CINCINNATI — Brenden Aaronson’s goal in the 26th minute was a just reward, both for the performance he gave for the U.S. men’s national team against Morocco, and for having endured one of the busiest weeks of his life.
Facing the 24th-ranked Atlas Lions on Wednesday at Cincinnati’s TQL Stadium, Aaronson needed only to caress the ball into a largely open net in the 26th minute after Christian Pulisic did most the hard work leading up to the goal.
But for Aaronson to arrive in a scoring position late in the midst of Pulisic’s memorable solo effort said everything about the shift Aaronson provided the Americans in their 3-0, FIFA World Cup tune-up victory.
Aaronson typically plays on the wing for the USMNT but was placed in a more central role where more ball hawking is demanded by manager Gregg Berhalter.
“I was impressed. I really was. I thought he gave us energy,” Berhalter said afterward. “He gave us bite. He won some good duels. To arrive in the penalty box like that on Christian’s play that he ends scoring shows great effort and tenacity, so I think he did good.”
Aaronson, too, was pleased with his efforts defensively as much as he was with his finish in the 26th minute.
“Defensively for me, it’s about being physical and I’m going to continue to work on my physicality, you know, but I think I won a lot of challenges tonight,” Aaronson said. “I think I did my job defensively and maybe it’s not winning challenges. Maybe it’s not doing that kind of thing but maybe it’s getting the shape defensively, not letting them go through you, not [allowing] passing lanes.”
The match was the first for Aaronson following his move from Austria’s Red Bull Salzburg to Leeds United, a resurgent Premier League power that reportedly paid $30 million for the 21-year-old.
Aaronson’s showing against Morocco was just a glimpse into what he hopes to provide for countryman and Leeds manager, Jesse Marsch.
Of course, it’s not as though Aaronson thinks he’ll labor to impress Marsch and the Leeds supporters. During a Monday media roundtable at a downtown Cincinnati hotel, Aaronson made clear he felt he was ready for the jump to the Premier League, which is often thought of as the best in the world.
The real question for Aaronson seemed to be whether Leeds was ready for him. Per the deal that had been agreed between Salzburg and Leeds, Aaronson’s transfer was contingent on Leeds avoiding relegation to the second-division Championship.
Leeds did manage to avoid relegation, but it went down to the last match of their season on May 22. Consequently, Aaronson spent that day pacing in a mostly empty Vienna coffee shop.
“A whirlwind again,” Aaronson said Monday. “I was in Vienna with my girlfriend. We were having coffee and watching the game and then I’m sweating and pacing around the cafe and, yeah, it was tough to watch but they got the job done. Then, the next day, I was there (at Leeds).”
Marsch was partly responsible for Aaronson’s initial foray into European soccer. Then the manager at Salzburg, Marsch helped arrange the transfer for Aaronson, a Medford, N.J. native, from the Philadelphia Union following the 2020 Major League Soccer season.
At Leeds, player and coach will reunite at a club where, as Aaronson said, tackles are celebrated like goals.
If that’s the case, Wednesday was a demonstration of Aaronson’s versatility, and his ability to contribute defensively as much as in the attack.
“I think a big part of playing for the national team is also playing for your club too,” Aaronson said. “I think you also have to play well for your country, but I think it’s also playing consistently week-in, week-out for your club. But for me, it was a step (to Leeds) that I wanted to take. I thought it was the right time to up my game by going to the Premier League. It was definitely a risk but it was a risk I was willing to take.
“Going into a city like Leeds where it’s the only team in the city, you can tell how passionate the fans are. From watching for half a year now, you can hear the fans – the echo in the stadium. The culture there, it’s huge for them. I talked to Jesse a little bit about it. The fans, they’re amazing and they’re always going to support you. It’s tough, maybe the media and stuff like that but that’s something I’m ready for.”
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