What the US media are saying about Brenden Aaronson as Leeds United man finally ends painful two-year wait

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If any of Daniel Farke’s starting XI at Leeds United is under threat going into the summer window and the start of the new Premier League season, it is Brenden Aaronson.

Having returned to Leeds last summer after a controversial loan to Union Berlin, not many would have seen Aaronson starting 44 of 46 Championship games last season. But credit to The American, he did.

But, the second half of the season saw supporters urge Farke to drop him. If his form was inconsistent in the first half of 2024-25, it plummeted during the second. He ended 24-25 with just 11 goals and assists.

Well below Aaronson’s target of 15 goals and 15 assists for the season. His Leeds form has mirrored his USA performances and even selection, omitted from Mauricio Pochettino’s squad during the March break.

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Brenden Aaronson ends two-year spell without a USA goal

Last week, Aaronson was one of several USA stars to be criticised after starting in a 4-0 hammering by Isaac Schmidt’s Switzerland. Aaronson was hooked at half-time by Pochettino, who prefers Diego Luna.

Pochettino’s US stint is not going well and they needed a win on Sunday night to get back on track, in their first outing at the 2025 World Cup. It ended with a big 5-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago.

Aaronson didn’t start, but he did come off the bench on 74 minutes and it only took him a few minutes to find the back of the net. US media praised Aaronson, saying he really needed the goal for his confidence.

GOAL gave him an 8/10 for his 16-minute cameo: “Another player who really needed a good moment, and he found one a few minutes after coming on. Nearly got a second, too. A real spark off the bench.”

Aaronson ends near two-year wait for his ninth USA goal

When Aaronson joined Leeds, he had eight goals in 32 USA caps. His cameo off the bench alongside brother Paxten was his 17th cap since joining Leeds and in the previous 16, he had only scored once.

That came back in September 2023 shortly after joining Leeds, netting in a 4-0 win over Oman. On Sunday night, he ended a wait of 21 months to finally end his goalscoring drought, his ninth in 49.

Aaronson and the USMNT take on Saudi Arabia in their second Gold Cup match in the early hours of Friday morning, before facing Haiti to round off their group ahead of the knockout phase.