Laken Litman
Soccer and Soccer Analyst
Arlington, Texas – Mauricio Pochettino smiled and shook his head disbelief. It is the leg asked by Malik Tillman several times during this Gold Cup, and is running out of ways of saying the same.
“It’s hard to define it because, what player, right?” Pochettino said.
Tillman scored the opening goal for the National Men’s team of the United States. The Americans had already secured a place in the knockout round last week after Trinidad and Tobago and then Saudi Arabia. But win the three games cool the team nine points and put them at the top of group D.
The United States will recover for a week before facing Costa Rica in the quarterfinals on Sunday, June 29 in Minneapolis (7 pm et en Fox).
Tillman, who has started in the three games of the Gold Cup so far, scored his third goal of the tournament in the 10th minute when he went home a cross with the right feet of Brenden Aaronson.
Malik Tillman’s heading gives USMNT a 1-0 advantage over Haiti
“One of the exploration reports was that the back is open,” said Aaronson. “We have quality with our ends and we are always dangerous with the jacket [McGlynn]Diego [Luna] And then with me today, I just saw an overloaded back and thought: “Yes, I’m going to hang out there.”
Tillman was the most entertaining part of the party and used his delicacy to constantly put on threatening positions. I could have more goals if those other Chans did not call again in the second half.
First, there was an involuntary handball in the 64th minute.
Moments later, Tillman collected a pass on the backline of Tyler Adams, made a 360 degree turn and ended only for that goal to be governed.
And then, in the 74th minute, Tillman lowered the ball with exceptional control, but his shot went to the left. Even if it had entered, an argument could have an argument to the game.
A minute later, Patrick Agyeng scored the winner of the game to give the USMNT his final score of 2-1. It was his fifth goal in nine games.
“To be honest, I frustrated,” Tillman told journalists after the game. “I don’t know if you can see it, but I try to keep it inside me and not show it. But I am frustrated. Even now I’m still leaving aside. I should have obtained at least one more.”
Some time tasks for Tillman to find his trust and simply get in the international stage. Although he scored 16 goals in 34 appearances for the PSV Eindhoven last season, he never found the back of the Network for the USMNT before the Gold Cup. Now, the 23 -year -old midfielder has scored three goals in three games.
Malik Tillman was not satisfied with his only goal in Sunday’s victory, since he had other Chans to catch another. (Photo of Shaun Clark/Getty Images)
“What a player is showing his talent and capacity to this camp,” said Pochettino, who recently described Tillman as one of the most talented players in the country. “The work ethics and the way it is really aggressive: it recovered many balls.
“He is always trying to help the team to press, chasing, playing in a different position. It can appear as a no. 10 between the lines, it can be on the right or left side, it can fall and play a no. 8 or a no. 6.
“What a talented player. I am so satisfied with him. So complicated. He is a lovely guy and has begun to meet. The team is much better when it is involved in the game.”
Now, however, bets increase. While Saudi and Haiti Arabia were solid opponents for a young American team that is only played together for a couple of weeks, Costa Rica will raise a harder test. Like any potential mixture from Mexico, Panama or Canada, the teams that the United States will probably have to face to win the Gold Cup.
In these clashes, Tillman’s lost opportunities cost the United States, they could also the mistake that goalkeeper Matt Freese committed when he and Tim Ream’s lack of communication led Haiti equalized in the 18th minute.
But the USMNT has done what you need to do so far winning its group and advancing to the quarterfinals of the Gold Cup, when it could have been spiral after all those shameful losses prior to the commission.
“The steps we have done I think they are huge,” said Aaronson. “Of two non -great results with Turkiye and Switzerland, I mean, it’s difficult. You get with yourself and things like that.
“But what I see about this group is that return mentality. You enter the tournament and you could bother you, you could bother you.
United States against Haiti Concacaf Cups Golden Cup | Soccer
Laken Litman covers university football, university basketball and football for Fox Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of “Strong Like A Woman”, published in the Spring of 2022 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow it @Lakenlitman.
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