“I wish I could be there” | Catching up with Tyler Adams and Jesse Marsch

Ahead of our US Summer Tour, we met with Tyler Adams and Jesse Marsch, two former RB Leipzig figures that could share their thoughts on what’s expecting RBL stateside, their close connection, as well as all other things soccer.

Going way back

As two household names across the RB family, Jesse as a coach and Tyler as a player have left a mark in the clubs they’ve passed through. Unsurprisingly, both have met on more than one occasion, creating a tight connection that joins them until this day.

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“Maybe you don’t know this, but Tyler came through every single stage of a development program in New York: All the way up from the academy into the first team. Then, he was the first player to go to Europe”, explained Jesse Marsch.

“And it wasn’t really about football, it was more about myself, my development as a player and a person. That meant a lot to my family and obviously to Jesse. They still talk today”, admitted Tyler Adams.
 

The Red Bulls are coming to the Big Apple

RB Leipzig will be using New York as their preparation base during their stay in the United States, as part of the US Summer Tour 2024, where they’ll be meeting old friends and new faces. 

Unfortunately for Marsch and Adams, they won’t be able to join the fun. “I think it’s a great opportunity for RBL to go and see New York, and for the players to see what it’s like to play in MLS”, said Tyler. “I’m excited. I wish I could be there, but I wish everybody the best”, commented the current Canada national team head coach, Jesse.

Some tips for the visitors

Jesse Marsch, who coached at RB New York for over three years, across 151 matches, knows the city well and couldn’t help but offer some sightseeing recommendations for those visiting.

“You’ve got to go to Times Square. You’ve got to go down to the 9/11 Memorial. If you want to go out to eat, you have to go to Little Italy. You got to see the Village.”
 

Moving from New York to Leipzig

Even though RBNY was a good home to both coach and player, the logical step in their careers was moving to Europe. Leipzig offered a great city for them to arrive to and RBL a formidable club to join.

“I really like Leipzig. There’s so much depth to the experience, the people there, what it’s been like, and what it’s become. It’s turning into such a modern city, a very young city”, reminisced Jesse Marsch about the city he called home on two occasions.

To Tyler, it was something akin to what he experienced growing up in his hometown in the Hudson River Valley. “It’s not too dissimilar to Leipzig in terms of having lots of things to do outdoors. In the summer, everything comes alive.”

RB Leipzig, a big step up

Both Jesse Marsch and Tyler Adams came to RB Leipzig straight from New York and couldn’t help but notice how big of a step up this meant in terms of quality. 

Tyler in particular felt the change both on and off the pitch: “The level of play is significantly different. Coming from MLS, we had a lot of talented players. But it’s not the Champions League and it’s not the Bundesliga.

“The speed of play, the quality of the players, the stadiums, the fan bases, and the culture itself was a huge change for me.”
 

The USMNT captain rises to the occasion

Even when adapting meant having to accept it would be a while until he’d catch up with some more established teammates, Tyler Adams pushed on and made his breakthrough in the RB Leipzig first team. Once he did, he never stopped and now he is his country’s squad leader, marching first onto the pitch whenever the USA play an international match.

This attitude was something Jesse Marsch always appreciated from Tyler, as well as something RBL was key in instilling into him. 

“Tyler is, for me, the perfect example of everything that we would want to create with what we tried to establish with RB Leipzig, and it takes special people to do that. Tyler is that. 

We’re all proud of Tyler, because of the person he is and the player he is, and because he represents everything that we’ve tried to build. Now he’s the national team’s captain. He’s grown into such an incredible leader and player.” Big words from the coach who’s known Tyler Adams for most of his career.
 

The US Tour, a chance to inspire the next Tyler Adams

For Adams, the idea of seeing Champions League-level players up close is one of the main gains the US audience will have from the RB Leipzig Summer Tour. Especially the younger players who can see first-hand what elite football is all about.

Tyler, even having seen great names such as Thierry Henry play with the New York Red Bulls, acknowledges how pivotal seeing the likes of Benjamin Sesko, Lois Openda or Willi Orban can be for a young footballer in the making. 

“For a lot of these young kids in New York that have ambitions of going to Europe or trying to transition and take that next step, it’s great to have first-hand experience watching RB Leipzig in person.”

Jesse Marsch agrees: “They play a really good style of football. I think it’ll be a good experience for the players, and I hope that they grow more fans here in the United States.”