Tyler Adams says United States have shown they can compete with the best at the World Cup and warned Netherlands not to underestimate them.
Gregg Berhalter’s side, the youngest in the tournament, take on Louis van Gaal’s team on Saturday in the first of the knockout-stage matches. USA have conceded just once in Qatar - a Gareth Bale penalty in their opening game - and shut out England in their second group-stage encounter.
They booked their last-16 place with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Iran and captain Adams said they are ready to spring a surprise when they face Netherlands. “A lot of teams who play against us are favourites,” said Leeds midfielder Adams. “That doesn’t mean anything.
“We came into this tournament as underdogs. We came into this tournament knowing we didn’t have the most quality. That’s something we continue to work on, but the progress this team has made and the mentality we’ve shown over these games is all we can ask for.
“We’ve shown we can compete with the best of the teams and we’re going to need to be at our best against a team with quality like Holland. Obviously, it’s a big opportunity for us. We’ve played against good teams here already like England, and the Netherlands could be another favourite to win the World Cup.
“They’ve done really well to navigate their way through the tournament so far and have some amazing players, so we’re going to have to be ready. For now, we’ll try to have some downtime and relax to regain our focus, then our coaches will come up with a game plan to get us ready.”
At 23, Adams is the youngest captain at the World Cup but has led USA with maturity beyond his years and is relishing his role as leader of the group. “I’ve dreamed of playing in a World Cup, I didn’t know when that time would come and obviously that time has come now,” said Adams.
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“I’m very proud to be representing the US and this team. The group we have in this locker room is superb. Every day we show up and try to get better. This game was one of those nights where you knew you could look to your left and look to your right and there was someone battling for you.”
Fulham defender Tim Ream, at 35 the oldest player in the USA squad, hailed Adams as the fulcrum of the team, with his relentless energy and endeavour.
“He makes everyone's job a little bit easier, with the amount of ground he covers, his energy, tenacity and work-rate,” Ream said of his Premier League rival. “It's just incredible what he does on a football pitch. As he grows, the team grows and you could see that. It's a pleasure to play behind him.
“We have the chance to go through and if we can do that, fantastic. We'll do everything we can to get through, just as we did everything to get through the group stage.”
