Brenden_aaronson_-_asn_top_-_leeds_vs._chelsea_and_mendy_-_8-21-22
Americans abroad analysis

Americans abroad: Aaronson and Leeds soar, while three forwards make statements

ASN's Brian Sciaretta is back from vacation and has written an extremely in-depth piece covering the busy weekend for Americans abroad. This week, the top stories was the dominant win for a Leeds United team loaded with Americans and the massive performances from three American center forwards who are all looking to book a spot in Qatar (and not all will go). 
BY Brian Sciaretta Posted
August 22, 2022
3:45 AM

ASN IS BACK FROM a needed vacation and it couldn’t have come at a better time as there is so much to break down in American soccer with news from MLS, Americans abroad, and how it all ties into to the coming World Cup in November. For this piece, as we do every Monday, we’ll focus on the VERY busy weekend from Americans abroad.

Overall, it was a big weekend with a lot of news, so let’s just get into it

 

Bigtime performances from the No. 9’s

 

Coaches always like to say that, when it comes to roster selections and decisions over who to start, they want players to give them hard decisions. They want players to raise their games and show their best.

That is certainly must be the reaction from Gregg Berhalter who has been searching for solutions at the No. 9 positions. In truth, all of 2022 has been a good time for American forwards. Dating back to December 19, 2021 (an eight-month span) Jordan Pefok, Jesus Ferreira, Haji Wright, Brandon Vazquez, and Jeremey Ebobisee have scored 81 goals in 132 appearances when counting games in domestic league, domestic cup, and U.S. national team games.

The situation is even better now. Pefok is continuing to score as he is now in a higher level in the Bundesliga compared with the Swiss Super League. While Jeremy Ebobisse isn’t in the U.S. picture anymore (he was in the beginning of Berhalter’s tenure), Vazquez could at least get a look in September. Finally, Josh Sargent is now reemerged after dropping down a level in the Championship where he is getting more service.

When talking about the European contingent, Pefok, Sargent, and Wright all scored this weekend.

With Teemu Pukki on the bench and not at 100% from his injury, Josh Sargent got the start for Norwich against a good Millwall team. The St. Louis native scored both Norwich goals in a 2-0 win.  It was his best performance in years, and he now has three goals on the season (all in the last two games).



But this what you want to see from Sargent. It wasn’t just the goals, it was his ability to win the ball physically, get into space, and get shots off quickly.

Sargent still has a lot of work to do to reset the narrative on his career but now that he’s in the Championship, he will have the opportunity to do so. Sargent played briefly in the 2.Bundesliga last season with Werder before his transfer to Norwich and left after scoring a brace. He looks as if he needed that season at a lower level to build himself up to the highest levels. He now has that chance, albeit a year later than it should have been.

When Pukki comes back to 100%, it will be tougher but that is a winnable battle for Sargent as Pukki is older. He will have to keep this up to remain in contention for a World Cup spot because the competition is also playing well.

Jordan Pefok was the hero of the day for Union Berlin with a goal an assist in Union Berlin’s 2-1 win over RB Leipzig on Saturday. The goal came from a nice play on a counterattack where he scored after receiving the ball in a tight space and getting off a nice shot.

The assist, meanwhile, was a great pass in the midfield where he was fouled but the referee correctly allowed for advantage.



What was impressive about Pefok is that he was showcasing skills beyond what he was known for in Switzerland. There, he was seen as a big, physical forward who could finish close to goal. Now he’s looking nimbler, a smart passer, and someone who can finish in a number of different ways.

He has clearly helped himself tremendously in recent weeks.

Haji Wright also had a massive day on Saturday when he scored twice to help Antalyaspor to a 5-2 win over defending champions Trabzonspor. Wright scored the team’s second goal for a 2-0 lead when he drew a penalty after he was fouled in the box – and converted his kick. Then he scored the final goal in the eighth minute of stoppage time to round out the 5-2 win.

Wright now has three goals in three games to start the season.   



Assuming Jesus Ferreira goes to Qatar as more of a false No. 9, Berhalter is probably only going to take a maximum two pure No. 9 players between Sargent, Pefok, Wright, and Vazquez. If I was to guess wildly, I would say Sargent and Pefok have the current edge- for now.

I think he might take a bunch of forwards to the September games in Europe and also consider how the players fit within the team (both on the field and off).

But it is an amazing race right now and everyone is putting their best foot forward.

 

Aaronson stars in epic Leeds United win

 

The amount of U.S. national team, MLS export, and overall American soccer themes in Sunday’s clash between Leeds United and Chelsea was enormous. You had Jesse Marsch leading his upstart Leeds United team against the 2021 Champions League winners in Chelsea amid questions about the future of the best American player, Christian Pulisic.

As expected, Marsch started Brenden Aaronson, Tyler Adams, and Englishman Jack Harrison who was developed largely in the United States in high school, in college, and in MLS with NYCFC. Then, also as expected, Christian Pulisic was on the bench for Chelsea.

This game was one-sided as Leeds United walked away with a completely deserved 3-0 victory. Aaronson opened the scoring in surprise fashion when he chased Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy after a backpass, stripped Mendy, and scored from close range to light up Elland Road.



Aaronson had a very good game as he was always looking to be dangerous and help advance the attack.

Tyler Adams continues to grow in the Premier League nicely. 62 touches is a little bit of a lower number for him but was effective defensively up the middle and, given that he knows Marsch so well, is great pressing and helping to keep up a high-octane attack.

Jack Harrison, meanwhile, was the best player on the field for either team in this game. The former Wake Forest and NYCFC winger picked up a goal and an assist and looks as if he will have a true breakout season.

It was a great game for Leeds United and the players really look as if they are buying into Marsch completely. Marsch has had a tough job in terms of winning over people skeptical of him, and he’s done a terrific job handling it.

Then we get to Pulisic. He was brought into the game with Chelsea down 2-0 and getting outplayed. He did little, but the game was lost by the other players which Thomas Tuchel selected. It is a complicated situation and not one that is particularly healthy for Pulisic’s confidence at the moment.

 

Fulham continue to surprise

 

Two years ago, Fulham were a disaster in their return to the Premier League after losing their first six games in a season where they were relegated immediately.

This is a far more improved situation for Fulham, which looks fully prepared for the season ahead. On Saturday, they defeated Brentford 3-2 in a wild game where the Cottagers took a 2-0 lead, conceded twice, and then found a late winner.

A big part of the reason for Fulham’s success is that two players who had the reputation of being great in the Championship but poor in the Premier League are now looking like top-flight material. One of the players is Aleksandar Mitrovic (who scored 42 goals last year) and the other is American central defender Tim Ream who has been captaining Fulham and has been a rock in the backline. The questions over how long Ream will be able to keep this up at age 34 are valid. But Ream has been excellent this season and was helpful to the win over Brentford again.

Ream is now doing everything he can to get back into the picture for a World Cup roster spot. Even if it is unlikely he starts, having a smart veteran on the bench is not a bad option – especially when younger players like Chris Richards aren’t playing regularly, and Cameron Carter-Vickers hasn’t played in an important game for the U.S. team.

Antonee Robinson showed two years ago that he is a good left back who can play in a top league. He continues to grow as a player and this season has been impressive, not just in getting forward, but in his defense. That was always a concern over him, but now it is a strength. His inaccurate crossing is his biggest problem, but defensively, he’s been good.

Fulham, now have five points from three games.

 

Reyna subs into an epic collapse

 

Gio Reyna is one of the best American players and he is coming off a lost season without much of a preseason for Borussia Dortmund. It’s a big deal that he is back to playing. But Reyna’s first Bundesliga appearance of the season saw him involved in one of the most epic collapses you are ever going to see.

Reyna, 19, was subbed into Borussia Dortmund’s game at home against Werder Bremen in the 62nd minute, with Dortmund up 1-0 on Werder Breman. Dortmund took a 2-0 lead in the 77th minute and it looked promising for the hosts, even with newly promoted Bremen playing well.

But Dortmund collapsed and conceded goals in the 89th minute, the third minute of stoppage time, and then the fifth-minute of stoppage time to drop a 3-2 decision in embarrassing fashion.

