Malik Tillman is having a great World Cup for the ...
Key takeaways
- He has been seemingly everywhere in the U.S. midfield, pressing the opposition relentlessly, linking the attack together, and even adding some clever flicks and touches to unsettle the opposition defense.
- The stats back up the eye test, revealing some impressive two-way play.
- And yet throughout this World Cup, Tillman has remained his uber-quiet self.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
He has been seemingly everywhere in the U.S. midfield, pressing the opposition relentlessly, linking the attack together, and even adding some clever flicks and touches to unsettle the opposition defense.
The stats back up the eye test, revealing some impressive two-way play. Tillman leads the U.S. with 13 ball recoveries and is second on the team with five chances created. He even chipped in with an assist for Folarin Balogun's first goal against Paraguay.
And yet throughout this World Cup, Tillman has remained his uber-quiet self. He treats words as if they were gold coins, not something to be doled out casually. You won't see him cracking jokes like Weston McKennie, or barking out orders like Tyler Adams. And he doesn't do much to draw attention to himself either. Except for with his play, that is.