Tyler Adams boosts USMNT optimism with return to top form and gets Bournemouth flying

The mark of a good defensive midfielder is that you hardly notice his presence. They have repelled an opponent’s attack before the audience can even expect a boxing entry. Their passing is so metronomic that it amazes the viewer. Even the most groundbreaking defensive actions look neat when executed with masterful precision.

Tyler Adams is a good defensive midfielder, something that has proven his worth for almost five years since his breakthrough at RB Leipzig. Still, he lacks the “blink and you’ll miss his work” look about him. The reason for this is simple: his clubs and his country perform significantly better when he is there.

Bournemouth are the latest beneficiaries of Adams’ play. They played their first seven games of the season without Adams as he recovered from back surgery in July. Since then, Andoni Iraola’s side have seemed to go from strength to strength: 10 games unbeaten, dating back to a 4-2 win at Wolves on November 30, with a margin of 2.2 points per game over that period, second only to Nottingham leaves Forest among the Premier League teams.

Adams’ return was eagerly awaited by Bournemouth, partly because he was rarely available in his first season. The club signed him following Leeds United’s relegation, hoping he would be a more reliable midfield anchor than Jefferson Lerma, who left for Crystal Palace.

Tyler Adams has contributed to Bournemouth’s excellent recent form. (Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images)

Such was their trust in the former New York Red Bull that he was their only defensive midfield reinforcement in the three windows following Lerma’s departure. The need for cover became immediately apparent as Leeds suffered a hamstring injury caused by Adams’ overuse, ending their season in early March. Despite missing almost the entire 2023-24 season, Bournemouth focused their recruitment on the forward and defensive lines.

After his rehab operation, Bournemouth were more willing to get him back into action. He was slowly reintroduced in late October: an unused stint on the bench, then two substitute shifts, then his return to the lineup in mid-November.

Starting with that stunning win at Molineux, Bournemouth’s 10-game run provides plenty of data to suggest Adams has played a significant role. Since November 30th, Bournemouth have increased their ball recovery rate by 3.1% (to 58%) compared to the last 12 games, improved the average xG per shot taken from 0.105 to 0.085 and increased the pressing intensity of passes allowed per defensive action taken ( or PPDA) from 11.2 to 9.3.

“It’s controlled chaos,” Adams told TNT Sports after last weekend’s win in Newcastle. “We want to make the game as chaotic as possible, but controlled. We try to overwhelm the opponent as much as possible, but for us it feels normal. We run around everywhere.

“We know that I have the freedom to move, I know that central defenders will come with me. It’s trust, but you also have to have the nuances to it. You can’t get caught in tackles everywhere on the field. You have to be smart because we know that sometimes we can leave ourselves vulnerable.”

Adams looked back on his best. His 12.43 “real” tackles per 1,000 opponent touches – combining raw tackle data with instances where a defender is either shaken by the ball handler or commits a foul in the process – trails only Alexis Mac Allister and João Gomes among all Premier League players since November 28 (min. 500 minutes played). His “true” tackle win rate of 55.3% bests both, while he also excels in interceptions and blocked passes per 1,000 opponent touches (4.5, 5th among 61 qualified midfielders) and aerial win rate (64.3%, 15th). .) takes a top spot.

Even more striking than the data are the results themselves. Since his return, Adams has taken part in: a 1-0 win over Tottenham, a 3-0 win at Old Trafford, a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge and the 4-1 defeat at St James’ Park last weekend. Adams was particularly impressive in the recent result, leaving a lasting impression with a classic performance all over the pitch.

The run has made Iraola one of the hottest names in coaching. It has also strengthened the individual and collective abilities of Adams and his teammates.

“The system we play, you have to be a certain type of player to fit the style,” Adams said last weekend. “You have to have the mentality to push, run and compete.”

Luckily for Bournemouth, these qualities suit Adams perfectly. The next trick is to keep him available for his national team’s biggest tournament in over three decades.

It’s safe to assume Adams and USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino have spoken several times since the Argentine’s appointment in September. Unfortunately, Adams’ back injury prevented him from attending one of Pochettino’s first two camps before the end of the year.

Adams last played for the national team, of which he is co-captain At the beginning of July, when he started in the group final of the Copa América against Uruguay. The game felt lost even before kick-off, as the surprise defeat in the previous game against Panama made progression from Group C almost impossible. It was the only time Adams played a full 90 minutes in the tournament, having played the first half against Bolivia and Panama.

As The athletic one wrote in the weeks following the USMNT’s early exit that Adams performed well below his usual standard throughout the competition. His lack of commitment in recent months has taken a significant toll on the USMNT’s crucial midfield cog. It’s entirely understandable why: Adams had only logged 118 minutes for Bournemouth and 96 minutes for the United States since January 1, 2024.

Elimination in the Copa America group stage ended Gregg Berhalter’s tenure. (John Dorton/ISI Photos/Getty Images for USSF)

In the Copa, Adams was far less effective in dealing with opponents than usual. Compared to another small sample – his 360 minutes in Qatar – his duel win rate fell from 61% to 53%; His “true” tackle win rate dropped from a robust 64.7% to a paltry 37.5%. Worryingly, he was forced to commit fouls more often, perhaps a side effect of his opponents’ lack of fitness: from 1.96 fouls per 1,000 opponent touches at the World Cup to 2.89 per 1,000 touches at the Copa América.

This was almost certainly not a player who had regressed over 18 months. Adams doesn’t turn 26 until mid-February. Instead, Bournemouth’s inability to avoid injuries in the months leading up to the tournament left him and Bournemouth lacking the time to adequately prepare. Compare that to the months leading up to the 2022 World Cup, when he logged 1,167 Premier League minutes for Leeds in the first half of the season, and it becomes clear how much better prepared his body was for tough tournament shifts.

Bournemouth and the USMNT have a common interest to ensure that Adams’ recent streak of consistent high-level play can be sustained for more than just a few months at a time. The United States needs all of its best players in top form to succeed at the 2026 World Cup in North America. When assembling what is expected to be the USMNT’s strongest roster this summer, it’s hard to find even a few names who are as important to making it all work as Adams.

For Bournemouth, this may also mean finding adequate cover before the January window closes. Billing was loaned to Napoli as other attacking options surpassed him on the depth chart. The fact that Adams has quickly formed a good partnership with Lewis Cook and Ryan Christie shows that any two starters in the trio complement each other. However, during that 10-game run, no other player other than these three spent a single minute in the engine room.

The emergence of Tanner Tessman has opened up midfield options for the USMNT. (Bill Barrett/ISI Photos/Getty Images for USSF)

For the USMNT, Adams could need rest and rotation if he was heavily used ahead of an international window. Luckily, Pochettino has more depth in defensive midfield than his predecessor Gregg Berhalter. Johnny Cardoso, Tanner Tessman and Aidan Morris have all made progress since the 2022 World Cup. No one is as diligent about winning the ball as Adams, but everyone can do something to take the strain off Adams’ legs.

Adams is an invaluable asset to the USMNT, a typical “glue guy” with strong leadership skills and level-headed relatability. Having him as part of every subsequent Pochettino camp ensures he is in tune with his teammates, even if his minutes need to be managed during friendly windows.

As for the next handful of windows, none come close to the magnitude of the 2026 World Cup. Playing in this tournament when Adams is not at peak fitness, or seeing him miss out through injury, would be one of the worst setbacks Pochettino could suffer.

(Top photo: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)