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New York Red Bulls wonderkid Tyler Adams represented his country well - albeit briefly - in arguably the hardest match the U.S. will play in the Group Stage of the CONCACAF U-20 Championship. It did not end well for him or the US U-20 Men's National Team.
Earning the starting nod in midfield in a 4-4-2 against Panama from U-20 head coach Tab Ramos, Adams displayed good speed against the much larger Panamanian U-20s. Unfortunately, he got tripped up hard on a tackle by Panama's Justin Simmons, which earned the Panama star a straight red card and earned Adams some gimpiness at the 18' mark.
Up a man early as a result of the Panama straight red, Ramos decided to pull Adams at the 31' mark.
A curling golazo from Leandro Avila minutes later allowed Panama to take the 1-0 lead that they would retain for the rest of the game.
United States 0 - 1 Panama Highlights | @fepafut @ussoccer #CU20CRC pic.twitter.com/xNWu6cInmA
— CONCACAF (@CONCACAF) February 18, 2017
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When the team emerged from the locker room at halftime, Adams was not looking healthy.
Tyler Adams returns from locker room on crutches, w/ankle wrapped. Not a good sign for his future participation in this tournament
— Ives Galarcep (@SoccerByIves) February 18, 2017
Suffice it to say, Adams could very well be done in the U-20 Championship. Now the question must be asked whether his MLS status will be affected by the injury too.