Last year, Tyler Adams and Allstate opened a mini-pitch in Detroit. In May of this year, they unveiled a new another one at Bell Avenue Elementary School in Yeadon, Philadelphia. The partnership is committed to building another one in the United States in 2026, the year that the country is co-hosting the World Cup.
Speaking exclusively to FanSided, on opening the pitch, Adams said, "It was incredible. I'm definitely grateful to Allstate because I've wanted to have an impact on the community for a long time, and finding the right partner to do that is super important. To be able to serve underserved communities and give these kids access to soccer, because it has given me so much in my life, and I know that I can give so many other people opportunities and experiences."
Adams stressed the importance of growing soccer in the U.S. ahead of the World Cup. "When you have players to follow and teams that you are fans of, doing events like we are doing, it is going to grow the sport for sure. Having the World Cup in the country is going to do enough for the sport in general. It is so different to Europe, soccer definitely wasn't the first sport here in the U.S., so we're continuing to try and get it to grow."
When asked where the mini-pitch might be next year, Adams said, "We're talking about that right now. The plan will be L.A., considering that our (World Cup) group stage games will be in L.A. I think that would be a really cool tie-in to do something before the start of the World Cup, gets fans excited in the community there."
Adams is a USMNT international who played in their defeat to Türkiye last weekend but missed their loss to Switzerland yesterday due to a foot injury. Adams hopes to still be fit for the Gold Cup this summer. "I think I'll be fine, just managing a turf toe injury that I picked up when I came into camp. Just trying to manage that in the right way and not overload myself, to give myself the best chance to play as many minutes in the Gold Cup."
The midfielder is remaining upbeat despite the match with the Swiss finishing 4-0. "The mood is positive, the vibes are fine. Normally, a result like that can knock you down, but the team will be fine. We have to understand that we're going through a process, and we have to trust the process that we are on. We're building a culture here that we are trying to build off of. Obviously, results are going to make the vibe even better, but we can't get too focused on the results."
Mauricio Pochettino's roster for the Gold Cup is missing many key players due to various reasons. Gio Reyna, Weston McKennie and Tim Weah are at the FIFA Club World Cup. Antonee Robinson has undergone knee surgery, whilst Christian Pulisic needed a rest. "I think it is a huge opportunity for a lot of young players to have an impact. The World Cup is only a year away, and a lot of guys are getting their first sniff at being in and around the national team, and it is no better time to stake your claim than now."
Last year, when FanSided spoke to Adams, the player mentioned how he was not thinking about the 2026 World Cup as he had just had a newborn son. Adams' mindset has not changed since. "I'm still focused on changing diapers if I'm honest. I think for me, a year is so far away, so much can happen in a year. Talking to the younger players on our team, I always tell them that anything can happen in a year's time. Continuing to focus on the day-to-day is the most important."
Pulisic's decision to step back has earned a lot of criticism, including from USMNT legend Landon Donovan. However, the AC Milan player's dad hit back at Donovan on social media. When asked if he had been following the drama, Adams replied, "I'm off social media, I've heard about things, but Christian is one of my best friends, and I've played with him for a long time.
"People have to understand where he is at and something that he is going through right now. He just needs time to step away from the game. He's played an unbelievable amount of games in the past two years, and people have to understand that. He's making a decision to that's best for himself, and everyone needs to do that."
The midfielder plays his club soccer with AFC Bournemouth. They performed admirably in the Premier League last season, but ended up finishing ninth, which meant that the Cherries missed out on European qualification. It is going to be hard for Bournemouth to build on the last campaign, as they have lost Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid, whilst Milos Kerkez looks set to join Liverpool.
Following the Gold Cup, Adams will be playing more soccer in the United States this summer. Bournemouth have a pre-season tour where they will be playing Everton, Manchester United and West Ham United in the country.