The former Philadelphia Union and Red Bull Salzburg star took advantage of Mendy dawdling on the ball and swiped it off the goalkeeper’s foot, leaving him with an empty net.
The Leeds boss said he’d be “disappointed” if Tuchel were allowed on the sideline
Thomas Tuchel will be on the sideline for Chelsea’s match against Leeds on Sunday after the FA sanctioned the Blues manager with a suspended touchline ban for his altercation with Antonio Conte.
Tuchel received a £35,000 fine and a one-game touchline ban, while Conte was fined £15,000 and did not receive a touchline ban.
The FA added in a statement: “These sanctions are subject to appeal, and Thomas Tuchel’s one match touchline ban has been suspended temporarily pending the independent Regulatory Commission’s written reasons for its decisions that will be made available in due course.”
That means that Tuchel will be on the sideline at Elland Road on Sunday as Chelsea takes on Jesse Marsch’s Leeds.
Tuchel’s presence may not sit well with Marsch, who was asked at a press conference on Friday if he was looking forward to his post-game handshake with the Chelsea boss.
The Leeds manager responded: “No, he won’t be there, right?”
When informed that, at the time, Tuchel’s presence was still an open question, Marsch responded: “Are they saying he might be able to be on the bench? That doesn’t seem right, does it? If you get a red card, you’re out a match.
“I would be disappointed if they allowed him to be on the bench. There’s a simple rule in football — whether it’s soccer or football, if you get a red card you can’t play the next match.”
But both managers will be on the sideline when Chelsea and Leeds meet, with both clubs having started their season with a win and a draw.
Leeds is leading the chase for the left back, who also has suitors in Germany and Portugal
Kai Wagner could be on the move. The Philadelphia Union left back has a host of suitors including multiple Champions League teams and sides in the Premier League and the Bundesliga.
A source tells Pro Soccer Wire that Wagner is being targeted by Leeds, Benfica, Stuttgart and Dinamo Zagreb. Leeds is “the most realistic option” right now according to one source although no definitive offers have come in yet.
The transfer would be in the ballpark of $3.5 million per the source. The German defender has been generating interest from Europe since last summer, but those rumors have heated up in recent weeks.
The 25-year-old has been tremendous for the Union since moving to MLS in 2019. With the Union’s pressing and counter-pressing system, he has settled in quite nicely and become one of the top outside backs in the league.
He has been an MLS All-Star selection each of the past two years.
Wagner’s playing style would appear to be a good fit for Leeds coach Jesse Marsch’s system. Wagner’s enthusiasm up and down the flank would be ideal for the frenetic pace preferred by Marsch. Ironically, Wagner was offered to the Red Bulls in 2019 prior to his move to the Union.
New York, at the time under Chris Armas, declined the possible move.
Leeds already boasts United States national team mainstays Tyler Adams and Brendan Aaronson. Adams played for Marsch both in New York with the Red Bulls and then at RB Leipzig before making his summer move to the Premier League side. Aaronson came up through the Philadelphia Union system and moved to Red Bull Salzburg two years ago.
This season in 25 games (all starts), Wagner has 2,250 minutes played and 11 assists. Prior to his move to MLS, Wagner was playing in the German third tier with Würzburger Kickers.
Leeds have mostly started the season well, with four points from two games a better pace than last season’s nervy last-gasp escape from the relegation zone.
On Saturday, they followed up a confident win in their opening game with a 2-2 draw at Southampton, ensuring that they’ll end the second round of Premier League fixtures in the top six. After losing Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips in the summer, it’s a very solid start.
It’s just the nature of how they got that 2-2 draw that might sting. Jesse Marsch’s side, with both U.S. men’s national team midfielders going the full 90 minutes, lead 2-0 thanks to a brace from Rodrigo, who scored both of his goals in the opening minutes of the second half.
For a few minutes, a Leeds team coached by an American, who replaced their biggest departures with Brenden Aaronson and Tyler Adams, were on course to be tied with Manchester City and Arsenal at the top of the table.
Only for a few minutes though. Southampton substitute Joe Aribo pulled one back in the 72nd minute, and Kyle Walker-Peters pulled the home team level nine minutes later.
