Who is Lennard Maloney? The USMNT newcomer making history at Heidenheim and auditioning to be Tyler Adams' understudy

It's a familiar story to many that have followed the USMNT for the last decade or two. Maloney is the son of an American Air Force veteran and a Germany mother, born and raised in Berlin. Several USMNT mainstays have taken similar paths to the national team, although few have had the journey that Maloney has had on the club level.

Maloney originally joined Hertha Berlin's academy as a teenager in 2012, working his way up the ranks at the club. At age 18, he was handed his 2. Bundesliga debut, but it would turn out to be his only senior appearance for his hometown club.

After a loan to Chemintzer FC in 2019-20, Maloney joined Borussia Dortmund II in August of 2020. It was a big move, of course, joining a powerhouse like Dortmund and, at certain points, it seemed that it could work out for the young midfielder.

He made his Bundesliga debut for the club in October 2021, coming on as a late sub in a win over Arminia Bielefeld, and went on to feature against the same opponent later that season as as a substitute once again. However, towards the end of the season, Maloney decided to join Heidenheim, moving to the 2. Bundesliga club on a free transfer that summer.

Before getting into Maloney's history with Heidenheim, we have to get into the history of Heidenheim.

Dating back nearly 200 years, it's one that includes plenty of mergers and splits and changes, ultimately leading to the version of the club we know today.

Virtually all of that history was spent in the lower levels of German soccer, and it's only recently that the club has been relevant in any way at a high level. Until 2010, the club had never been as high as the third division of the German game.

By the time Maloney joined in 2022, the club was in the 2. Bundesliga. They'd finished sixth the year before, making it four-straight seasons with a top-eight finish. It was a club pushing for a historic promotion, but one that just couldn't quite get there.

That is, until the 2022-23 season. With Maloney featuring 33 times in league play, Heidenheim won the 2. Bundesliga, earning a historic promotion to the top flight. As a result, Maloney would get the chance to ply his trade in the Bundesliga consistently and, thus far, he's taken the challenge.

It's safe to say that Maloney has adjusted well to life in the Bundesliga.

As the club sits midtable with seven points through as many games, Maloney has been a mainstay for the team in the center of the field. He's featured in each of those seven games while also scoring a goal in the club's first DFB-Pokal match, an 8-0 win over Rostocker FC.

Maloney's engine in the middle of the field has been key to Heidenheim's quick rise in the Bundesliga, and it's also now earned him the attention of the USMNT, who called the 23-year-old midfielder up for his first senior camp ahead of October friendlies against Germany and Ghana.

“As a player who came from the third league, Lenny immediately developed into a top performer for us last season and was an important one, especially due to his presence and mentality on the pitch factor in our promotion season," Strauss said of Maloney's call-up.

"After convincing performances in our first Bundesliga games, this national team nomination is now the reward he deserves. Never before in our history has an FCH professional matured into a senior national player. That’s another reason why Lenny’s nomination for our FCH is something very special!”

Maloney himself added: “Being able to play for the USA senior national team at some point has been a big dream of mine ever since I started playing football. I’m happy to have now come a big step closer to this dream. The fact that the upcoming international matches are against Germany is of course a very special highlight!”

Maloney's biggest attribute is his engine, as he finds himself atop the Bundesliga in several key metrics.

He leads the notoriously high-energy Bundesliga in distance covered, as his ability to cover massive amounts of ground make him a legitimate midfield wrecking ball. He's already travelled 89. 8 kilometers in the club's seven games, two more than Eintracht Frankfurt's Ellyes Skhiri in second and 4.8 more than Julian Weigl of Borussia Monchengladbach in third.

Maloney also ranks highly in interceptions, clearances and aerial duels won, with his 6'2 frame allowing him to shut down play in the midfield.

“With Lenny, first off he has the most distance covered in the Bundesliga as a defensive midfielder,” USMNT head coach Berhalter said of the Heidenheim star. “But what really attracted the staff to him is how he plays the game — really with a lot of emotion and passion. You see him clapping for his teammates, you see him going into tackles. He’s a really committed player, a really team-oriented player and we’re excited to have him in camp and to see what he can do.”

The numbers don't lie about Maloney's attacking impact, but they also don't lie about his ability to advance the ball.

Despite attempting nearly 36 passes per game, Maloney is in the second percentile in progressive passes, with only two of those 36 per game advancing the ball. He's also in the bottom percentile for progressive carries, as he does very little to impact the game on the attacking end.

All that is to say that, at this moment, the 23-year-old midfielder is a pure No.6. Not a ball-playing No.6, not a deep-lying, playmaking No.6, but a pure destroyer. Maloney breaks up the play and gives the ball to someone else - almost always someone in a safer place than he is.

That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but in a more modern game, many teams will ask more of their player in that position when it comes to possessing the ball.

The USMNT don't necessarily need Maloney to be some magical, Andrea Pirlo-esque passer of the ball. However, they could certainly use him at the moment due to Tyler Adams' injury.

Without their captain, the U.S. has struggled to find answers at the No.6 position. Kellyn Acosta often occupied the role last cycle, but it's always been clear that there is a steep, steep drop off between Adams and the rest of the pool.

This summer, with Adams out, interim coach B.J. Callaghan inverted the midfield, playing Gio Reyna as a No.10 ahead of Yunus Musah and Weston McKennie. And that could be the route Berhalter goes in these upcoming friendlies.

However, he could also take a look at Maloney to see if he has what it takes to seize that spot as Adams' understudy.

“It gives us an opportunity to have a plan B when and if Tyler isn’t available,” Berhalter said.

It remains to be seen how much Maloney will see the field in the upcoming friendlies. Being thrown into the fray against Germany and Ghana is a big ask, even for the most seasoned midfielders. For someone new like Maloney? It could be a tough, tough test.

Maloney, though, has already impressed his new team-mates and is seemingly fitting in well in his new surroundings.

"I think in the world of soccer, like, Germans play a workhorse type of game," McKennie said, "And he's definitely shown it in training. He's been fitting in well. He's been making good plays, breaking up plays, which is what's expected of him.

"Obviously, the coaching staff believes in him and we believe in him as well. Anybody that comes in and wears the crest comes in with a bigger responsibility and it's not taken lightly, so for him to come in, not shy away from the opportunity and not shy away from the game and being involved in tackles and stuff like that, it's good to see."

Everyone involved at Heidenheim will be watching on eagerly, even if most will probably be backing Germany in that first friendly. The thought of Maloney coming on, though, will excite everyone at the club, who may soon be able to say they've had a senior international on their team.

Maloney's first cap is looming, and all involved will hope that Heidenheim won't have to wait quite so long for cap number two.