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Reyna wasn’t necessarily part of the problem, but his movement seemed less than 100%. He only touched the ball 12 times and was 3/7 in passing. He has obvious skill, but he is still a way from being the player with the complete package with fitness levels. He wasn’t involved in a game where he needed to be.

If he isn’t injured, Reyna will make the World Cup team, but the next few months will determine what type of role he can play in Qatar and how many minutes he can log. Right now, it is far from clear.

 

Scally continues strong start

 

Joe Scally, 19, is quietly off to a very nice start this season and started again for Borussia Monchengladbach which defeated Hertha BSC to move into second place with seven points from three games. He continues to justify his starting spot.

In this game, Scally was a bit more defensive, but he helped Monchenglad keep the ball in possession. It was a quiet game but still an effective game.

Scally is also a player on the bubble for the U.S. team. I don’t think he’ll be in consideration for the left side, and he is not playing that role anymore at the club level. But on the right he is competing with Reggie Cannon and DeAndre Yedlin. It’s a winnable battle although if the World Cup roster were to be announced now, he’d probably still be behind Cannon.

 

McKenzie in a good spot

 

If we were doing one of those “stock watch” pieces that discuss a player’s value or standing, we would be telling you to buy Mark McKenzie stock right now. With KRC Genk finally completing the sale of Jhon Lucumi to Bologna, it now puts McKenzie into a position where he can start regularly. Genk wanted to sell Lucumi in previous windows, but Lucumi slumped in form and Genk couldn’t unload him due to his decline in value.

McKenzie, 23, is in a spot where he can start now and not be in a constant threat to be benched. The Delaware native started on Saturday and played the full 90 minutes for Genk in its 2-1 win over Cercle Brugge. While Cercle Brugge is one of the weakest teams in Belgium’s top tier, McKenzie still played well in all facets of the game.



Genk has a real opportunity to get back into the mix as a title contender in Belgium and McKenzie has an opportunity to help them get there. His success is also important for MLS teams who want to become more involved in the selling market. With so many recent MLS exports doing well, it is important for McKenzie to keep up that pattern to help with the valuation of players based in the United States.

For the national team, the central defense race right now is 10-11 players (McKenzie, Zimmermam, Richards, Long, Carter-Vickers, Palmer-Brown, Brooks, Ream, Sands, Miazga and now even Trusty) but Berhalter has rated McKenzie in the past and he could pass other players like Carter-Vickers, Palmer-Brown, Sands and other players on the margins).

McKenzie has a chance to have a big and surprising year both at the club and international levels.

 

De Rosario to set the bar

 

In the Canadian Premier League, Osaze De Rosario, 21, scored a very nice goal for York United in a surprising 3-1 win over league-leading Forge FC. It was De Rosario’s ninth goal of the CPL season to go along with another one in the Canadian Championship.



De Rosario is now one of the best forwards in the league and this is also only his first full season as a professional. He is also highly marketable given his father’s status as one of the most successful Canadian and MLS players of all-time.

The Canadian Premier League is also a young league in its fourth season (two were limited by COVID). We still don’t have enough of a baseline to know how to rate players and how to value players in this league. But good young players can come from any league.

It is going to be an interesting test case to see how York United and the CPL overall will value De Rosario. He is surely going to attract interest given his youth and production in Canada but how high remains to be seen? MLS represents a logical step up for many of the top CPL players so how the De Rosario case is handled (probably in the winter window) will be very telling and it will help set a bar for how the CPL is viewed.

On another note, how does U.S. Soccer view the Canadian Premier League? De Rosario is eligible for the U.S. U-23 team and there are few No. 9's in that player pool? Would the American-born De Rosario be seen as worth a look?

 

Americans in Italy

 

Weston McKennie, back from injury, was starting on Monday for Juventus against Sampdoria.

In Serie B, four Americans took part in Venezia’s late rally to defeat Sudtirol 2-1. Andrija Novakovich, Gianluca Busio, and Tanner Tessman all started with Jack De Vries coming in off the bench in the 78th minute. Patrick Leal went as an unused substitute. Tessmann and Busio were both subbed out in the 63rd minute when Venezia were down 1-0. The rest were on the field for the 83rd minute equalizer and the stoppage time winner.

