It's all in the family as Timmy Tillman's one-time switch from Germany to the United States has been approved by FIFA. The Los Angeles FC midfielder joins his brother Malik Tillman in the national team setup and they will become the ninth pair of brothers to suit up for the national team whenever Tillman makes his debut. After previously representing Germany at the youth levels, Tillman needed the switch to formally change associations.
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Playing with Kellyn Acosta and Aaron Long at club level, there's now even more national team flavor in Steve Cherundolo's LAFC squad and Tillman's switch has been approved just ahead of a busy summer that includes the Gold Cup and Nations League.
"To represent the United States is obviously making me proud. I'm really honored to do so and I'm looking forward to the future with the United States," Tillman said. "Telling my family about it was really exciting. As a kid, my brother and I dreamt of playing for a national team together and now we're one step closer."
Tillman is in the midst of his first season with LAFC and he has shined since joining from Greuther Furth in the 2. Bundesliga with three goals and one assist in all competitions from central midfield, an area that lacks depth at the senior level. Able to play as a shuttling midfielder or push into more creative roles, he can offer help in either position or as a hybrid if needed.
Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, and Yunus Musah are settled as the top three midfielders but everything behind them is up for grabs and that's where Tillman comes in. When the USMNT are expected to dominate possession, he allows Luca De La Torre to slide into a defensive role while still bringing strong transitional play to the team as Tillman is well drilled under Cherundolo and it will translate well no matter who the USMNT coach ends up being.
He likely won't have to wait long for a debut to show what he can do in the national team setup. With Nations League and Gold Cup ahead, it's going to be a busy summer.
