The United States Men’s National Soccer Team (USMNT) has just secured a win over Iran in the first round of the 2022 World Cup. The team is led by Captain Tyler Adams, a 22-year-old midfielder that joined the team five years ago and is also the youngest captain in the tournament.

Adams has recently taken over social media as he was verbally challenged by an Iranian news reporter who not only corrected him on his incorrect pronunciation of the country, stating “once and for all, let’s get this clear”,  but also questioned the young player. He was asked if he was “Ok” representing a nation that “has so much discrimination against Black people in its own border.”

Adams replied with an extremely mature response as he not only respectfully apologized for the mispronunciation but shed light on the better things that he sees within the country he plays for.

“Yeah, that being said, you know, there’s discrimination everywhere you go. One thing that I’ve learned, especially from living abroad in the past few years and having to fit in in different cultures is that, in the U.S., we’re continuing to make progress every single day,” Adams said.

Other stars on the nation’s team include midfielder or winger Christain Pulisic, who scored the winning goal in the match against Iran and who many assumed would become the team’s captain. Pulisic, a Hershey, Pennsylvania native, has been given the nickname “Captain American” after he displayed his outstanding talent in his recent performances. Not to mention he is one of the more expensive players on the team, as he makes a decent pay of around $177,000 a week playing for the Chelsea Football Club in West London. 

Out of the sixteen national teams competing, eight will advance to the next round where the match play will be ruled by single elimination. With this win over Iran, The U.S. has advanced to the next knockout round of the World Cup, where they will play the Netherlands on Saturday, December 3, at 10:00 AM.

Let us know if you tune in to watch the match Canes!