American midfielder Tyler Adams expressed confidence in his ability to avoid a yellow card against Türkiye tomorrow night and escape suspension in the round of 32.
The United States has already secured a place in the knockout rounds after its impressive Group D victory over Australia and Paraguay.
The combative Bournemouth player was cautioned against Paraguay in the team’s opening match but believes he can repeat his disciplined display against Australia when the USFL take on already eliminated Turkey in Los Angeles.
“You have to be smart in these scenarios and be able to manage the situations.” Adams told ESPN. “I did it last game and I think I can do it again.”
The decision may be taken out of Adams’ hands, with Mauricio Pochettino knowing there will be an amnesty for the yellow card at the conclusion of the group stage.
This would frustrate Adams but he accepts that this is a possible scenario.
He added: “I want to be on the field.” “I think you go through all the scenarios in your head, but at the end of the day this is football.
“I don’t take any game for granted, especially in a World Cup. You don’t know when you’ll have a chance to come back. So, hopefully I’ll be on the field. Hopefully I can avoid getting a yellow card.”
Pochettino faces a similar dilemma with the influential trio of Folarin Balogun, Chris Richards and Anthony Robinson.
Türkiye will return home at the weekend after a very disappointing tournament, during which they dominated their matches against Paraguay and Australia and came away empty-handed. The two performances saw 62 shots, but no goals were scored.
Some Turkish fans are demanding change, but Federation President Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu wants to give coach Vincenzo Montella another chance.
“We will stand by our coach. This is not a club team. Clubs fail because of a lack of continuity,” he said. “For the last couple of days, they have been writing about potential coaches. We will not replace those we work with along the way for those we find along the way.
“Let’s not forget that it is our players who have brought us this far. Most of them are youngsters. These players will carry us to future tournaments. We need to support our players.”
Team news for the Türkiye vs. USA match
Doubts still surround Yunus Akgün’s participation with Türkiye, and Montella is likely to keep changes to a minimum despite his early exit.
Much to Adams’ dismay, Pochettino is unlikely to risk players when they are booked, so at least four changes are expected. Christian Pulisic is set to miss again due to a calf injury.
