USMNT Stock Watch: Malik Tillman, Tim Ream continue to impress

Via Doug McIntyre
FOX Sports Soccer Writer

Editor’s Note: “Airplane to Qatar” is a new weekly feature from FOX Sports that tracks the progress of players in hopes of cracking USA The 26-player squad of the men’s national team for World Cup 2022 in Qatar.

Last week, it’s Josh Sargent. This week’s leader? Malik Tillman.

Tillman, 20 years old Bayern Munich prospects on loan to the Scottish giants this season Rangersare now planning to bring coach Gregg Berhalter’s team to Qatar after helping the Glasgow club qualify for the acclaim UEFA Champions League with a score of 1-0 against the power of the Netherlands PSV Eindhoven.

Tillman’s impressive start to the 2022-23 season in Europe could even put him in line for tickets even if another versatile midfielder, regular squad Cristian Roldandid not undergo the groin surgery that will prevent him from making it to the Americans’ two World Cup finals next month with Japan and Saudi Arabia. Germany-born Tillman is one of four players Berhalter will personally scout this weekend; the USMNT the boss will be watching the Rangers defender James Sands – another player who is trending – and of Celtic Cameron Carter-Vickers in the Old Firm derby on Saturday, then go to Portugal look Reggie Cannon play for Boavista in Monday.

With just two weeks to go before Berhalter fills out his September roster, the competition is heating up across the field. Suddenly, (almost) every striker in the group of players seemed to be scoring. Positions in the formation are used to dominate up front, in central defence, in midfield, at full-back and possibly in goal. John Brooks even get yourself a job. (Again, that ship has set sail.)

There will certainly be more movement as the players go to great lengths to fulfill their duties and due to the injury will inevitably require the coaching staff to make some decisions.

So buckle up, USMNT fans. Who will move next week?

First class

F / CO Brenden Aaronson (Leeds): Aaronson continues to produce in the Premier League. On Tuesday, he assisted in Leeds’ equalizer in a 1-1 draw with Everton.

USA Tyler Adams (Leeds): Adams was everywhere again against the Toffees, and he has played every minute of Leeds’ five games so far.

EASY Sergiño Dest (Barcelona): He did not dress any Barca 3 matches this season and not in the plan of coach Xavi Hernandez. That’s alarming, but Dest’s situation will turn into a full-blown crisis for the USMNT if he doesn’t find a new club by Thursday’s transfer deadline. The latest news is that he will be transferred to Italian Serie A side, AC Milan.

F Jesus Ferreira (Dallas): After scoring three goals in his previous two games, the diminutive forward failed to find the net last Saturday Real salt lake.

USA Weston McKennie (Juventus): McKennie started the first two Serie A games of the season, then played the final 13 minutes in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Rome.

USA Yunus Musah (Valencia): The only thing for Musah is the lack of goals or assists. His blistering attack against Atlético Madrid on Monday has been ruled out, but could it be a sign of things to come?

F Christian Pulisic (Chelsea): The USMNT’s top attacking player has been an extra in each of Chelsea’s five games, scoring a total of 96 minutes. That is disappointing for Pulisic, who is expected to stay with the Blues until the end of Last Day. But it wouldn’t be the worst for the US if a healthy, rested Pulisic has something to prove in Qatar.

F / CO Giovanni Reyna (Borussia Dortmund): BVB are determined to bring slow Reyna, who was not on the bench in Dortmund’s final game, back to full fitness after he suffered several setbacks following a hamstring tear last season. That’s smart, though it makes one wonder if Reyna could be the player to play 90 minutes at the World Cup.

EASY Antonee Robinson (Fulham): The Jedi have played every minute at left-back for Fulham, helping the Cottagers to a 2W-1L-0T record to date.

* F Tim Weah (Lille): The right winger has missed Lille’s last two games because of a foot injury.

EASY Walker Zimmerman (Nashville): With Nashville in the game against Colorado on Wednesday, Zimmerman was rested for last weekend’s 3-0 win in Vancouver.

Comfort Plus

USA Kellyn Acosta (LAFC): Like the rest of the team, Acosta had a memorable night in a 4-1 loss in Austin last Friday. LAFC will arrive in Houston on Wednesday.

USA Paul Arriola (Dallas): Arriola kicked 90 for the first time in five games against RSL.

EASY Reggie Cannon (Boavista): Cannon had a strong start to the season; he will be hoping for his best match against Berhalter in the house.

USA Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo): De la Torre did not feature in Celta’s 1-0 win Girona. He played only four minutes in three matches for the La Liga club, who faced Cadiz on Friday.

WOOD Sean Johnson (New York City): Johnson made three saves on Sunday against Orlando City but failed to take a chance on the Lions’ 96th-minute goal.

EASY Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls): The centre-back had one of his strongest performances of the season in a 3-1 win over Miami on Saturday. The Red Bulls will be in Montreal on Wednesday.

