Malik Tillman went from struggling to get minutes to USMNT World Cup hero at right time

SEATTLE — When Malik Tillman was little, too young to be thinking about his future, he went through a phase of wanting to be a goalkeeper. He and his brother, Timothy, would practice free kicks all the time, one shooting and the other in goal.During these months — sometime between the ages of 7 and 9, by his brother’s estimation — Malik would volunteer to play goal more often. It didn’t take long for it to become obvious that his future lay elsewhere. “No one wanted us to be in goal,” Timmy Tillman told The Post.

“They all said, ‘No, you better stay on the field.’ ” It’s a good thing Malik listened, and a good thing he kept working on shooting free kicks instead of stopping them.The shot he curled in to seal the U.S.

national team’s Round of 32 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday marked what is so far the signature moment of the World Cup as it readies for Monday night’s Round of 16 match against Belgium. Standing over the ball before taking the kick, Tillman, Antonee Robinson and Tyler Adams talked about the best way to approach it.Robinson expected the wall to jump and thought Tillman should go underneath it.

From so close to the box, getting it over and back down would be highly challenging anyway. Tillman knew, though, that he could — and for good measure, the wall didn’t jump. “I know some guys doubted me that I could go over the wall,” Tillman said.“But I practiced this in training.” His first World Cup goal only put an exclamation mark on what has, quietly, been a standout competition so far for the 24-year-old.

The image of Tillman after the match, his sock bloody after a defender’s cleat went through it, prompting a midgame change, was as defining as anything has been over the past month.  Built for match days and everyday wear, this officially licensed USMNT tee brings classic national pride wherever you go.Rep your favorite player in classic navy with this officially licensed tee m...