The big winner in this was Tessmann who has a huge performance in helping Venezia control the midfield and help tilt the balance later in the game. It was also very positive to see De Vries make his first-team debut in league competition and it was important for his prospects that he was on the field for both goals.

Elsewhere in Serie B, Anthony Fontana was an unused substitute for Ascoli in a 1-1 draw with SPAL.

 

Americans in the Bundesliga

 

Aside from Reyna, Scally, and Pefok (talked about above) there was plenty of other news to talk about with Americans in the Bundesliga.

One of the best stories was that U.S. U-20 winger Kevin Paredes came off the bench and impressed in his 14 minutes for Wolfsburg in Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Hoffenheim. Paredes was lively, dangerous, created a chance, and overall effective. He built his case to for more playing time. The only concern, however, is that he is playing more on the right as opposed to his natural left side (he is very left-footed).

Paredes is another player to buy stock and its not just what he can do with the ball. While he is small, he is feisty and can win duels. Qatar is a bridge too far for him internationally, but the U-20 World Cup next year could set the stage for the Olympics in 2024 and the U.S. team after that.

Ricardo Pepi, 19, played the final 22 minutes for Augsburg in a brutal 2-1 loss to Mainz. Pepi came on when the score was 1-1 and was on the field for Mainz’s winner. Pepi only had 10 touches and was 1/3 in passing. This is going to be a tough season for Pepi and Augsburg because the Bundesliga is a lot harder this year with the promotion of bigger clubs like Schalke and Werder Bremen who will likely not going to be relegated again. Mainz and Augsburg are prime candidates and for Augsburg to suffer a loss to another smaller team doesn’t bode well. Pepi hasn’t yet made a case that he is ready to start and at Augsburg, the service likely won be there.

Meanwhile, fellow U.S. U-20 defender Justin Che was not in the squad for Hoffenhiem in its 3-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen. He and his team are actively looking for another club despite being at Hoffenheim on loan from Dallas.

Timothy Chandler was an unused sub for Eintracht Frankfurt in its 1-1 draw with Cologne on Sunday. The most interesting aspect of Eintracht from the weekend is that there are now German reports linking John Brooks to the club. Brooks has been without a club since May 14 and has lost a lot of ground in his hopes of making the U.S. World Cup team. The decision isn’t were he signs, just so long as it is soon.

 

Americans in the 2.Bundesliga

 

Ryan Malone continues to have an amazing story that is worthy of comparisons to Jay DeMerit. The 30 year old central defender has put it together in his late 20s/early 30s for Hansa Rostock after developing at a Division III college in Springfield College and then in the lower tiers of Germany. He was outstanding for Hansa Rostock in a 2-0 win over St. Pauli to move into sixth place.



Kaiserslautern defeated Greuther Furth 3-1 on the road. Terrence Boyd started and played 74 minutes for Kaisersluter. Timothy Tillman played the first 70 minutes for Fruth when he was replaced by Julian Green.

Heidenheim drew Arminia Bielefeld 1-1 on Sunday. Lennard Maloney started and played the full 90 minutes in central defense for Heidenheim while George Bello was an unused substitute for Arminia Bielefeld. For Bello, his World Cup hopes have seemingly crumbled since his move to Germany.

 

Americans in the Eredivisie

 

Cole Bassett only joined Fortuna Sittard on Thursday on a loan from Colorado after he was on loan at Feyenoord (Feyenoord, however, hold his option to buy). The Colorado native and Olympic hopeful played the final 30 minutes of the club’s 4-1 loss to Cambuur but came into the game when the score was 1-1.

 

Taylor Booth played the final 22 minutes for FC Utrecht in a 3-2 loss to Emmen. It’s been a tough start to the season for Booth who was subbed out at the half in the first two games of the season and came into Saturday’s game with the score 2-2. The team has not played well with Booth on the field – although how much he is at fault remains in question. To make matters worse, the first three games have come against RKC Waalwijk, Cambuur, and now Emmen – three of the smaller teams in the Eredivisie.

