Midfielder Timothy Tillman is entering his fourth season at LAFC, with which he finished MLS Cup runner-up in 2023 and lifted the U.S. Open Cup in 2024.

Tillman, who turned 27 on Jan. 4, like his younger brother Malik Tillman, moved 100 miles south from their home in Nuremberg area to join the Bayern Munich youth academy. Sons of a U.S. serviceman stationed in Germany, both played for German youth national teams before switching to the U.S. national team program.

Malik, 23, now with Bayer Leverkusen, debuted for the USA in 2022 and has 26 caps. Timothy debuted in January of 2024 under Gregg Berhalter. He earned his second and third caps last November under Mauricio Pochettino and had a stellar performance in the USA’s 5-1 win over Uruguay.

SOCCER AMERICA: You’ve been in the USA for three years now. Anything you miss about Germany?

TIMOTHY TILLMAN: Obviously, I miss my family and friends, and some kinds of food. But L.A. is just a beautiful place. Especially once you get to know the right people and the right places, it’s almost unbeatable. I’m super happy in L.A.

SA: What kind of food do you miss?

TIMOTHY TILLMAN: I miss Döner a lot. And just the typical Brotzeit — good bread, good sausage, good cheese. And pretzels — the real ones.

• Editor’s note: Döner are German-style Turkish sandwiches of thin-sliced rotisserie meat, and are Germany’s most eaten street food.

SA: Are there things in the United States that you enjoy that maybe are different than in Germany?

TIMOTHY TILLMAN: Playing soccer here, going to practice every day is just so much fun. I’ve always got a big smile on my face when I know I’m gonna see my guys and we’re going to work together. I think it’s just a big difference here, especially at LAFC, that we have an environment where it’s all about fun, but also we are very, very ambitious, and we have high expectations and high goals. We know when to put the foot on the gas.

SA: Do you like the weather better here than in Germany?

TIMOTHY TILLMAN: Of course I do (laughs).

SA: Can you compare the differences between MLS and pro ball in Germany?

TIMOTHY TILLMAN: I would say the biggest difference is the approach to the game. I think in Germany, the first goal is to not lose a game. To not make any mistakes. To not give the game away. That’s how you approach a game in Germany. Here, it’s just like you want to win games. You want to go forward. You want to score first.