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USA have appointed Leeds star Tyler Adams as their captain for the 2022 World Cup, with the midfielder set to break two records at the tournament in Qatar.
Firstly, aged 23, Adams will be the youngest captain at the 2022 World Cup. And secondly, he will be the first black man to permanently captain the USA throughout any World Cup.
Earnie Stewart previously wore the armband in 2002, but he was only deputising for the injured Claudio Reyna, who returned one match later.
Adams is expected to lead his side out onto the pitch in today’s opener against Wales. The USMNT then meet England and Iran in their other Group B matches. They take place on 25 and 29 November respectively.
USA players elect Adams as captain
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As noted by Yahoo Sports, the USA captain’s armband had been shared among a players’ leadership council for many years.
As part of that council, Adams has previously captained the team on nine occasions. But this was only on a game-by-game and rotational basis.
Other recent captains among this council have included Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, DeAndre Yedlin and Walker Zimmerman.
In the 56 matches under current boss Gregg Berhalter since January 2019, a total of 14 different players have been captain.
But the manager recently approached the council for their thoughts in a bid to appoint a permanent captain for the World Cup, with the players choosing Adams as their preferred leader.
Adams wants “everyone on the same page”
Speaking at a Sunday press conference, Adams said: “I want to hold the guys around me to the same standard.
“I don’t want to lose and then have to point the finger and say, ‘You let me down today.’
“I just want to make sure that everyone’s on the same page intensity-wise, mentality-wise, no frustration – we all buy into the same thing. And yeah, I think I’ve been doing that since a young age.”
USA midfielder McKennie inspiring next generation
Leeds fans will be keeping a close eye on Adams’ performances in Qatar. He has become an instant hit at Elland Road since his summer move from RB Leipzig.
Adams has missed just one of his club’s 14 Premier League matches this season, and that was due to a minor muscle injury.
Another USMNT midfielder looking to shine over the coming weeks is McKennie. Just one year older than Adams, McKennie has featured heavily for Juventus this season both in Serie A and the Champions League.
He is extremely proud of his achievements in his career so far, and hopes to inspire others to reach similar levels.
“It’s not a secret that African Americans lean toward basketball, lean toward American football, lean toward baseball, lean toward other sports,” said McKennie.
“In my neighbourhood [in Texas], you rarely saw any African-American kids playing soccer.
“So now to be able to do what we love and at the same time have an impact on the game for African Americans, it’s amazing because now they can look at it and say, ‘You know, that can be me.’”
🟥🟥🟥⬜️⬜️⬜️🟦🟦🟦 pic.twitter.com/NrVwVhEToT
— U.S. Men's National Soccer Team (@USMNT) November 20, 2022
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