Tyler Adams warns USMNT of potential failure after Copa America loss to Panama

The United States, after a promising start with a 2-0 win over Bolivia, faced setbacks in their second match of the tournament on home soil.

Chirag

June 28, 2024

Tyler Adams Warns His Teammates — John Todd/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF

The United States entered their second match of the continental tournament on home turf buoyed by a 2-0 win over Bolivia in their opening fixture. With a spot in the quarter-finals on the line, Gregg Berhalter’s team stumbled at a critical juncture.

Tim Weah played a pivotal role in that setback, receiving a costly red card just 16 minutes into the game, leading the USMNT to squander a lead secured by Folarin Balogun. This left them facing tough scrutiny and difficult questions.

Adams, who led his country at the 2022 World Cup and remains a key leader on the field alongside Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie, emphasized the need for unity during adversity. He stressed, “There will naturally be frustration after this match. ‘What about the referee? What about this?’ But we can’t make excuses. That’s not who we are as a team. If we allow excuses to enter our mindset, we’re setting ourselves up for failure.”

Tim Ream, another seasoned figure within the USMNT squad, reflected on the 2-1 loss to Panama, saying, “Obviously we would’ve loved to keep the ball a bit more, but with the man down and not really in control, it’s hard to then wrestle that back. So yeah, it would’ve been great, but we knew our transition and our counterattacks were going to be the key from that point forward, and that’s kind of what we tried to focus on.”

The U.S. will aim to secure a spot in the quarter-finals against Uruguay in Kansas on Monday. A positive outcome in that match would propel them into the knockout rounds, a target set from the outset of the tournament.