Tyler Adams's MCL tear is a setback and an opportunity for USMNT

Another setback for Tyler Adams

Adams's Bournemouth journey has been studded with injuries like this one. He hurt his hamstring just weeks before he arrived at the club in 2023 and spent his first six months as a Bournemouth player in recovery.

“I can’t repay Bournemouth enough for the trust they gave me. They were signing a player that was injured, didn’t know or expect when I’d be back, there wasn’t necessarily a perfect timeline in terms of recovery," Adams said of his debut season with the Cherries. "I think I played two or three games, maybe, if that."

From there, Adams succumbed to a back injury and missed the opening third of Bournemouth's 2024/25 season. This stretch of games at the end of 2025 has been his strongest and most consistent spell for the Cherries by far.

A best-case scenario

But while tearing his MCL is clearly a disappointment for Adams, for Bournemouth, and for the USMNT, it's the best possible outcome given the circumstances of his injury.

Adams tumbled to the field in pain just three minutes into Bournemouth's crucial game against Man United, and he did so without any interference from his fellow players. Contact-free knee injuries like that tend to point to ACL tears...and ACL tears tend to point to twelve-month recovery cycles.

As it stands, though, he'll miss a few months of Bournemouth's Premier League season before returning to action in the spring. 

An opportunity disguised as a setback

The USMNT will return to action in March 2026 when it takes on Belgium and Portugal in Atlanta, Georgia.

Adams's recovery timeline should see him returning to full fitness just in time for those crucial fixtures.

If he's not quite ready for action, though, USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino has several strong midfielders waiting in the wings.

Vancouver Whitecaps star Sebastian Berhalter had a breakout season in 2025 and closed out the year with a stellar free-kick goal against Uruguay. He's a natural replacement for Adams, but he brings his own brand of high-energy, high-commitment play to the table, too.

And Berhalter isn't Pochettino's only option. He could easily slot Middlesbrough's Aidan Morris or Seattle's Cristian Roldan into Adams's position; both performed admirably there during the USMNT's fall fixtures.

Four years ago, losing a player like Adams would've sent the USMNT's World Cup preparations into a tailspin. Today, it's just as much of an opportunity as it is a setback. Pochettino has instilled real competitiveness into his USMNT roster, and he believes every single one of his players is capable of delivering world-class performances. After the team's five-game unbeaten run at the end of 2025, the fans are starting to believe it, too.