Timmy Tillman switches national team affiliation to US from Germany

CHICAGO (AP) — Los Angeles FC midfielder Timmy Tillman has been approved by FIFA to change his national team affiliation to the United States from Germany, following a move made by younger brother Malik a year earlier.

Timmy Tillman, 24, was born in Nuremberg, Germany, to a father in the U.S. military and a German mother. He played for Germany in qualifying for the 2018 European Under-19 Championship and joined LA this year after four seasons with Greuther Fürth. He has two goals in 10 MLS matches.

“As a kid, my brother and I dreamt of playing for a national team together and now we’re one step closer,” Tillman said in a statement released Tuesday by the U.S. Soccer Federation.

Malik Tillman, who turns 21 on Sunday, played for the U.S. under-15 team in 2016 and for Germany at several youth levels. He made his U.S. senior debut last June 1 and has played three international matches, all exhibitions. He was not included on last year’s World Cup roster. Malik Tillman has spent this season on loan to Glasgow Rangers from Bayern Munich.

Folarin Balogun, a 21-year-old striker, opted to play for the U.S. rather than England last week. Balogun has 20 Ligue 1 goals this season for Reims while on loan from Arsenal.

The U.S. next plays on June 15, against Mexico at Las Vegas in a CONCACAF Nations League semifinal.

The Tillmans could become the ninth set of brothers to appear for the U.S., joining Brenden and Paxten Aaronson, John and Pedro DeBrito, Otto and Rolf Decker, Angelo and Paul DiBernardo, Charlie and Henry McCully, George and Louie Nanchoff, Steve and Ken Snow, and Archie and Tom Stark.

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports