Tyler Adams Voted 2022 Biosteel U.S. Soccer Male Player Of The Year

Midfielder Captained the USMNT During Successful Run at 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar; Led USA in Minutes Played Last Year

January 13, 2023

CHICAGO (Jan. 13, 2023) – Tyler Adams has been voted the 2022 BioSteel U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year after captaining the U.S. Men’s National Team at the 2022 FIFA World Cup to cap off an excellent year for club and country. Selected by his teammates to wear the armband in Qatar, the midfielder led the USMNT in minutes played this year and featured in every minute of the USA’s successful World Cup run while winning the DFB-Pokal with RB Leipzig and making a massive impact since joining the English Premier League with Leeds United last summer.

Adams received his third nomination for the award, following his first full year with the USMNT in 2018 and after helping propel RB Leipzig to the UEFA Champions League Semifinals in 2020. He joins a long list of USMNT stars to win U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year, which was first awarded in 1984 to Rick Davis.

“Receiving this type of recognition is certainly special, but for me the team’s success is the most important thing,” Adams said. “Having the experience of going to the World Cup, performing well as a group and moving the sport forward in the United States was super important to me this year, and I couldn’t have done it without my teammates.”

The award was revealed during the pregame broadcast of the Aston Villa-Leeds United match earlier today. U.S. Soccer legend Tim Howard – who is a two-time winner of the award – recorded a video that was shown as a surprise to Adams in front of his teammates at Leeds.

“Tim Howard is an absolute legend in U.S. Soccer history and the Premier League as well,” Adams continued. “To hear those words from him was very special, and I’m very thankful.”

The USMNT midfielder was critical to the team’s success at the World Cup and Adams was electric in the middle of the park, his seemingly endless engine earning him Man of the Match honors in the USA’s first two games -- a 1-1 draw against Wales and 0-0 deadlock against

No. 5- ranked England. The youngest captain at the tournament and the youngest USMNT captain at the World Cup since 1950, Adams was one of three players to play every possible minute in Qatar. Against the Netherlands in the Round of 16, Adams became the youngest U.S. captain ever in a World Cup Knockout Round match. The Wappingers Fall, N.Y., native also covered more ground than any other player on the field twice during the tournament, running 8.2 miles against Wales and eight miles in the Knockout Round-clinching victory against Iran.

On the year, Adams led the team with 1,131 minutes played and 14 starts while tying for the USMNT lead with 14 appearances. During World Cup qualifying, Adams played in 13 of 14 matches, tied for the team lead, including 12 starts.

This summer, the midfielder made a big move to the English Premier League with a $24 million transfer to Leeds United. Adams made an immediate impact at Elland Road, establishing himself as a mainstay in the line-up as he appeared in 13 of 14 matches for the club before the World Cup break.

In spring 2022, Adams wrapped up a three-and-a-half-year spell with RB Leipzig in the German Bundesliga. In his final appearance with the club, he helped Leipzig win its first-ever DFB-Pokal title against Freiburg. In total, Adams made 17 appearances and added one assist during his final stretch in Germany.

For the second time, fans were able to vote for the U.S. Soccer Player and Young Player of the Year Awards with those votes weighted at 15% of the total. Of the five finalists for the Male Player of the Year Award, Adams earned 71.6 percent of the overall tabulated votes followed by Christian Pulisic (14.7%) and Matt Turner (8.2%).

Votes for U.S. Soccer Male and Young Male Player of the Year Awards are collected from respective National Team coaches, National Team players who have earned a cap in 2022, members of the U.S. Soccer Board of Directors, U.S. Soccer Athletes’ Council, professional league (MLS and USL) head coaches, select media members and former players and administrators.

First awarded in 1984, 26 players have been awarded U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year. Current U.S. Soccer Sporting Director Earnie Stewart won it in 2001. Landon Donovan holds the record for most awards, winning it four times, while Clint Dempsey won it on three occasions. Then eighteen-year-old Christian Pulisic became the youngest player to win the award in 2017.

PREVIOUS WINNERS

Year	Male Player of the Year
2022	Tyler Adams
2021	Christian Pulisic (3)
2020	Weston McKennie
2019	Christian Pulisic (2)
2018	Zack Steffen
2017	Christian Pulisic
2016	Jozy Altidore (2)
2015	Michael Bradley
2014	Tim Howard
2013	Jozy Altidore
2012	Clint Dempsey (3)
2011	Clint Dempsey (2)
2010	Landon Donovan (4)
2009	Landon Donovan (3)
2008	Tim Howard
2007	Clint Dempsey
2006	Oguchi Onyewu
2005	Kasey Keller (3)
2004	Landon Donovan (2)
2003	Landon Donovan
2002	Brad Friedel
2001	Earnie Stewart
2000	Chris Armas
1999	Kasey Keller (2)
1998	Cobi Jones
1997	Kasey Keller
1996	Eric Wynalda
1995	Alexi Lalas
1994	Marcelo Balboa (2)
1993	Thomas Dooley
1992	Marcelo Balboa
1991	Hugo Perez
1990	Tab Ramos
1989	Mike Windischmann
1988	Peter Vermes
1987	Brent Goulet
1986	Paul Caligiuri
1985	Perry Van der Beck
1984	Rick Davis