{"id":4760,"date":"2026-07-02T16:37:55","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T16:37:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=4760"},"modified":"2026-07-02T16:37:55","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T16:37:55","slug":"soft-spoken-malik-tillman-delivers-a-loud-statement-with-his-bloody-sock-goal-at-the-world-cup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=4760","title":{"rendered":"Soft-spoken Malik Tillman delivers a loud statement with his bloody sock goal at the World Cup"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) \u2014 Malik Tillman is soft-spoken off the field with his interviews often given at a volume just above a whisper.<\/p>\n

Read more \u2018Awesome.\u2019 \u2018Sad.\u2019 \u2018Let\u2019s keep democracy going.\u2019 Americans weigh in on state of a 250-year-old nation<\/a><\/p>\n

He spoke loudly with his bloody right foot at one of the biggest moments of the World Cup for the United States. Still feeling the affects of being stomped on by an opponent\u2019s studs, Tillman scored the first free kick goal in a World Cup for the Americans in 32 years to seal a 2-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday night that sent the U.S. into the round of 16.<\/p>\n

Tillman celebrated the biggest moment of his young career with a smile and a scream as he ran to celebrate with his teammates in front of the large contingent of American fans at Levi\u2019s Stadium.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a different type of person on the pitch,\u201d he said after the game. \u201cOf course maybe you don\u2019t really see my emotions, but then if you score a goal like this, I think also you guys saw my emotions. It\u2019s a great feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tillman showed off his bloody sock \u2014 perhaps the most famous in American sports lore since Curt Schilling\u2019s in the 2004 baseball playoffs for the Boston Red Sox \u2014 after the game, saying he was still in a bit of pain.<\/p>\n

But the discomfort was lessened by pure joy as the U.S. now prepares to play Belgium on Monday night in Seattle with a chance to make it to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002.<\/p>\n

Tillman\u2019s goal came with the U.S. protecting a one-goal lead and down a man after Folarin Balogun was sent off with a red card early in the second half. Balogun scored his third goal of the tournament in the first half but Tillman delivered the game-sealer in the highlight of what has already been a productive World Cup for the 24-year-old.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously he\u2019s been playing so well,\u201d captain Tim Ream said. \u201cI\u2019d argue he\u2019s, other than Balo\u2019s goals, he\u2019s one of our best players. Everywhere on the field, doing the dirty things, making the hard things easy. I think it is just that. He just wanted to feel like he had a place. He\u2019s a quiet kid, but he\u2019s just come on leaps and bounds.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Goldsboro man arrested trying to sell items stolen from parks and recreation building, police say<\/a><\/p>\n

Tillman is the son of an American serviceman and German mother and grew up in Germany playing on the Bayern Munich youth squad and the German national youth team before making the switch to the U.S. team in 2022.<\/p>\n

His big moment came last summer in the Gold Cup when he scored two goals against Trinidad and Tobago and another against Haiti in the group stage. He then missed a penalty kick in the first half of the quarterfinals against Costa Rica before making one in the penalty shootout that sent the U.S. to the semifinals.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Gold Cup was really huge for him,\u201d Ream said. \u201cI think the adversity of the Costa Rica game, the penalty was really big for him. Now you look at him and he looks like he\u2019s just playing such an easy game. It\u2019s incredible to see. He\u2019s had that in him all this time. It was just a matter of him finding the confidence and him believing in himself.\u201d<\/p>\n

This past year wasn\u2019t easy for him after he moved from PSV Eindhoven to Bayer Leverkusen in a transfer worth a reported $41 million. He had six goals and one assist in 29 games in the Bundesliga and scoring two more in the Champions League.<\/p>\n

His biggest goal came Wednesday night when he became the first American man to score off a free kick in a World Cup since Eric Wynalda in the 1994 opener against Switzerland.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was amazing,\u201d coach Mauricio Pochettino said. \u201cI think Malik is an amazing player, full of talent. We knew that he has the talent to do what he did. I\u2019m so happy for him. Tough season for him in Leverkusen but I think now he\u2019s enjoying and we are enjoying and the fans are enjoying his football.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Drought conditions in North Carolina improve, but not by much<\/a><\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

\n See more of AP\u2019s World Cup coverage here\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SANTA CLARA, Calif. 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