Brenden Aaronson has come in for some criticism for his performance as the Leeds United loanee came off the bench for the USMNT in their friendly defeat to Germany on Saturday.
Aaronson was given 25 minutes as Julian Nagelsmann’s men went on to win 3-1. It was a disappointing occasion for Gregg Berhalter’s side, who had taken the lead through Christian Pulisic just before the half-hour mark.
Of course, Brenden Aaronson has not had the easiest time since leaving Leeds on loan in the summer. He received a brilliant opportunity with Union Berlin, with the Bundesliga side in the Champions League this year.
However, he has not played more than 45 minutes for Union since the opening day of the campaign – in any competition. And with that, he has been unable to move himself into the USMNT’s starting lineup.
Brenden Aaronson struggles in USMNT defeat
He came on midway through the second-half against Germany. The visitors had just scored their third goal of the game. So the contest was largely over.
Nevertheless, CBS Sports were clearly disappointed that Aaronson did not offer more after his introduction, giving his display a 6/10 rating.
“Struggled to impact the game when he came on. It has been a tough start to the season for Aaronson so far and he could fall down the national team pecking order if he doesn’t pick things up soon due to the logjam of wing/midfield talent available,” they wrote.
Interestingly, MLS Soccer offered a more encouraging view – though Leeds fans will recognise the player described in the final sentence.
“The Philadelphia Union product was probably the USMNT’s most impactful substitute. His nifty footwork to win a dangerous late free kick was a fun showcase of his quality, though he did drill the ensuing attempt into the wall,” they wrote.
Youngster should have perhaps gambled on staying with Leeds
You can understand why Aaronson was tempted to leave Leeds after our relegation last season. Not many Champions League sides were coming after our players in the summer.
However, the early signs suggest that he is going to struggle in Germany. That will make Leeds’ task tougher if they want to try and sell the 22-year-old next year.
Some may feel that he would have really struggled in the Championship given how he struggled with the physicality of the Premier League.
But players such as Pascal Struijk, Daniel James and Georginio Rutter appear to be thriving in the second tier. And if we are fortunate enough to get promoted this season, you would think that they will head back to the top flight with so much more confidence.
Aaronson meanwhile, may be wondering what he does next if his time in Germany fails to get going.
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