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John “JMi” Tolkin stands out on the U.S. roster. He entered the Gold Cup with momentum and intrigue.
Mauricio Pochettino called up the 22-year-old to replace Sergino Dest. In the pre-tournament friendlies, Tolkin only played the second half against Switzerland, thus not scarred by the first-half debacle nor the collapse against Turkey.
The New Jersey product played 114 MLS games for the Red Bulls when Holstein Kiel set a club record ($2.6 million) to sign him in January. It had hoped he’d help the Northern German club survive its first Bundesliga season. It didn’t, but Tolkin was its highest-rated defender in Kicker Magazine’s player ratings.
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Tolkin on …
On the Bundesliga: “A very high level. I adjusted pretty quickly. It was awesome. Obviously, the way the season ended wasn’t what I anticipated. But I knew going in it would be tough for an inexperienced team in its first Bundesliga season.”
• His USMNT role: “Towards the end of the season, I was dropping a lot lower, to receive the ball and find solutions to build out. So far here, it’s been a little bit more advanced up the field. I don’t mind doing either.”
• National team pressure: “The chaos of going through relegation helped me. That grind and pressure was certainly a step above what I had experienced in MLS. And it’s kind of a chaotic time right now. You have to fight for each other in every training session and in each match.”
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