24.04.2020 - 06:00 | Source: Transfermarkt.us | Reading Time: 8 mins

Exclusive Interview

Tyler Adams: "I wanted to prove that an American kid can be successful in Europe"

The coronavirus pandemic has brought football to a standstill in Germany. The Bundesliga never completed matchday 26 and since Mar. 13, there have been no games. Several US men’s national team players have been affected, including RB Leipzig’s Tyler Adams.

Stats T. Adams Defensive Midfield RB Leipzig Season 19/20 –

Bundesliga Games 14 Goals 0 Assists 0

“It's just a little bit of a peculiar situation that we're in,” Adams said in an exclusive interview with Transfermarkt. “A lot of people are talking about how there are no sports and how there's not a lot going on, but we have to value people’s lives, first and foremost.”

Like everyone else, Adams has mostly stayed at home, only leaving the house for the occasional run to keep up his fitness. But the 21-year-old has made the most of the off-time, both working on his fitness and also taking the time to fully recuperate from an injury that kept him out from playing all but one game in the Hinrunde.

Tyler Adams: "Seeing teammates has been a good feeling"

Nonetheless, the 21-year-old midfielder cherished a return to practice and the prospect of potential games. “So, for us, we were able to do it with a smile on our faces, and being able to see a couple of my teammates at a time has been a good feeling,” Adams said when asked what it has been like to return to team practice.

Overview All USMNT players in Germany Click Here “We’re still able to participate in passing sequences, a little bit of running to keep our fitness up, but most importantly it's just like I said it's a great feeling to have a ball back on our feet and be able to pass and smile again out on the pitch,” Adams said. “Yeah, I guess that must be the biggest part, just being around people.”

On Monday, the Prime Ministers of Bavaria and North-Rhine Westphalia, as well as the Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn have told Germany’s paper Bild that starting on May 9, games could in principle be possible behind closed doors. A final decision in this regard is expected on Apr. 30.

That would mean Bundesliga football could return in as little as three weeks. Health risks aside, will the players be ready to return to play given the absence of true training sessions? “Yeah, if the game started tomorrow, for instance, I think that we would be ready to play and, our team had such a strong mentality and the form doesn't really matter. We know that once we get back out on the pitch we're gonna take care of business,” Adams said.

Adams was a bit more careful about mentioning potential dates of a Bundesliga return or what the calendar might look like once games are underway. Instead, the focus for RB Leipzig has been about gaining fitness and being ready for when football returns.

Once it returns, however, there is no doubt that games will likely come in quick succession as the Bundesliga will attempt to finish the season before Jun. 30. That will probably mean a very compact schedule.



We're fortunate enough to have a very deep squad this year, so the depth has been able to contribute to a lot of our success, so if we have to cram games in short weeks, I think that our team is perfect for that scenario



Adams even believes that Leipzig could benefit from a busy schedule. “We're fortunate enough to have a very deep squad this year, so the depth has been able to contribute to a lot of our success, so if we have to cram games in short weeks, I think that our team is perfect for that scenario.”

Leipzig are third going into matchday 26, five points behind league leaders Bayern Munich. But perhaps a tight schedule could help Leipzig to turn the tables and retake first place in the league.

With games taking place behind closed doors and an erratic schedule, the league will likely have some interesting results. When asked about those circumstances, Adams says that it is an interesting question. “You know playing at certain venues can be difficult, I am not saying it won’t be difficult anymore, but it will have a more neutral flavor, so for us, it will be about doing our homework and focus on our tactics,” Adams said. “We are going to look at this in a positive way.”

Tyler Adams: "You can get caught up in other team's results"

As for the title race, Adams believes the most important thing will be to focus on the results and not what Bayern Munich is doing at any given moment. “A lot of times, you can get caught up in other team’s results,” Adams said. “For us, the first result will be important to build some momentum for the rest of the season.”



For us, the first result will be important to build some momentum for the rest of the season.



For the midfielder, it would also be an opportunity to finally continue a Bundesliga career that started with plenty of promise but was then hampered with some injury problems. Despite the early injuries, the 21-year-old, however, impressed many in Germany with his quick transition from Major League Soccer to Bundesliga play.

“Fortunately, enough, I was able to be within the Red Bull system and know the style of play already, I think that that had a lot to do with my transition coming to Germany. But what else I would say is that my teammates and the coaches here did a tremendous job of helping me fit in…Everybody made it very easy.”

Tyler Adams playing for New York Red Bulls

Another factor was playing for New York Red Bulls, a top Major League Soccer side. “The season that I left, my team won the Supporters’ Shield [which is awarded to the team with the most points after the regular season], and we had the best team in MLS, even though unfortunately we didn’t win the MLS Cup.”

That made the transition from North America to Germany easier. While Adams acknowledges that in general, MLS is starting to close the gap to the top leagues in Europe but that there are still significant differences. “I would say in the Bundesliga from top to bottom, you can have a pretty big challenge, whereas, in MLS, I would say that when you're playing some of the so-called weaker teams, they're not always the hardest games.”

Another significant aspect is the venues. Adams acknowledged that being the best team quality-wise is not enough in the Bundesliga. “Even when you are dominant on a day, some venues are tough to play and get points out.”

Tyler Adams (l.) in a duel with Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies (r.)

Nonetheless, the trend is that MLS is producing players that can be interesting for the more significant European leagues. “I think that the success of Alphonso Davies and myself means that teams are willing to take risks on young players.”

For Tyler Adams playing in New York was, however, always an in-between step on his path to Europe. “Players from our club had the opportunity to go and train at RB Leipzig, that made my ambitions that much because I wanted to prove to everybody that an American kid can be successful in Europe.”

As for further personal ambitions, Adams is happy in Leipzig and has recently renewed his contract until 2025. But at the international level, the US men’s national team player has the goal to compete at the next World Cup.

Adams, however, laughs when asked about his best position. “My most comfortable position is playing in midfield and playing that number six role that I've played for so long, but I know that there are multiple ways…that they will use me.”

His favorite midfield partner? “It’s pretty common that people would say Weston McKennie,” Adams said. “We have so much chemistry because of playing at the youth national teams together.”

Speaking of McKennie, the Schalke midfielder has a market value of $22 million and ranks ahead of Adams in the ranking of the most valuable US men’s national team players. “The market value is what it is for me,” Adams said while laughing.

Pulisic, McKennie & Co.: The Most Valuable USMNT Players

Like everyone else, Adams’ value has been affected by the coronavirus market value update. But Adams’ said that there are more important things to focus on at the moment. “When you look at general life, a lot of people are at risk of losing their jobs, so I am trying to help people and organizations that help with these kinds of causes. I think that being a professional athlete, we have to have the perspective that yeah we're very, very fortunate.”

Market Value T. Adams Defensive Midfield $ 17.60 m 17.60

That could also include pay cuts. “It is something we have discussed, and as a team, we decided to do it,” Adams said. “For us, that doesn't need to be extremely public. It can be something that's behind closed doors, but we know it's the right thing to do.”

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