U.S. soccer team additions signal key spots remain open

Malik Tillman, Haji Wright, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Djordje Mihailovic are joining the U.S. national team for four World Cup prep matches next month, signalling open spots remain on what is expected to be a 26-man roster in November.

“Around the edges, there is room,” U.S. Coach Gregg Berhalter said Friday after announcing his 27-man roster for a pair of exhibitions and two CONCACAF Nations League matches. “And if a guy’s in form and doing a great job. I can expect him to to make a case to be on the roster.”

Tillman, a 19-year-old Bayern Munich midfielder, is switching affiliation from Germany. He was born in Germany to a father in the U.S military and a German mother. He played for the U.S. under-15 team in 2016 and for Germany at several youth levels.

Tillman made his Bundesliga debut with Bayern Munich on Dec. 14 and has played in four league, two Champions League and one German Cup matches this season. The U.S. Soccer Federation said he had applied to FIFA for a change of affiliation.

“It was just about painting the vision of our program and where we could potentially see him fitting in,” Berhalter said. “Really talented between the lines … knack for scoring goals, good calm around the penalty box, good technique scoring, both footed, so interesting player.”

Wright, a 24-year-old forward from Los Angeles who is on a scoring run in the Turkish league, is also among the players who could make their U.S. debuts. So could Borussia Monchengladbach outside back Joe Scally, who was on the roster for November World Cup qualifiers but did not get in a match.

Wright played for the U.S. at the 2015 Under-17 World Cup alongside Christian Pulisic and Tyler Adams and attended a national team training camp in May 2019 that included young players. He scored 14 goals in 32 league matches for Antalyaspor and had a seven-game scoring streak that ended in Friday’s season finale.

The U.S. has exhibitions against Morocco on June 1 in Cincinnati and against Uruguay four days later in Kansas City, Kansas. Then, the team will play CONCACAF Nations League matches against Grenada on June 10 in Austin, Texas, and at El Salvador four days later.