There aren't many firsts left in this wild world of soccer, especially for clubs with more than 100 years of history behind them. So you have to pardon Heidenheim for being so damn excited about what's happening with their young star, Lennard Maloney.
If Maloney sets foot on the pitch for the U.S. men's national team's upcoming matches against Germany or Ghana, he'll become the first-ever player representing Heidenheim to play in a senior international match. It's a wild fact. The first EVER. For a club formed in 1846, it's an unfathomable thought.
Robert Strauss, a longtime player and the current head of the sporting department, hailed Maloney's callup as a "very special" moment for everyone involved with the club.
It's also, of course, a special moment for Maloney, a player who has certainly ground his way into the USMNT picture. He also steps into the national team at a point where Gregg Berhalter's side may very well need a player of his profile; a hardworking, tenacious midfielder that sits at or near the top of the Bundesliga in several metrics, Maloney is a breakout star who could very well answer some pressing questions in the USMNT midfield.
But who is Maloney, the up-and-comer with an entire German club cheering him on, and the potential USMNT answer to the great Tyler Adams question in the center of the field?