U.S. U-20 head coach Mikey Varas said he was disappointed but also proud of Paxten Aaronson after Eintracht Frankfurt refused to release the attacker for the U-20 World Cup.
Aaronson has become a key bench option for Frankfurt after joining in January, having appeared in four straight Bundesliga matches.
The 19-year-old’s development has seen his club side deem him too valuable to release for the U-20 World Cup, which does not take place within the FIFA calendar and therefore doesn’t require teams to let players go.
Aaronson was one of several players held back by their clubs, including Chicago fire midfielder Brian Gutiérrez and goalkeeper Chris Brady, as well as LA Galaxy defender Jalen Neal.
Losing Aaronson, the top scorer and player of the tournament in last summer’s CONCACAF U-20 Championship, is a major blow for the U.S. but Varas opted to look at the positives after the ex-Philadelphia Union player was omitted from his 21-man roster.
“In terms of Frankfurt, we had ongoing discussions not just with Frankfurt, but with every club across MLS and internationally,” Varas said on a conference call. “We tried to find the best solutions to cooperate. Unfortunately for us and for Paxten, it wasn’t able to be but at the same time, we’re really proud that Paxten has become such an important part of Frankfurt’s team that they don’t feel that they can release him.”
Even though Varas is clearly aiming to go as far as possible in the World Cup, he emphasized that as a youth national team head coach, player development had to be his top priority.
“We’re disappointed that some players weren’t released but at the same time, our number one priority here is individual player development,” Varas said. “So we’re also proud of the fact that these players have become so important during the cycle that they’re no longer viewed as releasable for this type of tournament.”
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