Ahead of a World Cup year, Uruguay will be happy with the country’s progression under Marcelo Bielsa. But in the early hours of Wednesday, Uruguay were embarrassed by Brenden Aaronson’s USA.
Leeds United icon Bielsa has only lost six of his 33 games as manager of Uruguay. However, that sixth defeat came only a few hours ago at the hands of Bielsa’s old pupil, USA manager Mauricio Pochettino.
The story goes that Bielsa once walked into the bedroom of a teenage Pochettino to check his legs, while working in youth development. Pochettino was 13 at the time, and Bielsa arrived at 2am in the morning.
The two go way back, and in the early hours, they reunited on the touchline as Pochettino got the better of the former Leeds gaffer. By half-time, USA had scored four goals, and secured a 5-1 win at full-time.
Brenden Aaronson role’s in USA’s massive win over Uruguay
With a home World Cup incoming, Pochettino has not fully convinced all sections of America’s fanbase. There have been some strange results and a defeat to a poor Mexico in the Gold Cup earned criticism.
But now, Pochettino is finally working it all out, bringing his own players through like Matt Freese, Max Arfsten, Alex Freeman, Seb Berhalter and Leeds United transfer target Haji Wright, and Diego Luna.
Four of USA’s five goals were scored by Freeman, Berhalter and Luna, while substitute Tanner Tessmann netted a fifth. Rodrigo Bentancur received a straight red after Giorgian de Arrascaeta netted for Bielsa.
Aaronson, meanwhile, came off the bench on 75 minutes and while he didn’t impact the game as much as he might have liked, that is now 56 caps for USA at just 25. Aaronson started last week against Paraguay.
US media deliver their verdicts on Brenden Aaronson’s cameo
Aaronson had little time to make an impact, on for the last 15. It came against a Uruguay side that had dropped deep, with Tottenham’s Bentancur sent off. ESPN said “limited touches on the ball for the sub.”
GOAL concur, saying Aaronson: “got a few touches, but didn’t get much else.” Another outlet, NBC, simply provided an N/A next to Aaronson’s name, but it is good news from a Leeds United perspective.
It means Aaronson will be fresh, starting the first game instead of the second and not the other way around. Aaronson has had a break, reinvigorated by a return to see his family at Philadelphia last week.
Leeds fans will want Dan James to start on Sunday against Aston Villa and rightly so, after he netted in Wales’ 7-1 win over North Macedonia. But if Aaronson does retain his place, at least he will be rested.
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