US coach Gregg Berhalter named Tyler Adams as his World Cup captain on Sunday as the team braced for a physical Group B battle with Wales.
Berhalter has shied away from naming a permanent skipper since he took charge of his first match in 2019, opting instead to rotate the armband between a “leadership council” of senior players.
But the US coach said Sunday that Leeds United midfielder Adams had emerged as the popular choice to lead the Americans in Qatar, where they face Wales, England and Iran in the first round.
“He’s got great leadership capabilities, he leads by his actions and his words,” Berhalter said.
“Tyler’s just a guy that is mature beyond his years and you notice that as soon as you start talking to him. The team-mates know exactly what they’re going to get from him. They know he’s going to go out on the field and compete.”
Adams, who has impressed in the Premier League for Leeds this season after spending three years with RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga, plans to lead by example in Qatar.