USMNT Bundesliga match day 4 recap: Tillman sits but the youngsters shine

For those who follow the Bundesliga, the season has not gone according to plan for the contingent of Americans. Some of the more familiar names have found tough sledding early in the season, whereas the young Americans in the league have made an impact for their clubs. Matchday 4 was the last set of games before the upcoming international break, and once again, the youngsters shone. Let's look closer at the USMNT contingent in Germany.

Cole Campbell, Elversberg

Despite Elversberg playing a scoreless draw with Schalke, Campbell was one of the better players on the field. He played 87 minutes, frequently creating trouble on the left wing. Campbell completed seven dribbles, which was more than any other player in the game, while creating two of the better chances in the game. There was little to show for his efforts in the scoreless draw, but Campbell has undoubtedly played a big role in Elversberg taking seven points from its first four matches, a great accomplishment for the Bundesliga debutantes. He looks ready to impress Mauricio Pochettino at USMNT camp over the next two weeks.

Joe Scally, Borussia Mönchengladbach

The defensive struggles for Scally and Mönchengladbach continue. The club has lost each of its first four Bundesliga games this season, conceding 16 total goals after a 4-3 loss to Mainz on Saturday. They are the only team without a point, putting them at the bottom of the table heading into the international break. Scally, who won’t be with the USMNT during the international break, started as the right-wing-back, playing 76 minutes. He did his best with seven defensive contributions, but couldn’t prevent another defensive disaster class by Mönchengladbach. 

Santiago Castañeda, Paderborn

On Sunday, Castañeda had the honor of scoring Paderborn’s first goal of the season. After going scoreless in each of their first three Bundesliga games, Castañeda found the back of the net in the 29th minute against Hoffenheim. The 21-year-old Tampa native proceeded to play all 90 minutes and earn Player of the Match honors in Paderborn’s 3-1 win. In addition to his goal, Castañeda had 15 defensive contributions and won eight of his nine duels from his holding midfield position. While he didn’t get called into USMNT camp this time around, one has to think he’s on Pochettino’s radar. If not, Colombia could make a play for the dual-national. 

Malik Tillman, Bayer Leverkusen

After a mediocre performance in Europa League on Thursday, Tillman was an unused sub in Leverkusen’s 2-0 win over RB Leipzig on Sunday. This was the first time this season Tillman wasn’t involved for Leverkusen. Outside of one assist, his contributions have been modest this season. On the bright side, he’ll head to USMNT camp feeling refreshed after getting the weekend off.

Mathis Albert, Borussia Dortmund

Albert gets an honorable mention because he was called into the USMNT squad for the upcoming international break. The caveat is that the 17-year-old is yet to get on the field in a Bundesliga or Champions League game this season. His only action for Dortmund has been 90 minutes in the DFB Pokal on September 1. In his defense, Dortmund has won all four of its Bundesliga games and sits atop the table heading into the first international break, so getting much playing time could be tough for Albert. 

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