Kiwi Players Elsewhere

Kyle Adams (Louisville City | USA)

187 replies · 63,909 views
over 3 years ago · edited over 3 years ago · History
Adams (or Sideshow Bob as someone coined him) starting as San Diego lead 2-1 at the OC with 15 mins left.

Edit - finishes a 2-2 draw. SD stay 2nde.


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over 3 years ago · edited over 3 years ago · History
Adams full game in a 3-3 draw.
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over 3 years ago · edited over 3 years ago · History
San Diego lose 4-0. Adams subbed off at HT (3-0) along with 3 others.

SD finish the regular season 2nd in USL West, behind Collier's San Antonio.

SD will host Oakland Roots (7th) in their Western Conference quarter final.
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over 3 years ago · edited over 3 years ago · History
Just like my beloved Padres, just can't get er' done when it matters the most.

Finishes 3-0 Oakland to knock San Diego out of the playoffs and end their season.

35 games across USL and the US Open Cup. Couple of goals in there too.

Loyal finishing with 8 on the field. Not the way you want to go out after a very solid campaign. 😳


Full 90 for Adams, whose contract is expiring at season's end.
👀

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over 3 years ago
YoungHe.\rt
Just like my beloved Padres, just can't get er' done when it matters the most.

Finishes 3-0 Oakland to knock San Diego out of the playoffs and end their season.

35 games across USL and the US Open Cup. Couple of goals in there too.

Loyal finishing with 8 on the field. Not the way you want to go out after a very solid campaign. 😳


Full 90 for Adams, whose contract is expiring at season's end.
👀

Adams x Wootton sounds tasty 👀😳.

Will likely either re-sign or look for a gig at a top USL/lower MLS team though I imagine.
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over 3 years ago


Kyle is staying on in San Diego.
He's had his contract option picked up for the 2023 season.

Still of the opinion that he should have got on the field against the Socceroos at some stage, but his time will come.


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about 3 years ago · edited about 3 years ago · History
A couple of Kiwi's in action for San Diego as they opened their USL Championship campaign with a 1-0 home win over Detroit.

Kyle Adams with a full 90 performance.
Screenshot_2023-03-12-20-03-18-46_955f68c4df44ad6a86e46b05cf65099a.jpg 87.33 KB

Screenshot_2023-03-12-20-04-04-62_955f68c4df44ad6a86e46b05cf65099a.jpg 95.76 KB

And a nice little snippet of him on the twitter after the victory too ⬇️


Elliot Collier came off the bench just after the hour mark to make his club debut as well, but wasn't heavily involved as San Diego managed to hang on for the win.
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almost 3 years ago
San Diego a 2-1 win, a 94th min winner (Tulsa OG).

Full game Adams, and Collier on at 64 mins (1-1).
For Tulsa, Dyer off at 75 mins.

One AW, and two ex AWs.

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over 2 years ago


In a somewhat surprising move, Adams leaves San Diego and heads to 2 x USL Championship winners Louisville City.
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over 2 years ago
Gets around. 
Will be his 4th USL club, plus also some time at MLS side Houston.
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over 2 years ago
Straight into the starting lineup, as Louisville City (6th in the East) lead Indy Eleven (8th) 1-0.

Mods can you please update his club. Cheers
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over 2 years ago
Do many (or any?) players transfer into the MLS from USL sides? Is it similar to, say, playing for Wellington Olympic and then moving to the Phoenix?
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over 2 years ago · edited over 2 years ago · History
Rusty Dunks
Do many (or any?) players transfer into the MLS from USL sides? Is it similar to, say, playing for Wellington Olympic and then moving to the Phoenix?

It's rare, but it does happen. Usually the players that do move up tend to go into MLS Next Pro. As you would expect, a lot of loan deals from MLS sides to USL clubs.

Think the league record outbound transfer from the USL Championship was set this year - $1,000,000 fee from an Egyptian Premier League outfit.
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over 2 years ago
Yeah most MLS prospects playing in the USL, tend to be kids drafted from College then loaned to USL clubs. That will be a lot less now with the MLS Next Pro comp for MLS reserve teams.

Read an article once that the USL tended to be looked down upon by MLS clubs, who preferred to recruit from overseas or the College scene. 

Adams a full game for new club Louisville City in a 2-0 win.


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over 2 years ago
YoungHeartHM
Rusty Dunks
Do many (or any?) players transfer into the MLS from USL sides? Is it similar to, say, playing for Wellington Olympic and then moving to the Phoenix?

It's rare, but it does happen. Usually the players that do move up tend to go into MLS Next Pro. As you would expect, a lot of loan deals from MLS sides to USL clubs.

Think the league record outbound transfer from the USL Championship was set this year - $1,000,000 fee from an Egyptian Premier League outfit.
Louisville City just sold a defender, local Louisville kid, Josh Wynder to Benfica for a fee of like 1.25m euros (2m NZD). That's a fee that would be in and around the A League record, so there is potential in this league. The transfer had been in the works for a while, and then finally became fact a bit after he turned 18 this year. He was called up for one of those (mostly) locally-based USMNT games they have earlier this year under Anthony Hudson (ever the eye for young players) but didn't make his debut. He did play, however, in the 4-0 win against NZ U20s in Argentina. His 20-year-old brother Elijah is still at City though.

