While we're at it: Let's call up Tim Tillman

No, lets not.

Once he's a first team professional who's playing games regularly (or maybe semi-regularly) then he can be considered. Until then, no.

We have to stop making a mockery of our NT. Its not a daycare.

 

I don't have a problem bringing him into a camp for a friendly. But, I'm not for wasting a Gold Cup slot.

 

If he starts getting some playing time with BM's first team, I'd say yes for sure. Otherwise, call him up to the next U20 cycle starting later this year.

 

I have no opinion on Tillman. But this quote .... just sounds wrong.

Not just because it makes little sense as a metaphor ------
(because rockets don't just "come for you", they're carefully designed, constructed, and deployed with great calculation, forethought, and patience - and you can't just "ride the rocket", you're carefully selected and examined and trained and educated over years as one of an elite few from a pool of thousands upon thousands )

----- but also because it kinda sounds like really dirty innuendo.

 

How old is he? Has he expressed any desire to play for the USYNT?

I feel like we shouldn't unduly pressure players to play for us, nor Senior team cap-tie them just because we don't want someone else to get them. But if the coaching staff sees something in him, and wants him for the GC, then that's on them. If it works out, good. If not, then that's a terrible decision unless it's a youth-filled roster (which I hope that it won't be).

 

Any NT program would absolutely do this if given the chance.

The Germans famously did this when cap-tying rules allowed them to do this for U-20 players. (The rule was subsequently changed as a result). They once fielded an entire team of uncap-tied dual nationals to lock them into the German program.

 

He's already turned down the chance to play for US youth teams in order to play for Germany. If he starts playing for Munich's first team, I doubt he'll decide to suddenly switch allegiances.

**Not in favor of calling him up to USMNT, just saying he would have to be a Fabian Johnson type player in order to end up playing for the USMNT without an early call-up

 

He was born in January '99 and is 18, so he's eligible for the 2019 U20 cycle and would be one of its oldest eligible players. He has expressed interest in USYNTs before but has declined U18 and U20 callups (one was initially accepted, then he pulled out at the last moment).

That said, he has yet to be provisionally cap-tied by Germany despite a handful of fairly major youth tournaments in the last few years (2015 U17 WC, 2016 U17 Euros, this year's U19 Euros) that he could have been. He has not been in the final, preliminary, or qualifying roster for any of them, not even the 2016 U17 Euros which was entirely '99s for Germany, and he was not injured during those time periods. He has only ever played for Germany in friendlies. This has caused speculation as to whether a) Germany's simply very competitive at all levels and he was beaten out by other players, or b) Tillman is receiving but declining DFB competitive callups, accepting only harmless friendly callups, to keep the US option open without the need for a one-time switch. Either way, his chances of switching to the US go up. By the way, Timothy's younger brother, '02 Malik, has played with both the US U15s and Germany U15s and looks to be very good as well (he's playing up an age group with Bayern U16).

As I said, I'd call Timothy up to the USMNT if he's getting some first-team minutes for BM. He'd clearly be good enough for the MNT if so, beyond wanting to have him over Germany. Otherwise, call him up to YNTs, and always maintain interest.

 

I agree that Germany is his primary choice, but he has expressed interest in USYNTs before and has seemingly taken measures to not get himself provisionally cap-tied to Germany (or maybe the DFB competition was just too fierce), so maintaining interest with a callup wouldn't hurt.

 

I think an indication of sorts of him and Germany could happen very soon. As the 2017 U19 is made up of players that are all from the 98 group.

while the 2018 U19 is for players that are born on Jan 1 1999-onwards. So he's eligible for that. The tournament is next summer on July 2018. But Germany have to qualify 1st and the qualifiers start Oct 4 2017.

if he doesn't participate in either the qualifiers or the tournament next summer. It could imply he's going for the US.

 

His name is really Tim Tillman???

I think he is my favorite prospect just based on that fact alone.

 

One thing I'd like to emphasize about Tillman is that not only was he missing from the preliminary and final roster for the 2016 U17 Euros (which was entirely '99s for Germany) and any other provisionally-cap-tying youth tournament up to now, he wasn't even on the roster for any of the *qualifiers* for those tournaments. Not just that he didn't play, he was never on the bench. Friendlies, in contrast, he has regularly been in DFB youth squads and played frequently, starting roughly half of his friendly matches so far. I doubt that Germany didn't try to call him up for any of those competitive youth matches -- I think he received and declined them. The competition is fierce, but likely not fierce enough for him to at least be a squad member if not starter. Even if he eventually gets provisionally cap-tied in their 2018 U19 or 2019 U20 cycle, there's reason to think the US has been lingering in the back of his mind and he views it as a realistic option.

 

my impression of Tillman is that he's impatient. When his agent awhile back said that he's for now choosing Germany but might discuss playing for the US if Arena contacted him.

why would his decision be linked to the US senior coach? Sounds like he either wants to be picked now or wants to know if he has a future with the seniors.

 

Welcome to the world of Agents and the art of the deal.

 

Serious question here, would love to get a few opinions: Would his marketing value (and thus net worth) be greater for the US or Germany? Obviously Germany has a much more high profile program but world class talents for the US are so few and far between.

For the sake of argument this is assuming that he does become a world class talent one day.

 

He has got to to accept a call up for a our youth teams before playing for the full team.

 

Straight from Tab Ramos' mouth (http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/1616...op-of-it-us-soccer-trying-to-lock-down-bayern):

That fact didn't stop U.S. Soccer from reaching out to Tillman last summer and extending an invitation to train with the U.S. U-18 national team in November. Tillman initially accepted the invitation before passing on the opportunity after receiving a call-up from the German U-18 team.

"We even had his tickets and everything. He was all set and ready to go, but he decided at the last moment that he would accept a call from Germany," U.S. Under-20 coach Tab Ramos told Goal. "I think the door is still open. We've been trying, but at the moment obviously he's still not with us.

"The contact started last summer, and we followed up to the point where he was going to join us in November when he got the call from Germany and decided to do that," Ramos added. "We're on top of it."

 

So, if he's worth a damn then he's Germany's? If he's not, then we can have him?

 

According to interviews done a couple years ago, he was very pro USA when asked.

 

We wont need him.

Our pipelines our steady flowing.

 

We don't have to beg anymore.

They can come with us or they can stay home. Don't care. I believe in our guys.