United States captain Tyler Adams delivered an eloquent response when asked about discrimination throughout his career.
Adams quizzed by Iranian journalistApologises for mispronunciationDelivers brilliant answer on discrimination
WHAT HAPPENED? Adams took part in a press conference alongside his manager Gregg Berhalter ahead of the USA’s final World Cup group stage game against Iran. One Iranian journalist took the time to correct Adams on his pronunciation of his nation, before asking a rather politically-charged question, about how he felt to play for the USMNT despite ‘so much discrimination’ taking place against black people in the United States.
WHAT HE SAID: “My apologies on the mispronunciation of your country,” Adams began.
“That being said, there’s discrimination everywhere you go. You know, one thing I’ve learned, especially from living abroad in the past years and having to fit into different cultures and kind of assimilate into different cultures, is that in the US, we’re continuing to make progress every single day. Growing up for me, I grew up in a white family with obviously an African-American heritage and background as well.”
He continued: “So I had a little bit of different cultures. And I was very, very easily able to assimilate in different cultures. So not everyone has that ease and the ability to do that. And obviously, it takes longer to understand and through education, I think it’s super important, like you just educated me now on the pronunciation of your country. So yeah, it’s a process, I think as long as you see progress, that’s the most important thing.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Adams was named captain of the national team ahead of the tournament and has led his side admirably on and off the field. In a testing press conference where he and manager Berhalter were asked challenging questions, he provided thorough answers.
WHAT NEXT FOR THE UNITED STATES? The USMNT face Iran on Tuesday evening and, while they could reach the last 16 with a draw under the right conditions, will no doubt be looking to win the game.
