At 19, Tim Kübel had everything a young soccer player could dream of. He had a contract with the reserve team of one of Germany’s top clubs, FC Schalke 04, and was training regularly with the first team. It looked as if Kübel had a pathway to a career in Germany’s top flight.



And he was miserable.



Once a talented young striker in Baden-Württemberg, TFC’s second-round pick in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft was scouted by current Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp and entered Borussia Dortmund’s academy. After seeing Kübel play in a local tournament as a teenager in Klopp’s hometown of Glatten, Klopp told him how much he admired his “passion” for the game.



But that passion had disappeared under Schalke’s reserves coach Bernhard Trares. Because of his smallish stature, Kübel had been moved to right back during his time at Dortmund but was given free rein to move liberally up the wings and employ...