Booth is a hopeful for the U.S. Olympic team but that roster will be tough to make with it being just 18 players (16 field players). Booth is competiting with players such as Tanner Tessmann, Aidan Morris, Leon Flach, and others for a deeper-lying midfield spot. 

Richard Ledezma remains out for PSV and Dante Sealy played the second half for Jong PSV on Monday in a 3-0 loss to Heracles in the second tier Eerste Divisie. Sealy missed a penalty late in the game. Sealy seems as if his U.S. U-20 chances have taken a big hit in 2022.

 

Americans in Scotland

 

James Sands started for Rangers and played the full 90 minutes while Malik Tillman did not get off the bench in Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Hibernian. It was a tough game for Rangers who were reduced to 10 players in the 66th minute while up 2-1. Then were reduced to nine players in the 75th. Eventually, their defense caved and Hibs hit a late equalizer in a 2-2 draw. Sands played relatively well given the tough situation. Tillman probably would have played had Rangers had 11 players.

Ian Harkes started for Dundee United and had a very tough outing according to nearly all local media in a 3-0 loss at home to St. Mirren.

Aberdeen held on for a 1-0 away win over St. Johnstone on Saturday. Dante Polvara played the final three minutes while Christian Ramirez went as an unused substitute.

Motherwell defeated Livingston 1-0 on the road. American winger Joe Efford came on in the 54th minute for hosting Motherwell to see out the win. The big story from an American perspective was Scott Pittmann who went the full 90 for Livingston and in doing so, set the club’s all-time appearance record at 311.

 

Americans in Spain

 

Yunus Musah started and played 62 minutes for Valencia in a 1-0 loss on the road to Athletic Bilbao. Musah was pretty good and created Valencia’s best chance in the first half. He continues to grow into his role as a central midfielder after playing primarily on the wings during his transition into the first team. He has more responsibility now and this transition should take some time.

Luca de la Torre made his La Liga debut for Celta Vigo when he came on as an 87th minute sub in a 4-1 home loss to giants Real Madrid. He was 7/7 in passing and played well although Madrid had taken its foot off the gas pedal.

 

Americans in England

 

Aside from Pulisic, Marsch, Aaronson, and Adams (all discussed above) there is plenty to talk about with Americans in the top two tiers if England.

In the Premier League, Matt Turner was an unused sub for Arsenal in a 3-0 win over Bournemouth. Alex Mighten also remained on the bench for Nottingham Forest in a 1-1 draw with Everton.

In the Championship, two Americans featured in Middlesbrough’s 1-0 loss to Reading. Zack Steffen started for Boro but could not stop Tyrese Fornah’s long-range blast in the 28th minute. That was Reading’s only decent chance of the game. Matthew Hoppe played the final 20 minutes for Boro and was quite active – having two shots blocked in the box and looking to take on defenders. Hoppe looks as if he will be a regular attacking option off the bench in the weeks ahead.

Luton Town defeated Swansea City 2-0 on the road for its first win of the season. Ethan Horvath played the entire game for Luton Town. Horvath was busy as Luton Town had just 25% possession. The Colorado native made two saves, although neither were dramatic.

Birmingham City suffered a truly disappointing 1-0 loss at home to Wigan Athletic on an 82nd minute goal. Wigan was reduced to 10 players in just the 10th minute and Birmingham City could not find a way to control the game. Auston Trusty played the full 90 minutes on the left side of a three-man backline. Defensively, he was not tested too much and he did not contribute much offensively.

One of the better “under the radar” stories for Americans abroad is Lynden Gooch who has been with Sunderland since he was 10 years old. He has seen the club fall from the Premier League to League One. Now he is helping bring the club back to respectability in the Championship and is off to a nice start this season. On Saturday, he went the distance in a 1-0 away win over Stoke City. Playing on the right side of the midfield, Gooch was energetic and aggressive in trying to always get into a dangerous position. In this game, he wasn’t as successful as recent games, but he had Stoke on their heels. With the win, Sunderland has eight points from five games in its first season in the second tier after earning promotion.

Vaughn Covil played the final five minutes for Hull City in a 5-2 loss to West Bromwich Albion. Covil has been a regular off the bench for Hull City so far this season and could be in the mix for the U.S. U-20 team this year as either a winger or a central attacking midfielder, although both positions are crowded with good players.

