Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED
Herculez Gomez contrasted the trajectories of two USMNT attacking midfielders, describing Giovanni Reyna as effectively missing from the national team picture while praising Malik Tillman's recent performances. The PSV Eindhoven star has been in fine form recently, with three goals in as many appearances in the Gold Cup. Gomez went on to praise that form and believes that the 23-year-old is a starter at the 2026 World Cup if he keeps things up.
“Bear with me,” Gomez said on Futbol Americas. “Before, Malik Tilman’s only real competition was Giovanni Reyna. Where’s Reyna in this competition, in this panoramic, in this field? Giovanni Reyna is on the side of a milk carton right now. And under Mauricio Pochettino and his words about Malik Tilman, and Tilman’s play over the last two years, Tilman’s play this last season, where he’s the best player in the Eredivisie.
“And you would say this is a player with a legit argument to crack the starting lineup, to play alongside Christian Pulisic, Timothy Weah, Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie. This is a player you can slot in there and say, ‘OK, I can see this happening, this is realistic to me. ’ Giovani Reyna, where are you? Malik Tilman is here, and that’s the only doubt I have is that Gio Reyna can keep Malik Tilman out of the lineup, but that’s the only player I realistically see right now, threatening Reyna.”
WHAT HERCULEZ GOMEZ SAID
Gomez further touches upon Tilman's poor international form prior to the Gold Cup and notes that there has been no USMNT player who has performed well at the international level, other than Pulisic. He adds that as a result, the only way to measure them is their club form, where Tilman has excelled.
“I understand what you’re saying, but show me a USMNT player that’s not named Christian Pulisic who’s done something with the USMNT, and that’s what you get,” Gomez added. “These players at the club level is all you have to go by right now because at the international level, they’ve not shown you anything.
“And Malik Tilman – at every opportunity at the club level – has gotten better and right now, all of a sudden, he’s found his form, and the coach seems to trust him? I can’t think of a scenario where he won’t have that opportunity [to make the starting 11 for the 2026 World Cup].”
WHAT ALEXI LALAS SAID
Alexi Lalas also joined in on praising Tillman, but insisted this isn't a breakout moment for the attacking midfielder.
“Malik Tillman, it's not a coming out party for him because we have seen him before and he's obviously a good player,” Lalas said on his State of the Union podcast. “I guess from a scoring perspective, he really likes the 2025 Gold Cup. He's getting his first goals, but it's so much more than the goals, and so much so that, you know, earlier today I put out my top players from the U.S. team so far in the tournament."
He added, “And if I had to do it after the third game – I did it before the third game – there's a really good chance that he would have inched above Chris Richards. He (Tilman) has been that impressive. And I'm not just talking about the goals, his defensive work, and he had goals called back."
The USMNT legend agreed with Gomez that Tillman should be given strong consideration for the starting XI.
“And I don't know what's gotten into him or that he's just feeling it right now and maturing in front of our eyes," Lalas said. "But unlike others who I think are kind of vying for that 12 through 26 spot and take goalkeepers away, I think he is really – we talk about planting the seed a lot –I think he is really planting a seed to be considered for a starting XI if and when everybody is back. And that's, you know, that's fun to see.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
With World Cup 2026 approaching, the comparison highlights a significant shift in the USMNT attacking hierarchy. Reyna, once considered the generational creative talent for American soccer, has struggled with injuries and limited playing time at both the club and international levels. Meanwhile, Tillman's development at PSV has transformed him from a fringe player to a potential starter.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The USMNT will face Costa Rica in the quarterfinals of the Gold Cup on June 29 after finishing at the top of Group D.