Who is Malik Tillman? The Bayern Munich Sensation Who Can Be USMNT’s Biggest Prospect at Qatar World Cup

The World Cup in Qatar is almost here and nations are putting the finishing touches on their squads for the tournament. However, the USMNT has failed in that respect, as Gregg Berhalter still doesn’t have a definitive player to lead the line. Maybe Malik Tillman can now change that.

The Bayern Munich academy graduate has been in top form for the club’s youth teams and has scored a lot of goals. He started out as a midfielder and quickly moved up the pitch after coaches realized his potential. He had represented Germany at the youth level too, scoring three goals in four games for the German U-21 team.

However, Tillman has now announced that he would play for the USMNT, a move that could greatly help the team. Gregg Berhalter’s men need a striker, and now he has another name in the fold to consider.

The Germany U-21 coach responds to the news

Tillman is still only 19 and has a bright future ahead of him. The striker was a great prospect for the German national team too, and as a result, they aren’t too happy with his decision. His coach for the U-21 team, Antonio Di Salvo, reacted to the news and revealed that it surprised them.

“We regret Malik’s decision – it surprised us a lot. We promoted him as a young player in the U21s, we placed a lot of trust in him and gave him match practice. In addition, we were in intensive talks regarding his prospects in the senior national team,” Di Salvo said.

The stars Malik Tillman could replace in the USMNT

The USMNT does have options at striker, but most of them have failed to grab their chance. West Brom forward Daryl Dike was the last man to lead the line for his nation in the Gold Cup, but he failed to perform.

FC Augsburg star Ricardo Pepi is a prospect for the future, but it’s yet to be seen if Berhalter trusts him enough to start in the World Cup.

A surprising name for the role is Young Boys star Jordan Pefok, who has scored 22 goals in the Swiss super league this season. The 25-year-old will most likely play for the USMNT, and given his form, it’ll be interesting to see if he can nail his spot down in the team.

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