Tyler Adams is 'one of the BEST midfielders' at the World Cup & has 'no ceiling,' claims Beasley

USMNT captain Tyler Adams has been hailed as ‘one of the best midfielders’ at the Qatar World Cup ahead of the team’s decider vs. Iran.  

The United States is within reach of the Round of 16 – with just one game to win against Iran on Tuesday. One standout star has been captain and midfielder Adams – whose dominant play has galvanized the USMNT.

Speaking on FOX’s World Cup Now show, former USMNT defender DaMarcus Beasley and LA Galaxy midfielder Sacha Kljestan praised Adams as they spoke about his qualities and how he’s been able to turn the team into contenders.

Young American midfielder and captain Tyler Adams is a key contributor to his team’s success

Beasley spoke about Adams’ abilities as a leader, despite being the youngest captain at this tournament. 

‘If you look at a player that shows his importance to a team the man is Tyler Adams,’ Beasley told the panel hosted by former USMNT defender Jimmy Conrad. 

‘What he does for the US team is incredible. The way he tracks back, the way he covers… watch his aggression, look at his heart. You can tell he wants to win. It doesn’t matter who gave up the ball he’s gonna yell at… if it’s Christian [Pulisic], if it’s [Brenden] Aaronson, [Tim] Weah, it doesn’t matter. He just wants to win. 

‘His ability to be able to know when to… play simple, play long balls. I think he has a very high ceiling and I think he is one of the best midfielders in this tournament. Not just with the national team, but in this tournament.’

DaMarcus Beasley thinks that Tyler Adams is so good that he doesn’t have a high ceiling

Later, Beasley changed his statement about Adams’ future, saying that the sky could be the limit for the Leeds United midfielder. 

‘I did say high ceiling but he doesn’t have one, you know. I think he’s that good and I think he’s showing… and he’s even said it – this is the best he’s felt, the best he’s played in a long time in his career so far. And he’s only 23, and that’s crazy to say. 

‘But he’s playing lights out. It’s like he can’t do anything wrong at the moment. And he’s so important to the team and that’s why Gregg Berhalter named him captain – cause they don’t want to take him off the field and he’s that important.’

His play in all areas of the pitch helped the USMNT secure a key draw against England

Kljestan spoke as a former teammate of Adams’ – back when they both played for the New York Red Bulls in MLS. 

‘I was just going to say, knowing Tyler as I do, I was teammates with him when he was 16 years old and this kid had like the mentality of a grown man already,’ Kljestan recalled.

‘And that’s what I think sets him apart is his mentality. He never gives up, he’s not intimidated by anybody. So when you say, like, “what’s his ceiling”, you could throw him into one of the biggest teams in the world and he wouldn’t be intimidated. 

‘He would just get after it and he would try to improve and he would say I belong here. I deserve to be here, and I’m going to make the most of this. So I think his mentality is what really sets him apart from everybody else on the US national team.’ 

Sacha Kljestan spoke from experience about Adams’ leadership after playing with him

The United States faces a win-or-go-home situation when they play Iran at 2pm EST on Tuesday.

A draw would not let them hop Iran, who currently sit in second after a 2-0 win over Wales on Friday.

Theoretically, every team in Group B could make the knockouts – with Wales needing a win over England plus a draw for the USA-Iran game.