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The Tyler Adams All-Stars: MLS players poised for a breakout 2018

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Ahead of the 2017 MLS season, the New York Red Bulls shocked fans and professional opinion-makers alike by sending Dax McCarty to the Chicago Fire.

Fans weren’t exactly pleased. McCarty was the team captain and a favorite among the Red Bull Arena faithful, as well as one of the top midfielders in the league.

There were no rumors gaining traction that the team was set to directly spend the Target Allocation Money it received from Chicago on a top holding midfielder from elsewhere in the world. No obvious replacement appeared.

Except he was already there. We just hadn’t heard of him yet.

Tyler Adams, who celebrated his 18th birthday a month after McCarty was traded, had just 45 minutes of MLS experience. But, as would become quickly apparent to anyone with working eyeballs, Adams was ready.

Adams started 22 MLS games in the midfield and at wingback, scoring two goals and assisting four others, while emerging as a key talent in the United States men’s national team. His name is now uttered in the same breath as Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie as pillars to build around.

Adams is the archetype for a breakout star, but breakouts manifest in varying degrees — a teenager emerging from the shadows to become one of the Red Bulls’ best players; a player coming from Europe with minimal fanfare then winning the Golden Boot by scoring 24 goals like Chicago’s Nemanja Nikolic; or someone such as Seattle’s Nouhou Tolo, who wasn’t expected to contribute much but became a solid player on a title-caliber team.

In 2018, what players seem primed to breakout from the shadows to the forefront of the MLS?

These are the Tyler Adams All-Stars.

Homegrown teenagers

Kyle Duncan, RB, New York Red Bulls: It only makes sense to start with one of Adams’ teammates, right?

Duncan signed his MLS contract one days prior to making his professional debut March 10. In this nascent season, he’s played nearly every minute of his team’s MLS campaign, barring some time at the end of the Red Bulls’ match against Orlando City as he limped off with an injury.

He’s been selected when the team has two eyes on the Champions League, but also at times when most of the assumed first-team regulars are available. In other words: Duncan may well have established himself as New York’s first-choice right back, a position that has been a revolving door for the Red Bulls.

With Adams returning to the center of the pitch after his sojourn at right wingback last season, Duncan has the chance to follow in Adams’ footsteps and become an invaluable member of Jesse Marsch’s first-choice XI.

Paxton Pomykal, AM, FC Dallas: Pomykal has played just 22 minutes this season, but there’s a long season left with plenty of minutes to be earned.

The 18-year-old is well positioned to find his way on the pitch, as he’s elastic enough to play through the middle in a 4-2-3-1 or on either wing. A modern creative attacker.

Pomykal is the latest starboy to come through FC Dallas’ academy, swaddled in luminous potential and expectation. He’s a year younger than fellow FCD academy product Weston McKinnie, who is regularly playing for Bundesliga second-place side Schalke.

After representing the United States at the U-18 and U-19 levels, Pomykal was called up to the U-20 squad for the first time in March. But Pomykal, FCD and U.S. Soccer agreed it’d be best for his personal development to stay behind and focus on MLS.

Chris Durkin, CM, DC United: When watching Durkin, it’s easy to forget he’s 18 years old. The defensive midfielder just looks like he’s been a professional for more than a couple of years.

This season, Durkin came off the bench the first three games then started the next two. Not coincidentally, this brilliant pass to Yamil Asad came in his last game off the bench before his first start.

D.C. is a bit saturated at his position, but overcoming competition is a necessary hurdle in a young player’s development.

Durkin featured for USA in the U-17 World Cup, where he was on the pitch every available minute of their five matches, playing alongside Josh Sargent, Timothy Weah and Andrew Carleton. The other three are thought of as the next wave of US Soccer; Durkin could be primed to join them.

Auston Trusty, CB, Philadelphia Union: There’s a youth revolution kicking off in Philadelphia, led by Trusty and Anthony Fontana.

Both homegrown talents led the Union to an opening weekend win victory over New England, then Trusty retained his place in the starting XI in the club’s 0-0 tie with Columbus. The 19-year-old centerback has been fundamental in the pair of clean sheets — alongside Jack Elliot and in front of Andre Blake, of course.