 

Americans in Portugal

 

After a strong start to the season with Boavista, U.S. national team right back Reggie Cannon struggled on Sunday in Boavista’s 2-0 loss to Casa Pia. It was the first setback for either Cannon or Boavista this season. Cannon continues to play on the right side of a three-man backline. Cannon is in the midst of a tight competition as the backup right back on the national team. It is currently between him, DeAndre Yedlin, and Joe Scally. Scally is coming on strong while Yedlin has the experience factor. Cannon cannot afford too many bad games.

Vizela played Chavez to a 1-1 draw on Saturday. Alex Mendez came into the game in the 64th minute (Chavez was reduced to 10 players in the 71st minute while Vizela then was reduced to 10 players in the 78th minute). Mendez was 28/29 in passing although not part of any scoring chances. U.S. U-20 midfielder Alejandro Alvarado, meanwhile, came into the game in stoppage time to seal the road draw.

 

Americans in France

 

Tim Weah is on the injury shelf for potentially up to a month and did not feature for Lille in a brutal 7-1 loss at home to PSG. Given his injury history, this is a massive concern right now for the U.S. team.



Erik Palmer-Brown played in the middle of a five-man backline for Troyes in a 4-1 loss to Lyon. Troyes looks very poor to start the season and it’s a tough situation for Palmer-Brown to make a positive impression.

 

Americans in Belgium

 

With Belgian teams looking to make a positive impression in Europe to guarantee their allocations in the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference Leagues, Sam Vines and Antwerp were given the weekend off to prepare for the Conference League. Vines has been very important to league-leading Antwerp this season.

KV Mechelen rallied from a 4-2 deficit in the 76th minute against Westerlo for a 5-4. Mexican-American midfielder Jorge Hernandez played the second half for Mechelen and was on the field for four of his team’s goals. Bryan Reynolds was a late stoppage time substitute for Westerlo while Griffin Yow is still not in the lineup after moving from DC United.  

Owen Otasowie was an unused sub for Club Brugge in a 2-1 win over Kortrijk on Sunday.

 

Americans in Greece

 

In the Greek Super League opening weekend, Caleb Stanko started and played the full 90 minutes for Asteras Tripolis in a 3-3 draw with Volos NFC on Friday. Trialing 3-1 in the second half, Asteras Tripolis found an equalizer in the ninth minute of stoppage time.

Defending champion Olympiacos defeated PAS Giannina 2-0. Young American winger Konrad de la Fuente, 20, started for Olympiacos and was subbed out in the 64th minute with the score 1-0. Developed at Barcelona’s academy, De la Fuente joined Olympiacos on loan from Marseille last week in an effort to earn more playing time. De la Fuente is probably unlikely to make the U.S. World Cup team but could be key player for the U.S. U-23 team for the 2024 Olympics.

 

Americans in the Scandinavian Leagues

 

Sam Rogers continues to be an impressive mainstay for Rosenborg in Norway and he went the distance in the backline in Sunday’s dramatic 2-1 win over Aalsund, when Rosenborg found a stoppage time winner.

Staying in Norway, Kobi Hernandez-Forster started for HamKam in an impressive 2-2 draw against Bodo/Glimt. The former 2019 U.S. U-17 World Cup defender (now a midfielder) assisted on HamKam’s opener off a well-delivered corner kick.

In Denmark, Christian Cappis started and played a full 90 for Brondby in a disappointing 2-1 loss to Aalborg BK. Normally a central midfielder, Cappis has been asked to fill in at left back due to injuries at the club and the Texan has done relatively well.

In Sweden, Joe Corona played 74 minutes in central midfield and former FC Cincinnati central defender Forrest Lasso played the entire game for GIF Sundsvall in a 2-1 home loss to Helsingborg. GIF is in last place in Sweden’s top tier and is nine points deep in the relegation zone.

Also in Sweden, Joe Gyau started and played the full 90 for Degerfors in a 5-1 loss to Hammarby. Backup goalkeeper Jeff Gal remained on the bench for a Degerfors team that is second to last in Sweden and seven points deep in the relegation hole.  

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