IRVINE, Calif. — It wasn’t a meeting, per se, Tyler Adams corrected.
Rather, call it a series of conversations between himself, Malik Tillman and Weston McKennie, with Mauricio Pochettino a part of things the day before the U.S. men’s national team opened its World Cup against Paraguay.
How they could play off each other, where they were comfortable, where they weren’t.
“I think it’s just about finding the balance of what each of us like to do and picking the certain moments to do so,” Adams said before the USMNT resumed training Monday in the lead-up to Friday’s match against Australia. “Talking about the movements and where we need to cover each other and what that looks like in transition, with the ball, without the ball. So I think we felt comfortable going into the game with what those movements looked like.
“We played like that against Germany [in the last friendly before the World Cup]. There was tweaks that we made and I think we handled it pretty well.”
The effect against Paraguay in an eventual 4-1 USMNT win was nothing short of excellent.
All three midfielders — Tillman with partnering Adams in a defensive pivot, McKennie playing in a more attacking role — had excellent nights, leaving Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro hailing the tactical complexity Pochettino’s side played with.
“I spoke a lot to the coach the last two days,” Tillman said after the game. “At the end of the day, for me, I think the only thing that changed is my defensive positioning. And I think on the ball, the coach gives me a lot of freedom to move and find the spaces and still be dangerous in front of the goal. Still also be there to help in the buildup. I think in his eyes, this position is where I can help the team the most.”
Really, the only thing that went wrong was Adams picking up a yellow card for a 60th-minute foul.
That, however, was not an unimportant snag.
If Adams picks up a second yellow against either Australia or Turkey — the Americans’ last group-stage opponent — he’ll be suspended for the next game.
Single yellow cards are wiped from the count after the group stage, but Adams is a physical player and always involved defensively.
He’s also someone the USMNT can’t afford to lose given both his on-field leadership and the lack of defensive midfield depth on the roster.
Every match of the FIFA World Cup will air on either FOX or FOX Sports 1. If you don’t have cable, you can take advantage of a DIRECTV free trial to stream it all.
Prefer to check out the action live and in person? Shop World Cup 2026 tickets on SeatGeek and make sure to use promo code NYPOST10 for $10 off purchases over $250 at checkout if you’re a first-time SeatGeek user.
“I live with yellow cards,” said Adams, who indeed picked up eight of them across 25 appearances with Bournemouth in the Premier League last season. “I think for me, it’s something you have to manage. Especially in the second game, you can’t take your foot off the gas. I think you have to be really aggressive.
“The third, game, I think it weighs a bit heavier because if you get another one, you’re out for the knockout but the second one, foot’s on the gas for that game.”
Ideally, the USMNT won’t need Adams for the third game anyway.
If they beat Australia and Paraguay either defeats or ties Turkey, the Americans would clinch the group after just two games and in theory be able to sit anyone on a yellow.
That is easier said than done.
Australia, the underdog of the group, gritted its way to a 2-0 win over Turkey.
The Socceroos, too, could clinch first place in the group Friday with three points and a Turkish win or draw against Paraguay.
“It’s not going to be a layup,” Adams said. “If anything, it’s gonna be one of the most difficult games we play. We saw a team that went out against Turkey and competed at a very, very high level.”