Tyler Adams came off the bench to spark Bournemouth’s comeback at Sparta Prague on Thursday night, then used his post-match interview to set the standard he expects his teammates to hold.
Speaking to TNT Sports after the 3-1 Europa League win, the United States midfielder warned his teammates against any drop in levels as Bournemouth’s winning run reached seven matches.
“We can’t get too comfortable,” Adams said in the interview, which Sky Sports published in its match report. “You have to be able to hold that winning standard, that winning mentality becomes contagious, especially when you are playing every three days.”
The Night Adams Changed the Game
Marco Rose rotated heavily in Prague, making eight changes, and Bournemouth were trailing and short of ideas at half time. Adams was introduced for Adam Smith at the break.
Twelve minutes later he levelled the match, striding onto a loose ball outside the area and placing a first-time finish into the bottom corner. He then helped Bournemouth close out the game in midfield.
All three Bournemouth goals came from substitutes. Evanilson put them ahead in the 81st minute, and Rayan added a third in the final minute.
Rose told TNT Sports, in comments published by Hayters, that the strength of his bench kept him calm: “When you know you have this quality on the bench, it makes you composed as a coach.”
Why the Chelsea Night Still Drives Bournemouth
Adams traced the run back to the low point of Bournemouth’s season, the 5-1 Premier League defeat at Chelsea on October 10.
“It doesn’t feel that long ago since we lost 5-1 to Chelsea and that stings a little bit, we don’t want to feel that ever again,” Adams said. “I think we turned a page and we have been a more mature team ever since, the way that we defend, the way that we take pride in the mentality of making sure we don’t give the opposition any opportunity to breathe.”
Bournemouth had not conceded a goal since that night at Stamford Bridge until Ebrima Singhateh scored on Thursday, a run of six clean sheets.
Adams also praised Evanilson, who has scored six times in his last seven matches: “He’s on fire right now. You see him work on it in training, he does extra work on his finishing every day after training, so for him to do it in a game is no surprise.”
How the Match Went
Bournemouth could have led early. Lewis Cook hit the post with a penalty on the half hour, awarded for handball.
Five minutes later Singhateh ran from his own half to give Sparta Prague the lead. The hosts were reduced to ten men almost immediately, Tobias Guddal collecting a second yellow card.
Adams’s equaliser came in the 57th minute. Evanilson finished low across the goalkeeper with nine minutes left, and Rayan drove in the third from distance at the end.
The win keeps Bournemouth top of the Europa League league phase table with four wins from four in their debut European campaign, 11 goals scored and two conceded. Seven straight wins in all competitions is the club’s best run since 2014.
What Comes Next
Bournemouth travel to Ipswich Town in the Premier League this weekend, still protecting the run Adams described.
Adams then reports for international duty. He is in the United States squad for the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals against Haiti, in Miami on November 14 and Cincinnati on November 17.
