Germany captain Joshua Kimmich praised three young German footballers who chose to study and play in the US on scholarships. They play for Salem City FC in USL League Two, just five minutes from Wake Forest University fields where the German national team is training for the World Cup.

Linus Musielak (22), Noah Vasilev and Flynn Meves (both 23) altered their summer plans to be closer to their heroes. Noah called it a "once in a lifetime opportunity." The trio abandoned hopes of professional careers in Germany for education and soccer in the US.

Flynn Meves said he realized breaking into the Bundesliga was unlikely, so he chose to build a "safety net" in the US. They play in the summer USL2 league, a pre-professional platform. American college soccer faces major changes from 2028.

The trio met German players: Nico Schlotterbeck briefly, and Noah and Flynn bumped into Kimmich and goalkeeper Oliver Baumann at a cafe, chatting for 15 minutes.

They hope the World Cup boosts soccer's popularity in the US. Linus noted Messi and Reus moving to MLS helped. Noah said soccer lags behind American football, baseball, basketball, and hockey at big universities, but the tournament could change that.

Source: www.dw.com