Growing pains will be had, such as the 3-0 loss to Colorado that was the encore to Philly’s first two shutouts, but that’s to be expected with a young backline. That singular result doesn’t take the shine off Trusty.

Trusty represented the U.S. U-20 team that reached the quarterfinals of the 2017 U-20 World Cup, where he made two appearances off the bench and joined the scoring in the team’s 6-0 rout of New Zealand.

#TrustyTheProcess

Underrated newcomers

Jesus Medina, AM/FWD, NYCFC: It’s not as if Medina arrived unnoticed, but through four games he’s already better than advertised. Life’s all about managing expectations, right?

There are few connections more pure in soccer than the seamless merging of an intelligent forward and creative attacker.

Against the Galaxy, Medina manufactured an angle to slip David Villa in behind from 22-yards out. Everything was subtle: Villa’s movements, Medina’s close touches and his delicate pass into space, timed perfectly. Villa didn’t score, Anton Tinnerholm smashed home the rebound, but it showed how one of the league’s best attacks — despite losing Jack Harrison — may have gotten even stronger.

This offseason, the club’s plan ostensibly was to lessen its reliance on Villa. With Medina, and fellow newcomer Jo Inge Berget (and his beard), it’s looking like mission accomplished for NYCFC. And they still have enough money sitting around to make a Claudio Marchisio-sized addition.

Saphir Taider, CM, Montreal Impact: The Impact acquired a 26-year-old midfielder from Serie A with extensive international experience — this is a big deal, even if Montreal’s owner is also the chairman of Taider’s former club, Bologna.  

Taider improved in each one of his first three games for Montreal, and he earned a place on MLS’ Team of the Week for his role in Montreal’s 1-0 win over Toronto. The confident and technical midfielder should excel in the league. As long as his concentration is right, the Impact have made a fantastic signing.

There is the rational fear, though, that Taider feels the desire to force his way back to Europe after a season — just as former Impact player Blerim Džemaili did after his sabbatical from Bologna.

Anton Tinnerholm, RB, NYCFC: Young, attacking midfielders from South America generated the most buzz this offseason. Rightfully so, but many other players were deserving of the hype, too.

Tinnerholm, neither South American nor an attacking midfielder, should have been more highly heralded. His experience (reigning Allsvenskan Defender of the Year for title-winning Malmo) coupled with a top MLS side in need at fullback, should have triggered more widespread hype alarms.

After scoring in NYCFC’s 2-0 win against the L.A. Galaxy, Tinnerholm remained on the bench for the club’s following two matches. When he returned to the starting lineup against San Jose, he found himself on the scoresheet again. Looking to keep pace with Zlatan Ibrahimovic after his debut brace? Tinnerholm faces an uphill battle in that Swedish race.

Good Timing?

Khiry Shelton, FWD, Sporting KC: In his first season with a new club, Shelton finally appears to have an opportunity to play regularly and truly find his form in MLS.

Shelton was drafted second overall in 2015, one spot behind Cyle Larin. Unlike Larin, Shelton’s career hasn’t gotten off the ground yet. With NYCFC, he was meant to be second fiddle to David Villa but mainly morphed into a supersub.

The most starts the 24-year-old accumulated in a single season was 13 in 2016, but he was productive with four goals and nine assists. Last season, due to injury, he started just three games.

Now with Kansas City, Shelton has started four of the team’s first five games and should have stable playing time. Perhaps 2018 is the year that Shelton reminds the league just why he was drafted second overall.

Matt Turner, GK, New England Revolution: In the age of hot takes and online spice, argument and counter-argument, outrage and … more outrage, it’d be difficult to argue against the notion that Brad Friedel holds a fair bit of goalkeeping knowledge, right?

Through the first four games of Friedel’s managerial reign, he’s opted to give Turner first crack in goal — not the easy choice. While Cody Cropper and Brad Knighton haven’t exactly reflected Friedel-esque form, either would have been the safer, more defensible option. Instead, Friedel opted for an undrafted 23-year-old whose professional career consisted of 27 starts with the USL’s Richmond Kickers.

And Turner has played well behind a shaky backline, earning his first career shutout against the Houston Dynamo during the weekend.

If nothing else, a vote of confidence from Friedel is a sparkling testimony.