Brenden Aaronson took the English Premier League by storm. Now he's ready to light up the 2022 World Cup in Qatar
piercing whistle blast officially marks the end of soccer training on a squally afternoon at Leeds United training ground in northern England—but Brenden Aaronson isn’t heading for the showers just yet. As his exhausted teammates trudge toward the locker room, Aaronson places a ball 25 yards from goal, takes a breath and pings a fearsome shot into the far top corner. And then another. Not that the 22-year-old New Jersey native considers the extra scrub anything out of the ordinary.
Despite an underdog status, Aaronson has his sights set on getting the team to the final:"The aim is always to win."Alliteration demands that Aaronson is dubbed by fans the “Medford Messi”—after diminutive Argentina legend Lionel Messi, who will also be playing in Qatar—although he in fact lists his soccer idols as former England midfielder Steven Gerrard and Spain striker Fernando Torres, who both starred for Liverpool in the 2000s.
The elder Aaronson even set up a youth soccer team in the neighborhood chiefly to provide his son with a competitive sporting environment to nurture his undoubted potential. “[My dad is] the most important character in my career,” says Aaronson. “I’ve had a lot of fantastic coaches over the years, but my dad is the number one person in my life who has helped me get to where I am today, and who I based my morals off.
“My brother is so talented,” he says. “I always like to say how good he is. He’s going to get more chances as he gets older because he’s still young, of course.” Notably, both brothers scored in their first Major League Soccer starts. The transition from Salzburg to Leeds was easier and Aaronson’s all-action displays immediately cemented his place as a fan favorite. “Leeds are soccer fanatics and in Philly, it’s all sports, so it’s kind of similar,” he says. “The fans are just so loud and really drive us on.” And he’s found English culture easier to adapt to: “I’ve tried the tea, I’m into tea, I change up between coffee and tea,” he laughs. Ultimately, though, there are some South Jersey staples that the U.K.
Nobody is sure quite how this Team USA will fare on the world’s biggest stage. Coach Gregg Berhalter made the bold choice to ditch the fading veterans—who—and instead cultivate a youthful squad with the energy and athleticism to engage an aggressive pressing style. Aaronson’s tireless running and ability to retain the ball under pressure encapsulates the shift from the previous generation’s direct approach to a more sophisticated possession-oriented philosophy.
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