USA Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders): Morris made his 21st game of the MLS season in Seattle’s 2-1 loss to rivals Portland. He will take 22nd place against Orlando.

F Jordan Pefok (Union Berlin): Pefok scored two assists in Union’s 6-1 goal Schalke. USMNT scout Eric Laurie will be at the striker’s next game, when Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich visit the German capital.

EASY Tim Ream (Fulham): The veteran centre-back continued his strong start to the Premier League season on Tuesday, going far in the Cottagers’ 2-1 win over Brighton. Ream played all but two minutes of Fulham’s first five games.

EASY Chris Richards (Crystal Palace): Richards had a tough game on the bench against City of Manchester last weekend and didn’t play in Tuesday’s 1-1 match against Brentford. He is still looking for his first Premier League game.

F Josh Sargent (Norwich City): With USMNT assistant coach Lars Knudsen in attendance last Saturday, Sargent scored his fourth goal in three league games for the Canaries. He also played 84 minutes in Tuesday’s 2-1 win City of Birmingham.

* WOOD Zack Steffen (Middlesbrough): A training knee injury has kept Steffen out of the second-tier club’s last two games, including last Tuesday’s 2-1 loss. Watford. Boro the next faces Sunderland on September 5.

^ US Malik Tillman (Rangers): This week’s biggest winner, Tillman’s hustle produced the goal that sent Rangers to the Champions League:

WOOD Matt Turner (Arsenal): Aaron Ramsdale’s Students can see action as the Gunners kick off their Europa League campaign on September 8.

EASY DeAndre Yedlin (Miami): The veteran right-back has played every minute of Miami’s last 13 MLS games.

Waiting list

F Jozy Altidore (Puebla): The 32-year-old striker is still looking for his first match with the Liga MX club.

EASY George Bello (Arminia Bielefeld): The left-back has scored just two minutes in the second-tier club’s last two matches.

USA Gianluca Busio (Venezia): Busio was not in the squad for Sunday’s draw with Cittadella in Serie B.

EASY Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic): The England-born centre-back has a huge chance to impress Berhalter Saturday in Celtic’s most important game.

F Matthew Hoppe (Middlesbrough): The 21-year-old was not on the bench in Boro’s last two matches.

WOOD Ethan Horvath (The town of Luton): Horvath overcame Luton to win 2-1 first the city of Cardiff Tuesday.

USA Djordje Mihailovic (Montreal): The Eredivisie-bound ballplayer completed nearly 90% of his passes in Saturday’s win at Chicago, Mihailovic’s former club.

EASY Erik Palmer-Brown (Troyes): The tough central defender helped Troyes get his first win in Ligue 1 last weekend.

EASY Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg): Paredes was not on the bench during Saturday’s 1-2 loss to Leipzig.

* MOTHER Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders): His injury and Tillman’s rise came at a terrible time for Roldan, who fell to standby as a result.

F Brandon Vazquez (Cincinnati): The target man scored his 16th goal of the season last weekend, more than any American in the MLS. However, his lack of international experience could work against him if Pefok, Sargent and Haji Wright also keep hot.

EASY Sam Vines (Royal Antwerp): Vines cleared the ball past his keeper but made up for it with an extra assist later in Sunday’s 2-1 win Gentleman. If Berhalter wants a left-footed defender behind the Jedi, then Vines is the lead.

F Haji Wright (Antalyaspor): Even if Wright doesn’t perform well with the USMNT in June, his record in Turkey is keeping him in the mix: he’s scored twice in each of his last two games.

EASY Shaquell Moore (Nashville): A week after being sidelined with a non-contact leg injury, Moore was fit enough to sit on the bench in Vancouver.

F Ricardo Pepi (Augsburg): Pepi had his first match in the 2022-23 Bundesliga but came out after 56 minutes without a goal. He will not start for Augsburg again this season, as he has been loaned to Eredivisie club FC Groningen.

D / US James Sands (Rangers): Shares of Sands are rising. He excelled in Rangers’ win in Eindhoven, and now he’s going to try his hand at the likes of Liverpool and Naples in the Champions League.

EASY Joe Scally (Borussia Monchengladbach): Laurie, the USMNT scout, will watch the 19-year-old play against Mainz on Sunday. So Scally is clearly on Berhalter’s sights for the September list, at least.

USA Eryk Williamson (Portland Wood): The central midfielder scored 90 goals against the Sounders.

F Gyasi Zardes (Colorado Rapids): The current form of Ferreira, Pefok, Sargent, Vazquez and Wright probably makes it impossible for the veteran to leave the field at this point.

*Injured

^ Bumped up

⌄Reduced

One of the top football journalists in North America, Doug McIntyre has covered the US men’s and women’s national teams at multiple FIFA World Cups. Before joining FOX Sports in 2021, he was an editor for ESPN and Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.

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