The USMNT’s disappointing end to the World Cup shouldn’t detract from a four-game stretch that is arguably better than any other run at any point in the history of American (men’s, since the women remain an absolute juggernaut) soccer. They were incredible, up until the pressure and other outside controversies forced them into the ugliest performance this country’s seen in a while.
Still, plenty of players starred on a national stage. For every struggling Christian Pulisic, there was a Folarin Balogun. The embattled, through no fault of his own, striker was arguably the USMNT’s best player, but he was already a bit of a household name. He’s a star in Ligue 1, and the transfer rumors suggest he could be England-bound soon.
Malik Tillman scored two direct free kicks in back-to-back games, the first to ever do that, in a brilliant run that is sure to raise his club profile. Still, Tillman may not be the true breakout star for the USMNT. That honor may just go to a previously little-known defender who stepped up in a big way.
Alex Freeman, Not Malik Tillman, May Be USMNT Breakout from World Cup
The World Cup brings the best in soccer. It is the ultimate version of the sport, and if you can shine on the world stage, you can shine almost anywhere. Players who do well in a brief tournament (brief compared to a club season, anyway) can and do raise their profiles and earn big paydays or massive transfers to notable clubs. It happens every four years.
This year, there are certain to be some candidates, which ESPN’s Mohamed Mohamed broke down so expertly. There is a USMNT star on the list, but it’s not star striker Folarin Balogun (three goals) or midfielder Malik Tillman (team-leading 90.4 overall grade, second highest among all central midfielders). It’s Alex Freeman.
The 21-year-old defender fits the profile of a breakout star. He’s young enough and plays for a small enough club, Villarreal, that plenty of fans didn’t necessarily have him on the radar. And he played more than well enough to change that.
The USMNT looked so good in the four games prior to Belgium dismantling them because they executed a high press so well. That can’t happen without the right personnel, including, as Mohamed described it, “at least one versatile defender who could help in different areas.” That was Freeman, who played his unexpected role to near perfection.
During the USA’s run to the Round of 16, Freeman routinely set things up by finding Weston McKennie making a run, and the USMNT would create a chance from there. Mohamed confirmed that, according to Futi, Freeman had the most progressive passes (28), which was certainly a surprise given the expected role coming into the tournament.
Mohamed wrote, “Freeman is also the kind of ground-covering defender who can help clean up mistakes in different areas of the pitch. This included covering the space out wide and defending in one-on-ones when needed. There were also situations where he had to make critical interventions to eliminate clear-cut opportunities.”
He continued, “If there was a player who could hold his head high despite the outcome, it was Freeman. The odds of him becoming one of the stars the U.S. need by 2030 are low, but at this World Cup he showed the faint outlines of a high-end all-around defender.”
The USMNT is not likely to be carried by a very good 25-year-old defender in 2030. Freeman isn’t the next Virgil van Dijk, but he could be a crucial cog for that roster and a club for the next four years. “If there was a player who could hold his head high despite the outcome, it was Freeman. The odds of him becoming one of the stars the U.S. need by 2030 are low, but at this World Cup he showed the faint outlines of a high-end all-around defender,” Mohamed concluded.
Freeman only recently transferred from MLS club Orlando City FC to Villarreal, so don’t expect him to change teams again any time soon. Freeman could transfer as early as the winter window in 2027, but given the record free Villarreal paid for him, that’s unlikely. Either way, expect him to be on a bigger club eventually, and expect Freeman, the son of Green Bay Packers legend Antonio Freeman, to be a standout in the next World Cup.
