Bundesliga
"Matthew Hoppe will get a chance" - Gregg Berhalter
USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter has revealed he is keeping a close eye on Matthew Hoppe, with a view to one day blooding the teenaged Schalke striker at international level.
Hoppe, 19, is yet to represent the Stars and Stripes at any age group, but has made a blistering start to 2021 with Schalke, scoring five times in as many Bundesliga games.
That's as many goals as Eintracht Frankfurt's Andre Silva has managed across the same period, and only one less than Bayern Munich counterpart, and 2020 FIFA World's Best Player, Robert Lewandowski.
"I need to continue to watch him, but it was just an amazing performance [against Hoffenheim], to be a teenager and score a hat-trick in the Bundesliga," Berhalter told ESPN after Hoppe became the first American in German top-flight history to score three goals in one game, in Schalke's 4-0 win over Hoffenheim on Matchday 15.
"For him, I think it's just the beginning. Now, it's about just continuing to perform. It's not about one performance, it's about the next performance and the next performance and the next performance. And I think he's got a good mindset and he's ready to do that."
Watch: Matthew Hoppe's hat-trick against Hoffenheim
Hoppe's hat-trick was the product of three efforts on the opposition goal. He was also on target in losing efforts to Frankfurt and Cologne, burnishing his conversion rate to five goals from six attempts on target.
In terms of minutes per goal, the Californian - scoring once every 106 mins - sits sixth league-wide behind established sharp-shooters Lewandowski (61), Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund, 78), Lucas Alario (Bayer Leverkusen, 102), Andrej Kramaric (Hoffenheim, 103) and Silva (104).
Unsurprisingly, Berhalter sees real potential in Schalke's breakout star of the 2020/21 campaign - potential that could translate into international caps.
Watch: Hoppe - Schalke's new hope
"What I saw is really good movement behind the line," explained the US tactician of Hoppe's apex-predator finishing against Hoffenheim. "I think that was what was interesting to me that movement behind their back line. His movement in transition was excellent. The timing of it, the awareness of it. It was really high-level.
"If Matthew continues to score regularly, he will quickly make the leap to the senior team. He has to keep up his form and earn a regular starting place in the Bundesliga. Then he will certainly get a chance."
Hoppe is expected to make his ninth Bundesliga appearance on Matchday 19, when Schalke take on a Werder Bremen team spearheaded by 12-time US international Josh Sargent.