Brenden Aaronson is with the U.S. men’s national team during this FIFA international window. On Saturday, the 23-year-old made his debut under new manager Mauricio Pochettino and earned praise for his performance.
Aaronson played 78 minutes in the match, registering two shots and one key pass. He also had 27 touches and completed 14 of his 16 passes, achieving an 88 percent pass completion rate.
The midfielder struggled to win his duels, winning only two of eight. Nonetheless, the player was praised for his involvement in the opening goal for the U.S. Moreover, the Leeds United standout could be counted on more in the final friendly of this FIFA international window against Mexico.
Brenden Aaronson to stay with USMNT for second friendly
On Sunday, it was announced that Christian Pulisic, Ricardo Pepi, and Weston McKennie will miss the United States’ friendly against Mexico on Tuesday to return to their clubs in Europe.
“As we have said, we are always going to make decisions that are in the best interest of our players and respect the relationship we have with their clubs,” Pochettino said in a statement (h/t MARCA).
The USSF announced that Pulisic will miss the game and return to AC Milan for load management. The federation also stated that the other players have minor injuries and will receive evaluation and treatment with their respective teams.
Aaronson and the United States will head to Mexico on Tuesday night for a matchup with the Mexican national team. The 23-year-old’s continued presence with the USMNT suggests that Pochettino is likely keen to assess where the Leeds star fits into his long-term plans.
After that match, the Leeds standout will quickly return to the UK for their highly anticipated clash with Sheffield United. It will be interesting to see how Aaronson bounces back and whether he can deliver his best performance this Friday at Elland Road against the Blades.
Following the gut-wrenching draw to Sunderland, it would be ideal for Leeds to secure all three points at home to put the result against the Black Cats since they had that win there and let it slip away in embarrassing fashion.
