HANOVER, N.J. – If Tyler Adams and Jesse Marsch have their way, the 18-year-old New York Red Bulls midfielder will start integrating into the United States national team before the 2018 World Cup.
The 2017 season has been a breakout year for Adams, the Red Bulls Homegrown who started for the US in their run to the quarterfinals of the Under-20 World Cup and has cemented himself into the Starting XI for New York. Still, he’s got more on his mind for 2018, targeting a spot in Russia which seems a formality after the USA took care of business against Panama.
“That’s the definitely the goal. I know there are some [games] after this set of qualifiers, there’s some friendlies in November as well. I’m sure some new guys will get called into that – I don’t see why not – as long as obviously we qualify,” Adams told MLSSoccer.com.
“As far as the senior team, that’s the one and only goal. I don’t look at the U-20s, being in another cycle. I don’t look at in being the Olympics. I just want to get to the senior team if possible.”
Last week, Adams scored a pair of goals in a 3-3 home draw against D.C. United, the first two goals of his MLS career. He was signed by the Red Bulls in 2015 after shining with their academy system, then played significantly with the New York Red Bulls II in the USL the last two seasons before bursting onto the MLS scene this year.
Just in time, perhaps, for the sport’s grandest stage.
In 2002, current national team head coach Bruce Arena included two relatively untested players in Landon Donovan and Damarcus Beasley on his World Cup roster. Both were key players in the US' run to the tournament quarterfinals and went on to cement themselves in the USMNT picture for the next decade, with Beasley on Arena’s roster for the upcoming qualifiers.
Like Adams, Donovan and Beasley worked their way up through the youth national team setup. Like Adams this year, both were teenagers as the US wrapped up qualifying for the 2002 World Cup.
And, despite their youth and lack of experience on the club level, both played fearlessly in South Korea.
“That’s the mindset, I think I have to think like that and put the pressure on the coaching staff as long as I keep performing well,” Adams said. “There’s no reason why I don’t think I can compete and push for a spot there.”
Gifted on the ball, Adams is confident on the dribble and a solid passer. But he’s also tenacious in his tackle and has a tremendous work rate.
Even off the field, he’s unique. He graduated high school this summer and has enrolled in online courses at Southern New Hampshire University, a league partner. He’s already completed two courses and holds a 4.0 GPA. He said he wants to be a sports psychologist when his playing days are done.
Marsch is in his fourth year as a head coach in MLS and his third season with the Red Bulls. A former MLS player who had two caps with the national team and served as an assistant coach under Bob Bradley at the 2010 World Cup, Marsch thinks Adams should get into the USMNT soon.
He called the World Cup “a young man’s tournament” and could see a player like Adams potentially being a good fit for next summer.
“Well January camp for sure for me. I don’t think there’s any way he can be left out of January camp. The bigger picture, how big a bite can you give him? We’ll see,” Marsch said.
“Ultimately, it’s not my task but if there’s anyone who wants to ask me about it, the quicker he gets in the full team the better – for him and the team. He’s certainly a special player and a special person and we’ve seen so much growth from him. Now, it’s just every game he keeps getting better and better. He becomes a very important piece to our team and we’re really excited to see his development.”
