USMNT
USMNT’s Tyler Adams recalls Iranian journalist’s hostile question at Qatar 2022
Leeds United’s American player admitted that he was not prepared for an uncomfortable question, but he managed to deal with it well.
The United States men’s national team reached the round of 16 of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar where they were eliminated by the Netherlands. As well as all the action on the pitch, however, another episode that marked the Stars and Stripes experience was the press conference prior to the group stage match between the USMNT and Iran.
US star Adams reflects on Iranian questioning
In the press room, midfielder Tyler Adams was reprimanded by an Iranian journalist, who first called him out for not pronouncing the country’s name correctly, before questioning him about racism in the United States.
Adams responded politely at the time and was praised on social media. The Leeds United player has now spoken about this in a recent interview with the Men in Blazers podcast. “I remember walking into the pre-Iran press conference room and you could tell the conference room was hostile,” he began. And then he explained his thinking behind his calm and calculated answer.
“Was I prepared for that in any way? Absolutely not. I mean, how can you really be prepared for that? It’s one of those moments where you just have to sit there and, you know, before you jump to a response, think about what question was actually being asked and what they’re trying to get out of it.”
Tyler concluded that the important thing was to recognize his mistake right then and there, and from there, give the correct answers despite the intention of the interviewer. “I think if more people in the world in general were willing to learn and accept when they are wrong, then obviously the world would be a lot better place to live in.”
When do Tyler Adams and Leeds United play their next game?
The next commitment for Adams’ Leeds United is on Friday, 13 January, when they visit Villa Park to face Aston Villa in the Premier League. The Yorkshire outfit sits 14th in the standings and they know this is an opportunity to pull them further away from the relegation zone. Leeds have failed to win in their last four games (D2 L2).