A young American has burst onto the scene of one of Europe's top leagues, playing well and turning heads, and unless you regularly visit the Yanks Abroad section of Big Soccer, you may not have ever heard of him.
His name is Daniel Williams, and like (former) Yank fan crush and Schalke midfielder Jermaine Jones, he has dual German/American citizenship. Williams is only 20, has started three consecutive matches for Bundesliga side Freiburg SC, and has impressed enough to make at least one "Team of the Week".
The roughly translated text on Williams:
"Danny Williams (SC Freiburg): The 20-year-old has surprisingly been established since the winter break in eleven live - and quite rightly so. Very focused and snapped, took the last formstarken Schalke Sanchez almost completely from the game. 78 percent of his tackles on the right-back won Williams."
Williams is playing right back for Freiburg, though he might actually be more of a natural defensive midfielder; while the US has several options in that position, finding quality outside backs has been a problem. If Williams can play there, is eligible for the US, and has not yet been capped by Germany, Bob Bradley may have little choice but to give him a look. Unfortunately, the timing isn't ideal with it being a World Cup year, but beggars can't always be choosers; there's even a call by a small fringe (the ones that are aware of him) for Williams to be called in for the March 3rd friendly against the Netherlands.
It would be a short trip for the youngster, and his rapid rise from youth squads to first eleven at Freiburg indicates he may be ready to handle a larger challenge.
There are, of course, serious questions about Williams. Three games doesn't make a quality player, no matter the league. He's young and would have to adjust to the US setup and its cultural differences. He's so new to the scene that even getting good information on him is difficult. While not expected to be included in any German call-ups in the near future, he has stated at least once, when posed the question of which nation he would like to play for, that he feels very connected to Germany.
It's also unclear whether he speaks English or has had any contact with US Soccer or Bob Bradley.
Perhaps it's best to put Williams' name on the "Watch List", let him get his feet in the Bundesliga, and see how he grows. If and when he is open to playing for the United States, then Bradley (or his successor) can consider bringing him in.
If you're the type of USMNT fan that is always on the lookout for new names to add to the player pool and watch European leagues because of Americans playing there, you now have a reason to hunt down Freiburg matches. For reference, Williams wears "28".
Max Zeger contributed to this report. Follow him on Twitter @mcmz403.
