Mathis Albert: Niko Kovač praises Dortmund’s American teenager after Japan tour

Borussia Dortmund head coach Niko Kovač has praised American teenager Mathis Albert after the 17-year-old continued his impressive pre-season with a strong showing on the club’s tour of Japan. The USA youth international featured in Dortmund’s 1-0 friendly victory over FC Tokyo on Saturday and has now drawn public recognition from Kovač for more than just his attacking output.

Kovač’s verdict

After the win in Tokyo, Kovač highlighted the teenager’s all-round qualities rather than focusing purely on goals. “You can see what abilities he has. He’s fast, strong in the air, and I have to say he put in a lot of effort,” the BVB coach explained. The comments underline how Albert has made the most of the minutes handed to him during pre-season, both in Germany and on the Japan leg of Dortmund’s summer schedule.

Higher demands, new position

Albert says Kovač’s demanding standards have pushed him to improve areas of his game that previously needed work. “It has helped me take a certain aspect of my game to a new level,” he said. “Before, I wasn’t the best in some areas, but this has motivated me to work much harder. There are higher demands, such as the work rate and the space that needs to be covered, especially in the new, more central position. This has definitely helped my game a lot.”

The positional shift is a notable detail for those following his development. Albert is being prepared for a more central role than the wide attacking position he occupied earlier in his young career, and the tactical adjustment appears to be one of the reasons Kovač has taken notice this summer.

A breakthrough year in sight

Albert already has a Bundesliga debut to his name, having made his first top-flight appearance for Dortmund late last term. This summer he got on the scoresheet in a friendly defeat to Fortuna Düsseldorf before making the most of further opportunities in Japan. A former LA Galaxy academy player, he has now earned the public backing of his head coach as he builds towards the new campaign.

Ambition at Signal Iduna Park

The teenager has not hidden his long-term goals at Dortmund. “My dream is to become an important player for the club and to stand out, to be a true leader and help the team win games,” he told Sky. “I don’t want to reduce my game to just statistics. My main goal is to get better every day and develop as much as possible.”

Those comments reflect a player who is thinking beyond pre-season minutes. Kovač’s emphasis on work rate and defensive discipline suggests Albert’s path to more regular involvement will be built on exactly the qualities the coach praised in Tokyo.

What comes next

Dortmund return from Japan on 2 August and face friendlies against Arsenal and Roma before the new campaign begins. Those matches will give Albert further chances to strengthen his case for a place in Kovač’s plans, with the manager’s recent comments indicating the teenager is firmly on his radar.

Key facts

| Fact | Detail |
| Player | Mathis Albert, 17, USA youth international and former LA Galaxy academy talent |
| Club | Borussia Dortmund, where he made his Bundesliga debut late last season |
| Pre-season | Scored against Fortuna Düsseldorf and impressed in a 1-0 win over FC Tokyo in Japan |
| Next tests | Friendlies against Arsenal and Roma after Dortmund’s return from Japan on 2 August |

For FootballGames10 readers, the story matters on two levels. For Dortmund supporters, it is an early sign of how Kovač views one of the club’s most promising young attackers ahead of the new season. For followers of American talent in Europe, Albert is another name to track in the Bundesliga, with his development at a major European club likely to draw attention from USMNT circles as the campaign unfolds. The Arsenal and Roma friendlies are the immediate fixtures to watch, along with Dortmund’s team news as Kovač finalises his plans.

Source: Bundesliga — https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga/news/american-mathis-albert-earns-niko-kovac-praise-dortmund-38441

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