Marsch, while frustrated, did find a silver lining in seeing a road draw as a disappointing result.
Marsch: "It’s a terrible feeling to play well and walk away with what feels like less than one point. But that’s also progress for us, to be disappointed with a point. It's always in my mind how to be glass half-full. The group is making progress." #lufc
“It’s a terrible feeling to play well and walk away with what feels like less than one point,” Marsch told reporters following the match. “But that’s also progress for us, to be disappointed with a point.”
Marsch had to make an early substitution after striker Patrick Bamford had to come off with what was reportedly tightness in his adductor. According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, the move may have been simply precautionary, with Marsch saying they think he’ll be able to train this week.
Leeds will hope their performance during the first hour is what they can bring for a full match next weekend, as they host Chelsea at Elland Road on Sunday.
Check out the goals from Leeds vs. Southampton
Just 30 seconds into the second half, Rodrigo puts Leeds United into the lead! #LUFC
PL Goal Accreditation Panel won’t let folks have some fun
Brenden Aaronson started his Premier League career with a bang, being heavily involved on both goals as Leeds came back to beat Wolves 2-1 at Elland Road on Saturday.
Jesse Marsch gave Aaronson and fellow U.S. men’s national team midfielder Tyler Adams starts as Leeds started the season off with a win. After last season’s final-day escape, it’s exactly the kind of result they need to make sure the threat of relegation is much lower this time around.
Aaronson was initially credited with Leeds’ 74th minute winner, a move that kicked into high gear when Adams turned upfield and split the defense, bypassing three Wolves midfielders.
Mateuz Klich tidily kept play moving upfield, slipping Patrick Bamford into space on the left, and from there the striker crossed low for the onrushing Aaronson to fire home what stood as the match-winning goal.
But wait! The Premier League decided Aaronson and USMNT fans couldn’t have a perfect opening day, as they eventually ruled that Wolves defender Rayan Ait-Nouri actually got the final touch. Just like that, Aaronson’s debut goal became an own goal.
Leeds's second goal has been credited as a Rayan Ait-Nouri own goal following review by the Premier League Goal Accreditation Panel#LEEWOL
Aaronson was also a major factor on Leeds’ first goal, though he won’t get credit for an assist. Leeds had an attack break down inside the Wolves box, only for Aaronson to show the tenacity Leeds was looking for when they brought him in, re-pressing to win the ball back immediately. That pressure saw the ball pop loose to Jack Harrison, who teed Rodrigo up for a 24th minute equalizer.
Aaronson went 84 minutes on the wing for Leeds, while Adams played the full 90 as a defensive midfielder in his Premier League debut.
Watch Aaronson not quite score
Leeds take the lead over Wolves thanks to an own goal! #LUFC
Find out which professional golfers support which Premier League teams.
The 2022 British Open begins on Thursday at the legendary Old Course at St Andrews, with golf’s biggest stars descending on the United Kingdom.
Many of those same players will be closely watching next month when the Premier League kicks off in England, just a short train ride away from their current location in Scotland.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at which Premier League teams some of the biggest names in golf support.
Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha are out, a whole mess of new faces are in
How is the transfer window going for Leeds United? Well that all depends.
On one hand, the club which barely avoided relegation last season has now lost its two best players: Kalvin Phillips joined Manchester City and Raphinha is moving to Barcelona.
That’s bad!
But the sales of that duo have raised £100 million, which has allowed the club to refresh its squad by bringing in six players and counting – several of whom are highly familiar to head coach Jesse Marsch.
That’s good!
The headliners have been two Americans: Brenden Aaronson and Tyler Adams, both of whom have been coached by Marsch at previous clubs.
But there has also been another player Marsch knows well, Rasmus Kristensen, who starred at right back for the American coach at Red Bull Salzburg.
Exciting winger Luis Sinisterra has arrived from Feyenoord, Marc Roca is in from Bayern Munich and teenage midfielder Darko Gyabi has joined from Manchester City.
According to Transfermarkt, Leeds’ transfer activity thus far, which has seen them lose two players and sign six, has earned them a profit of just over $1 million.
