talking about that [the positives], I think it falls on deaf ears. And more importantly, for a leader like Adams to kind of not – in this moment – acknowledge that they got a whole lot of more work to do to win back fans, whether they’re soccer fans or general fans. And this type of result, as much as you’ll find little pieces to celebrate, this does not help, and it does not help [Mauricio] Pochettino either.”
AdvertisementWHAT ALEXI LALAS SAIDTHE BIGGER PICTURE
The United States continue to struggle with establishing a consistent identity and achieving results that match their ambitions, despite having arguably their most talented generation of players. That includes their recent 2-1 defeat to Turkey, where the team took the lead early on in the first minute but then conceded two goals in quick succession and failed to take their chances to succumb to Pochettino’s third defeat in as many games.
Getty Images SportWHAT’S NEXT?
The USMNT face Switzerland on June 10 in their final friendly before the 2025 Gold Cup kicks off from June 15, where the USMNT will face Trinidad and Tobago in their first game of the tournament.