USMNT star Tyler Adams on his 'special' relationship with English football
By Chris Smith
United States Men's National Team midfielder Tyler Adams has opened up on his 'special' affinity with English football ahead of Friday's clash with the Three Lions.
The USMNT go head-to-head with England in a key clash at Al Bayt Stadium following a 1-1 draw with Wales in their Group B opener on Monday - Gareth Southgate's side, meanwhile, thrashed Iran 6-2.
England are firm favorites, but the United States side is still packed with star names, including those plying their trade in the Premier League like Christian Pulisic, Brenden Aaronson, Antonee Robinson, and Adams.
USMNT players in the Premier League and England
- Matt Turner (Arsenal)
- Ethan Horvath (Luton Town)
- Antonee Robinson (Fulham)
- Tim Ream (Fulham)
- Tyler Adams (Leeds United)
- Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United)
- Christian Pulisic (Chelsea)
- Josh Sargent (Norwich City)
Whatever happens, it's going to be a special occasion.
“In America, you see a lot of young players tuning into a lot of the Premier League games. They’re on in the mornings, they’re easy to tune into,” explained USMNT captain Adams. “You saw a lot of quality players on the pitch at the same time, no matter which team was playing in the Premier League.
“So for me, it was always a dream of mine. I remember telling my mom at a young age that I wanted to play in England. The culture is not too far off of what America has to offer, so definitely that transition has been obviously a lot easier than playing in Germany [at RB Leipzig]. But there's something special about the Premier League. Always has been and I think there always will be.”
Regardless of the love shown to the Premier League by Americans, this is a moment for the United States to show they belong on this stage and can rub shoulders with their English counterparts.
Adams is out exclusively to show that soccer is catching up to football.
“England’s still a big team at the end of the day,” he said. “But we also want to show them what we're capable of and that US soccer is growing and developing in the right way.”
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