As Tyler Adams stood tucked away from the adoring group of youth soccer players, family and friends that had gathered in Wappinger Falls for a special ceremony to honor the U.S. Men’s National Team captain, he couldn’t help but smile.
In the grand scheme of things, Adams has had a lot to smile about as of late, first with the United States’ run in the Gold Cup — which ended in a frustrating 2-1 loss to Mexico in the final — and now having the soccer field where he grew up playing renamed in his honor.
With the house his grandmother used to live in steps behind him and the field that he told The Post this week had “too many memories to tell you” about in front of him, it was difficult to distinguish what he was prouder of in the moment.
“This one means an awful lot to me,” said Adams, who has partnered with Scotts lawn care products to support youth access to natural-turf sports fields and give away five natural-turf field refurbishments to youth sports nonprofit organizations.
“I was a camper there once. Now to see so many young kids there that have a role model and kind of shows that I’m doing the right thing, or continuing to try to do the right thing, is really cool.”
The quick stop home was a welcome break after the grueling run the USMNT had during the Gold Cup that took place from June 14-July 6, the final competitive matches the team will play before next year’s World Cup — which will be hosted, in part, by the United States.
The attention now will only increase in the lead-up to the World Cup, which is being viewed as a monumental moment for soccer in the United States.
The U.S. team faces pressure to make a run with the tournament on home turf.
Asked if there was any concern when several marquee American players didn’t participate in the Gold Cup — star Christian Pulisic created the biggest waves opting to take time to rest — Adams said he didn’t “feel any single way” about it and they “made a decision that was best for themselves.”
“We are continuing to build a culture that we want to build, and I think that showed throughout the tournament,” Adams said.
Days after the Gold Cup had wrapped up, Adams looked back and noted the growth the team went through during the tournament and the depth it developed heading into 2026.
“When you come away from this tournament, the amount of players that gained experience now going into a World Cup,” Adams said. “There’s so many variables that go into a World Cup, and to give these guys experience now, every single player that represented the national team during that tournament deserves to be. They’ve all played amazing at their clubs. They’ve all grown tremendously.”
Adams noted the excitement he got from seeing so many MLS players as part of the USMNT — one of whom was New York City FC goaltender Matt Freese, who became a breakout star during the Gold Cup. Freese appeared in every match during the Gold Cup and made six saves in the loss to Mexico.
“I knew that he would be important to our team, and the way that he stepped up in so many different occasions,” said Adams, who started his professional soccer career with the Red Bulls. “People obviously talk about the penalty shootout and the saves that he had, but just his personality and how he grew into himself throughout the tournament was amazing. You know, he made big saves in the final against Mexico. He’s going to be an important player for us moving forward.”
Adams will return to his club team — Bournemouth — now that the Gold Cup is over.
The New York native will play locally later this month when Bournemouth visits MetLife Stadium as part of the Premier League Summer Series.
The 26-year-old mentioned one thing his teammates will need to do to be ready for 2026 is to put themselves in the “right environment,” noting that some players will move teams, among other potential changes between now and the World Cup.
“We have guys that were on loan, guys in MLS that want to move to Europe, and vice versa,” he said. “It’s just about finding that balance and understanding if it’s the right move for you to put yourself in the best position for the team next year.”
