Back to the Soccer Newsfeed

For U.S., World Cup Stretch Run Starts With a Sprint

The schedule is set, but rosters are not. For players in the United States and elsewhere, a few weeks in a camp and a handful of matches, starting Wednesday against Morocco, could change everything.

Tim Weah, left, scored the United States’ second goal on Wednesday.Credit...Andy Lyons/Getty Images

CINCINNATI — Until a few days ago, Malik Tillman, a 20-year-old midfielder from Nuremberg, Germany, had never stepped foot on American soil.

Five and a half months from now, if things go the way he hopes they do, he will be representing the United States at the World Cup in Qatar.