The 30-year-old played collegiately in the U.S., was released by New York Red Bulls and is now on brink of career-defining success
Arminia Bielefeld were supposed to have their own area to celebrate. So much for that. The third-division German team had just knocked off Bundesliga giants Bayer Leverkusen in the DFB-Pokal semifinal, and the city had allocated them a separate space to take it all in.
But fans entered in droves. Soon, the team needed to escape.
It was 3 a.m. when the idea was floated to phone up a stadium employee. So, four hours after the final whistle – and long before the reality of victory had sunk in – the team returned to the SchucoArena, technically shut down for the night. The hospitality boxes were reopened. Beverages flowed. The evening dragged on.
And at the center of it all was the captain, an American journeyman, Mael Corboz. His memories of the night?
"I haven't been that drunk in a while," Corboz told GOAL.
Corboz is 30 years old, and largely anonymous in the American soccer system that shaped him. A technical midfielder, he had stints at Rutgers and Maryland before moving to Europe. Now, more than 10 years into his professional career, he is enjoying his biggest moment yet – leading the charge in one of German soccer's greatest underdog stories.
"I grew up with French parents, so European football was always present in my head. Looking back, it's like, 'Damn, did you ever think you would play against Bayer Leverkusen? Like, did you ever think you would beat them?' " Corboz says with amazement.
Getty Images'He cherishes the challenge'
Whether a younger version of himself believed it or not, Corboz is here. And his path has been an unusual one. Born in Alabama but raised in New Jersey, Corboz grew up in a footballing family. Both of his sisters play professional soccer in France. He was picked up by the Red Bulls academy as a youngster, and came through the system alongside USMNT midfielder Tyler Adams – training on the youth pitches while Thierry Henry was still finding the net for the first team.
He started his college career at nearby Rutgers, but transferred to Maryland in 2014. Corboz was the one who made the effort, getting in touch with the Terrapins after they had made a run to the 2013 National Championship game. Maryland head coach Sasho Cirovski told the midfielder that he couldn't guarantee a scholarship – or really any playing time. Corboz didn't care.
"He was a great player. He played for us for two years and immediately, after one spring, became a captain," Cirvoski said.
There were the accolades to back it up: Big Ten Conference tournament MVP in 2014, First-Team All-Big Ten in 2015, two Big Ten conference tournament wins, a Big Ten regular season title. He shared the pitch with future USMNT No. 1 goalkeeper Zack Steffen.
Cirovski remembers a player who was both incredibly driven and remarkably ruthless. The Maryland head coach offered to sit out Corboz when he played his old school. Rutgers insisted that Corboz play. He agreed. Corboz scored in a 3-2 win. There were other moments, too, highlighted by an 85th minute free-kick to beat Indiana in the Big Ten title game.
"He cherishes the challenge. He cherishes the moment, he wants the responsibility. And he's just, he's a great player." Cirovski said.
AdvertisementGetty'That was kind of the path'
Corboz forwent the opportunity to enter the NCAA draft in 2015, and instead signed a homegrown contract with the Red Bulls. It was a diversion from the typical way of doing things. College soccer was still a crucial pipeline. MLS homegrown talents had not yet broken in the mainstream.
"If you're good, it allows you to get into a good school, and you go to college and you try to do well, and if you're good enough, you go to the MLS, and that was kind of the path," Corboz said.
And so began the kind of journeyman career that is usually forgotten about. He was waived by his boyhood club before he could kick a ball for them, and signed for the nearby Wilmington Hammerheads the following March. Corboz made 14 appearances, but the club went out of business at the end of 2016.
And then the European offer came. MSV Duisburg provided it. One of the founding Bundesliga clubs, the North Rhine-Whesphalia based side had fallen on hard times in the mid 2010s, yo-yoing between the German second and third divisions.
Corboz didn't manage a single league appearance in 18 months. SG Wattenscheid came next. It meant a step down in quality – SG Wattenscheid played in the German fourth tier at the time. But it also came with more minutes. He made 47 league appearances across two seasons – sufficient to earn him a move to the Netherlands, where he found his footing for Go Ahead Eagles of the second division.
Another move, back to Germany, followed after the COVID-19 pandemic. He spent four full seasons, and became a consistent starter for FC Verl – wearing the captain's armband in his final campaign.
Now, he finds himself at his seventh team in 12 years – and perhaps better than ever.
"I never would have thought that this is possible," Corboz admitted. "Given how my career has gone, too, it seems quite improbable."
Getty'I got the best of that world'
In some ways, coming through the American system was something of a disadvantage, Corboz admitted. His teammates nowadays all come from top youth academies, and have kicked a ball competitively year round since they could walk.
For Corboz, the reality was different. Competitive soccer was only an option for three months of the year while he was in college, the season spanning from just August to December – and practices limited in the Spring.
"And at Maryland, trust me, in terms of how we worked, we were the top of college soccer, and so I got the best of that world, and it still couldn't compare to the youth academies that I see today," Corboz said.
But then, there were some real advantages. The most obvious one? A college degree. The German football system is cutthroat, Corboz admitted. Many of those kids that would have kicked a ball year round get swallowed up – and have nothing to do once they retire. Corboz will never have that problem.
"On the American system, the biggest takeaway was getting my degree and playing at a good level. Just the training is restricted. I don't think a lot of people understand that in Europe," he said.
Getty'Part of me can't believe it'
The level was certainly high enough to prepare him for what has come this season. Bielefeld have endured a fallow period of late. They were in the Bundesliga as recently as 2020, but had the lowest operating budget in the league – and were entirely outclassed. Back-to-back relegations followed.
By 2023, they had dropped down to the third tier. This season has brought about something of a remarkable turnaround. After 33 matchdays, they are second in the league, and just one point off league leaders Dynamo with five games to play.
And then, of course, there is the cup run. The Pokal has been a forum for upsets in recent years, most notably Bayern Munich losing to third division side Saarbrucken in 2023. But Bielefeld's run has been on another level. The draw was remarkably unkind to the third-tier side, and they have had to play four straight Bundesliga teams to battle their way into the final.
Wins over Union Berlin, Freiburg and Werder Bremen were impressive. But few would have given them a chance against Leverkusen – even at home. Xabi Alonso fielded something close to his strongest team. Bielefeld played five at the back and bunkered in.
And when Leverkusen took the lead after 17 minutes, hopes seemed to be dashed. Still, Bielefeld batteled back. They equalized within three minutes, and got a second in first half stoppage time. Leverkusen had their chances after the break – and hit the post deep into the second half. But Bielefeld held on – completing one of German football's great upsets.
"Part of me can't believe it," Corboz says, "and a part of me is just dying to relive that moment, because it was crazy."
Corboz played his part, winning 100 percent of his tackles in central midfield, and creating two chances on the night.
"Beating by Leverkusen really felt like a big upset," he said. "There were a lot of things that came together, they're the defending champs… if you look at the images after the final whistle, you realize this was a different level."