And Leeds likely isn’t done.
Leeds linked with even more signings
With its net spend still in the black, Leeds will likely aim to add even more pieces to ensure it won’t be stuck in a relegation dogfight again in 2022-23.
Among the names linked is Charles De Ketelaere, a highly rated attacker from Club Brugge and veteran midfielder Juan Mata, who is available on a free transfer after leaving Manchester United.
Of course, no set of Leeds transfer rumors would be complete without a link to an American player. The latest USMNT face tipped to join Leeds is Chris Richards, who appears likely to depart Bayern this summer amid a host of interest from Germany and the Premier League.
Marsch has plenty of work to do if he wants to turn Leeds into a mid-table side again – or better. But he’ll at least have plenty of new faces at his disposal when he begins his first full season in charge next month.
Tyler Adams is heading to the Premier League, where he’ll reunite with Jesse Marsch after Leeds United completed a transfer widely reported to be worth £20 million ($24m) to bring him to England from RB Leipzig.
Adams, a U.S. men’s national team fixture, moves to Leeds just as their first-choice defensive midfielder over the past few seasons, Kalvin Phillips, moves to Manchester City. It is expected that Marsch, has worked with Adams at both the New York Red Bulls and at RB Leipzig, will install Adams at the base of his midfield in the coming Premier League season.
While Adams made 37 appearances across all competitions in each of the last two Leipzig seasons, by the end of this past season it appeared that head coach Domenico Tedesco preferred players like Kevin Kampl and Konrad Laimer as his starters. In the club’s final 15 Bundesliga games this year, Adams made 10 appearances, and only three of those were starts.
However, a move to Leeds points at better days ahead. While Adams will be swapping a club with Champions League expectations for one that avoided relegation by an extremely slim margin, he has extensive experience playing for Marsch, and his experience in continental competition will be a big positive in the high-pressure environment that is playing for a club with the kind of fervent support that Leeds has.
Aaronson put in a display that will endear him to Leeds, where, as he said, tackles are celebrated like goals.
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.”
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.”
Read all of Pat Brennan’s work at The Cincinnati Enquirer here
The most expensive USMNT player of all-time hailed the player who is now just behind him on the list
Christian Pulisic has saluted Brenden Aaronson’s rapid development after the attacker became the second-most expensive U.S. men’s national team player of all-time last week when he joined Leeds.
Aaronson completed a reported $30 million move from Red Bull Salzburg, and now trails only Pulisic ($73m to Chelsea in 2019) on the list of highest transfer fees ever paid for a USMNT player.
Though Pulisic is only two years older, Aaronson has cited him as an inspiration for moving to Europe as a teenager with Borussia Dortmund. Aaronson followed in Pulisic’s footsteps when he left the Philadelphia Union at age 20 to join Salzburg.
Pulisic told reporters that he was happy to hear Aaronson – who grew up in Medford, N.J., just over two hours from his hometown of Hershey, Pa. – cited him as a big reason he made the jump to Europe.
“That’s a big reason why I do what I do. I hope to inspire kids and anyone really,” Pulisic said.
“I was also inspired by people close to my age that made it right before me, a lot of the guys playing in Europe, a lot of the American national team guys at the time, whether it was Clint [Dempsey] or Geoff Cameron, [Alejandro] Bedoya, those guys inspired me and I wanted to do exactly that.
“I’m happy any way I can help Brenden. You can see his come-up has been incredible. Now he’s going to be playing in the Premier League … it’s exciting. And hopefully that will just continue to go on and on. Now he’s going to inspire the next kid.”
Pulisic endorses Aaronson in the middle
Aaronson has been deployed mostly as a winger during his 18 career appearances with the USMNT but on Tuesday, head coach Gregg Berhalter said he would be starting the 21-year-old centrally in Wednesday’s friendly against Morocco.
Pulisic, who himself shifts between central and wide attacking positions, has endorsed the idea of his teammate playing in the middle.
“I think he’s a player that can absolutely play multiple positions,” Pulisic said. “He’s a guy who can bring you so much energy even against the ball, and then we all know about his quality on the ball as well and how he can hurt you as well. So I think it can work out very well.”
