What a four months it's been for U.S. men's national team midfielder Sebastian Berhalter.
In June, there was the 25-year-old appearing in his first FIFA World Cup and providing two goal contributions. By August, following a move from MLS to the English Championship, the former Vancouver Whitecaps player then provided an assist in his debut with Middlesbrough. In his first 10 games in all competitions for the club, Berhalter has made an immediate impact with two goals and two assists.
Yet to slow down his blistering pace, he's now the unexpected American star in the first international break since the World Cup. After providing a goal and assist in last week's 4-1 win over Peru, Berhalther did it again on Tuesday as the USMNT beat Chile 4-2.
This is all a surprise considering where he stood barely a year ago.
At the start of 2025, Berhalter didn't have an international appearance to his name, never mind a reputation as a key figure at the national team. Eventually earning his debut in June of last year -- just 12 months out from the World Cup -- he also wasn't viewed as an exciting up-and-coming prospect.
And unlike some of his high-profile European-based international teammates, somebody like him, having plied their trade primarily in the more modest MLS, isn't traditionally expected to be an impact player.
How things have changed.
Scoring in consecutive games for the first time in his USMNT career, Berhalter has so far looked like the most important American player in the current international break.
"He can play from the left, can play from the right, can play like a midfielder, box to box, but also holding midfielder, he can play as a No. 10, from different positions and he's always very happy to do anything for the national team," said U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino after the win over Chile. "To have a player like him is priceless."
Of the eight goals that the U.S. has scored in its past two matches, the midfielder has had a hand in half of them. Much more than just a chance creator and goal scorer, as seen on Tuesday, he also carried the ball into crucial areas and forced a handful of fouls from the opposition.
This wasn't the expected narrative heading into the international break.
With a new World Cup cycle now underway as preparations begin for 2030, the youthful core of call-ups was the main talking point. In a squad that has rested plenty of veterans for the fall and brought in 13 players without a cap to their name, rising teenage hopefuls like Cavan Sullivan, Mathis Albert and Adri Mehmeti, among a list of others, have dominated USMNT conversations.
The argument could be made that many of the players that are younger than Berhalter have a higher ceiling than he does, but after two games of this window, he's the one who has undoubtedly had the strongest influence on the pitch.
And for Pochettino, he's noted an additional off-the-field influence on those new faces.
"He's a player that the energy and the commitment and everything that he does is for the badge, for the national team, for the teammate," the U.S. coach said. "Of course it's for him, but he's a very good role model for the players that arrived for the first time, or the players that maybe are watching from home."
Back at club level, this type of character is also a strong reason as to why Middlesbrough are currently third in the Championship table.
It's far too early to make any predictions as to how things could go after just eight games for his new team, but if he and the Teesside outfit continue their pace of form that contains just one defeat, we could soon be talking about Sebastian Berhalter, Premier League player.
"This is where I want to be," Berhalter said after signing with the club. "I want to keep getting better as a player and person, and this is a great place to do it."
Next up for the MLS product that is seeking ways to improve himself? A massive rivalry game against Mexico on Saturday in Arizona.
Extending his brilliant run of form into the USMNT's marquee friendly match of the international break would be a great way of demonstrating that he, and not the next wave of teenage talents, is deserving of the U.S. soccer headlines.