Just a reminder that before ever making his professional debut, I predicted that this kid is going to end up captaining the USMNT for a decade. He’s making them strides.
Kid just turned 19yo and on Saturday he had grown men, seasoned professionals, completely out their mental screaming at the referee because they were fed up with McKennie tossing them around like rag dolls over and over again. Nothing reckless, nothing even cautionary. Just disciplined and composed physical domination for 90 minute.
One of exciting things about his performance yesterday was that for the first time in the Bundesliga, team tactics afforded him the ability to create a little. The most intriguing thing about him as a youth prospect was always that in addition to his outstanding defensive and physical work, he was incredibly influential in attack, creating and finishing goal scoring opportunities.
Up until Saturday his role for Tedesco had been pretty clearly defined as a one-man counterpressing midfield destroyer and he's excelled in that role, but during the second half on Saturday Tedesco gave him a set of keys for the first time and he was utilized as a central focal point in attack.
It wasn't anything spectacular, I thought Schalke overall were poor and SC Freiburg controlled most of the game but he contributed as much going forward as anyone and set up two of Schalke's best goal scoring chances. He showed it during pre-season but it was great to see it for the first time at this level.
Tedesco’s handling of McKennie’s continuing development has simply been amazing.