The other main recent USL transfer I can think of right now is Diego Luna going to Real Salt Lake from El Paso Locomotive. That was apparently 225k euros (400k NZD), plus some money (50k USD (80k NZD) with 100k more USD in performance bonuses) the way of MLS side San Jose Earthquakes because they had discovery rights or whatever weird MLS rules they have. He is another one who played (very well) against the U20s in that 4-0.

Josh Wynder's transfer is also possibly a factor in Adams being brought in to fill that hole, as that would give a bit of financial wriggle room. Louisville, from what I've read, seem to be at the forefront of the USL in terms of development and investment, so there's worse places to be.

Also, to get a bit conspiratorial, MLS as an organisation is possibly not entirely thrilled with USL, as they are a rival product. We've already seen MLS sides move their second sides to Next Pro, out of USL, and expand into USL cities like San Diego, Miami and probably Las Vegas, essentially plonking their greater financial might over the USL. MLS player contracts are all centralised, as in all players are technically registered to the league rather than clubs (which is why trades and stuff can happen) and just distributed to the franchises. So MLS might discourage transfer money going to their rival organisation, and instead focus on getting youth players into MLS academies where they can get 'rights' over them. 
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over 2 years ago
From Flying Kiwis. Mods can you please update his club.

Louisville needed a defender. They’d already had one bloke leave for a European deal while another suffered a season-ending injury. In comes Kyle Adams, a long established defensive rock at this level, and now they can return to their back three formation.  

LouCity coach Danny Cruz: “Kyle is a defender who brings us a lot of quality both with and without the ball. Since Jordan [Scarlett]’s injury was confirmed as season-ending, we’ve been on the market looking to acquire a center back. This opportunity presented itself and we feel it provides us with flexibility in our shape as well as the depth needed to finish this season strong. We are constantly evaluating the roster and will continue to look at different opportunities to add to the attack. With that being said, Enoch is still a Louisville City player who is under contract for 2024. This is an opportunity for him to go get games and in return we feel we are receiving a quality defender.”

Indeed, he’s already made his debut for Louisville City. Adams straight-away helped his new team bounce back to winning ways with a 2-0 result against Indy Eleven. The arrival of Adams worked exactly as anticipated by allowing them to pick a three-man defence with their wing-backs turning in huge attacking performances with that extra freedom. Adams delivered a dominant display and earned some glowing praise from his new coach.

Danny Cruz again: “I thought he was excellent tonight. He’s the player that we thought he would be. I thought tonight was a great start for him. He was excellent in the shape, he allowed us to do some things that we’ve been wanting to do, and he should be really, really proud of that performance.”

So yeah that’s worked out well.
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over 2 years ago
That rival product thing certainly rearing its head as the USL look at promotion and relegation!


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over 1 year ago · edited over 1 year ago · History


Multi year contract extension for Kyle Adams to stay in Louisville.

Mods to update his club - San Diego Loyal don't even exist anymore! 😅


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6 months ago
Thoughts and love go out to Savannah DeMelo after she collapsed on the pitch in yesterday's NWSL match in Seattle. The game was rightly abandoned as a result - To be played at a later date.



For reference, DeMelo is the long term partner of Kyle Adams.
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4 months ago
Too good for the USL but not good enough for the MLS?

But will probably always stay Stateside, whilst his partner remains the best footballer in his house.




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4 months ago · edited 4 months ago · History
Niche Cache

Kyle Adams: “It’s an honour to win this, but it doesn’t happen without the players around me. From the guys next to me, Damian Las behind us, and the midfielders and strikers in front, we really put an emphasis on improving as a group defensively this year, and I think we all felt we achieved that. I’m proud to have been part of it.”

LouCity Head Coach Danny Cruz: “Kyle led the back line this season with his voice and his quality. We challenged him at the end of 2024 to push himself to be one of the best centre-backs in the league in 2025. He rose to that challenge. It is a big achievement that is only earned when you win a lot of games and have a collective group around you. He should be very proud of the regular season that he had and look to come back even stronger in 2026.”
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4 months ago
https://www.friendsoffootballnz.com/2025/12/02/new-zealands-kyle-adams-named-top-defender-in-usl-championship/

One-cap All White Kyle Adams has been voted Defender of the Year after anchoring Louisville City’s backline in the second-tier USL Championship in the United States.

Adams (28) took the award with 35% of the ballot, voted on by club management and a league-wide media panel that included representation from every USL market following the conclusion of the 2025 USL Championship regular season.

Auckland-born Adams has played nine seasons in the USL Championship, making more than 200 regular-season appearances for current club Louisville City, and previous stints with San Diego Loyal, Real Monarchs SLC and Rio Grande Valley.

Through Louisville City’s defensive strength, the side suffered only one defeat in the regular season, setting a USL Championship single-season record with a 2.43 points-per-game mark while completing an undefeated home regular season slate for the first time in its history.

A former New Zealand age group international, Adams played his only full international for New Zealand in the All Whites’ 2-1 win against China in March 2023.
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