Tyler Adams will have an opportunity to impress acting U.S. coach Dave Sarachan in camp and perhaps in the friendly. (Mike DiNovo/USA TODAY Sports)
CHICAGO – Red Bulls midfielder Tyler Adams received his first call-up to the U.S. national team Tuesday.
The 18-year-old Adams was among 21 players summonded by acting head coach Dave Sarachan for training camp prior to the team’s Nov. 14 international friendly against Portugal in Leiria, Portugal.
Adams recently completed his first full season with New York, appearing in 24 matches and starting in 22. The Homegrown product recorded eight points on two goals and four assists, tallying seven of his eight points in three of the final five regular-season matches to help the Red Bulls clinch a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
He also helped the U.S. Under-20 national team qualify for the U-20 World Cup with a CONCACAF U-20 Championship title. He started all five World Cup matches as the team was eliminated in the quarterfinals.
“The one word that I would use in reference to all of this is opportunity,” Sarachan said in a statement. “It’s an opportunity for many players who haven’t been in the picture that we feel have a bright future with the tational team to get to measure themselves in a game against a quality opponent. It’s an opportunity for our tational team to finish out 2017 in a positive way. It’s also just an opportunity to move on. As much as we’re still gutted from how things turned out with qualifying, we have to look ahead and finish out the year the right way.”
That means an opportunity for 17-year-old Josh Sargent, who starred for the Americans at the U-17 and U-20 World Cups this year. Sargent will become the first U.S. player to appear in a U-17, U-20 and USMNT camp during the same calendar year.
“With this particular roster and the availability of players, it was a great opportunity to bring Josh,” Sarachan said. “He’s in good form coming off his time with the U-17s and is someone who will be able to handle the fitness level we’re looking for in this camp. He’s obviously impressed at both youth World Cups this year and so this camp gives us a chance to give a first look to a young player we think will have a bright future in the National Team program.”
More than half the players on the U.S. roster are 24 years old or younger, and seven players have taken part in the USA’s previous two U-20 World Cup cycles: Kellyn Acosta, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Lynden Gooch, Ethan Horvath, former Red Bull Matt Miazga, Weston McKennie Sargent.
Sarachan replaced Bruce Arena as head coach after the latter resigned following the U.S.’s failure to reach the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
GOALKEEPERS (3): Jesse Gonzalez (FC Dallas; 0/0), Bill Hamid (Midtjylland/DEN; 3/0), Ethan Horvath (Club Brugge/BEL; 1/0)
DEFENDERS (7): John Brooks (Wolfsburg/GER; 32/3), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Sheffield United/ENG; 0/0), Eric Lichaj (Nottingham Forest/ENG; 13/1), Matt Miazga (Vitesse/NED; 3/1), Tim Ream (Fulham/ENG; 26/1), Jorge Villafaña (Santos Laguna/MEX; 14/0), DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle United/ENG; 48/0)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas; 16/1), Tyler Adams (New York Red Bulls; 0/0), Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia Union; 65/2), Lynden Gooch (Sunderland/ENG; 2/0), Weston McKennie (Schalke/GER; 0/0), Kelyn Rowe (New England Revolution; 3/1), Danny Williams (Huddersfield Town/ENG; 22/2)
FORWARDS (4): Juan Agudelo (New England Revolution; 26/3), Dom Dwyer (Orlando City SC; 3/2), C.J. Sapong (Philadelphia Union; 2/0), Josh Sargent (St. Louis Scott Gallagher; 0/0)
