USMNT captain Tyler Adams shared with US legend Tim Howard what he deems "success" to be for the squad at Copa America 2024.
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Adams sits down with USMNT legend Tim HowardReveals ambitions for Copa America 2024Look ahead to the Group Stage for U.S.WHAT HAPPENED?
Speaking with legendary USMNT goalkeeper Tim Howard, via the Daily Mail, U.S. captain Tyler Adams revealed his expectations for the squad at Copa America 2024, and how this teams has found their sense of belief ahead of the tournament.
Adams said that the US squad in tournaments prior, primarily the 2022 World Cup, did not understand what it meant "to play for the USA," and that since this generation took the torch from Howard's squad, they now have a real sense of expectation on the global stage.
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"I felt that a lot of guys didn't know what it was to play for the USA," Adams said, referring to the squad that represented the USMNT in Qatar in 2022.
As Adams looked back to the teams that played in the respective 2010 and 2014 World Cups – both of which Howard played in – the current US captain relayed that he believes that the previous generation understood what it meant to wear the badge.
"The perfect example of what it was to be American," Adams said of that group. "What stuck out the most to me (was) the relentlessness. If there's one trait that I could take from that team, it's that."
Howard agreed with the 25-year-old, but argued that Adams' current squad has more on-field talent.
"You guys are far better and more talented than we were," he said. "But the staple of that team was that… those guys would play for that flag."
Now, heading into Copa America 2024, Adams as captain is leading this generation in their most important showing to date. The Bournemouth midfielder believes the U.S. needs to handle the "pressure" of what is to come if they want to make a statement on home soil this summer.
WHAT ADAMS SAID ON COPA AMERICA
"For me, (success) is getting past the quarterfinal. We need to – in a pressure situation – win in a knockout environment," Adams said. "That's going to measure a lot of our success."
That pressure will arrive sooner than expected, as the US begin their Copa America journey July 23 against Boliva at AT&T stadium in Arlington, Texas.
GettyWHAT NEXT FOR ADAMS AND THE USMNT?
The US will take on Bolivia Sunday evening in their opening match of Copa America 2024. They'll follow it with showings against Panama and Uruguay to round out the Group Stage.