USA captain Tyler Adams DEFENDS coach Gregg Berhalter after Wales World Cup draw, even as fans anger Gio Reyna left as substitute, insisting ‘we were still pretty dominant’ despite giving up his lead.
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After the US men’s team drew 1-1 against Wales, US team captain Tyler Adams immediately jumped to his head coach’s defense.
Most fans were furious with the way the United States surrendered the lead in the second half of the nation’s opening game at the World Cup, most over coach Gregg Berhalter’s decision not to replace attacking midfielder Gio Reyna. , as the US offensive stalled under increasing pressure from Wales.
‘greg [Berhalter] he came up with a very good game plan on how to exploit the gaps,” Adams said. “We had some good runs in the back.”
DOHA, QATAR – NOVEMBER 21: Tyler Adams of the United States applauds the fans after the 1-1 draw in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group B match between the USA and Wales at Ahmad Bin Stadium Ali on November 21, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
‘In the second half we changed. We had to adapt to what they were doing.
Obviously they bring in a different player and change their game plan to limit our [runs] behind a little more.
“And yes, we did miss the execution a bit, but we were still pretty dominant.”
Gregg Berhalter reacts on the sidelines during the United States’ opening World Cup match against Wales
The United States took an early lead after Timothy Weah scored the first goal for the Americans, before a Gareth Bale penalty tied the game 1–1.
“Yeah, that’s football in the end,” Adams said. “I’m very proud of this team with the start we had.”
‘Today we played with a lot of confidence. For much of the game, we dominated the game.’
‘So for many of us [this] being our first world cup. You can see an ambitious group, an intrepid group, and we’re going after it.’
“But it all comes down to the smallest details in a game like this. And a PK at the end, but we leave with a point, and now we focus on the next game.
Timothy Weah of the USA celebrates scoring the USA’s first World Cup goal against Wales
Weah of USA celebrates his goal with his teammates during the FIFA World Cup, group B match between the United States and Wales
Even with increased pressure from a Welsh side who played with their backs against the wall in the second half, the United States were still able to maintain enough stability on defense by allowing too many clear scoring chances during the second half.
The terror tackle from centre-back Walker Zimmerman that sent Bale to the penalty spot would prove to be the pivotal moment in the game that cost the United States three points in their return to the World Cup.
“We had to adapt in certain situations during this game. Obviously after the goal they gained a bit of momentum and were shooting balls into the box, and we had to deal with that.”
“But in the end, we handled it well. We created a match plan, we were disciplined in the match plan and we followed it. We couldn’t execute and get another goal at the end. But we stayed sensible and got a point out of it.
