Who is Lennard Maloney, the German who called Berhalter for the USMNT?
Gregg Berhalter raised eyebrows by calling up naturalized player Lennard Maloney to the USMNT. The Heidenheim midfielder is one of the sensations of the Bundesliga.
The United States is starting a new era - in style. In a high-flying match, Germany will measure the quality of an American team that dreams of taking a step forward on the international scene and becoming one of the world’s powers. The contest against the four-time champions will be very special for one of Gregg Berhalter’s pupils, Lenard Maloney. The Heidenheim midfielder, a naturalized American, will face a team with which he flirted in his formative stage.
Lennard Maloney, the new American Kaiser
Lennard Maloney was born on October 8, 1999 in the German capital, Berlin. Son of a US Air Force veteran, (his father was born in the United States), he has had American nationality from a very young age. Despite having played in Germany’s youth ranks - with the Under-18s and Under-19s, he was called up for the first time by the United States Umder-20 team in 2018.
“Playing for the United States was one of my dreams. If Germany calls me and it is possible, I will play for Germany, but something in my heart tells me that I want to play for the United States. I don’t know when, but I hope it happens,” Maloney said a few weeks ago about Gregg Berhalter’s possible call.
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Maloney is one of the star players ar Heidenheim, who were promoted to the German top flight for the first time after being crowned 2. Bundesliga champions last season. The team is currently mid-table on seven points after the first seven games. Maloney is an undisputed starter, having played practically every minute so far. Through effort and sacrifice, he is fast becoming one of the great revelations of the German top division. His versatility, being able to play as a holding midfielder as well as in the back four, makes him a very complete footballer. One of his standout features is his passing with 81% effectiveness this season, as well as in individual, one-on-one battles, of which he has won 55% to date.
Heidenheim dream
Frank Schmidt’s men dream of securing a permanent place in the Bundesliga. Recognized as the oldest football club in all of Germany, the 2023/24 season will go down in the history of a city of just 50,000 inhabitants as the club’s first experience of playing in the German elite. And the team’s journey has been like a Greek epic - making their way from the fifth division, with the premise of always being the smallest team in the competition (in geographical and economic terms). However, that has never stopped the club from competing at the highest level against the top teams in the land.