The Aaronson brothers’ resurgence, Ricardo Pepi’s progress at PSV Eindhoven and Tim Weah’s striking instincts all feature in this week’s USMNT Player Tracker.
Throughout the season, we will bring you updates on the U.S. players plying their trade in various leagues around Europe. With a World Cup on home soil on the horizon and new national team boss Mauricio Pochettino monitoring from afar, we’re keeping tabs on how they perform every weekend.
Issue of the weekend
At relatively tender ages, they have already endured many of the European game’s ups and downs. But, after coming through challenging times last season, the Aaronson brothers are having something of a moment.
Last year Brenden, 24, and younger brother Paxten, 21, faced uncertain futures. The former was loaned out by recently relegated Leeds United after his dream move to England appeared to sour, and found himself in another relegation fight at Union Berlin in Germany.
Paxten was also surplus to requirements at his club, Eintracht Frankfurt, and was sent out on loan to Vitesse Arnhem in the Netherlands.
Neither, though, let the disappointment hold them back. Brenden helped his German club to stave off the drop, while Paxten played all but one game for his temporary team and contributed four goals — albeit enduring the other side of a relegation fight with Vitesse finishing bottom of the Eredivisie.
This time around, though, they are thriving.
Brenden is adding plenty of value back at Leeds where the supporters have embraced him, and his four goals have helped the Yorkshire club into third place as they chase promotion back to the Premier League.
Brenden has made a positive impact back with Leeds (MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Paxten returned to the Dutch top flight via another loan, to Utrecht, and now he’s in an upwardly mobile outfit — the club is second in the table ahead of Ajax and Feyenoord — and he is the team’s top goalscorer with four (and one assist).
It was his close-range volley against Heracles on Friday that proved the only goal of a tense game in which he was the star man. The midfielder also created two chances according to Fotmob.
👀 Matchwinner 𝗣𝗮𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗻 🇺🇸
💬 ‘We kunnen beter en iedereen in het team weet dat’ pic.twitter.com/lsKWFJFOT0
— FC Utrecht (@fcutrecht) November 9, 2024
Big brother Brenden started his 13th consecutive game for Leeds on Saturday and also tasted victory as Daniel Farke’s team beat Queens Park Rangers 2-0.
It was no surprise the latter was included in Pochettino’s first competitive USMNT roster, albeit perhaps more of one that Paxten missed out.
However, if the younger sibling maintains this form, he cannot be far from adding to his solitary senior cap.
Player of the weekend
Ricardo Pepi heads off on international duty with a spring in his step having made another notch on his season’s goal-count at PSV.
He was not going to let the chance of a rare start — and the flipped dynamic that saw his club’s usual starting centre-forward, Luuk de Jong, on the bench instead — pass him by without a flourish. So ‘El Tren’ provided the laser-guided finish that gave the defending champions the lead against NAC Breda on Saturday in what went on to become a routine win.
“He was very threatening, constantly looked for depth and was sharp in finishing,” said a satisfied manager Peter Bosz to the PSV website. “He played well. That’s not surprising because he’s a good player. Only he is unlucky that Luuk de Jong is in front of him.
“I do think he deserves more minutes than last season.”
Pepi celebrates with Ismael Saibari (Joris Verwijst/BSR Agency/Getty Images)
Pepi now has the same number of goals as De Jong (six) this season, but from just 420 Eredivisie minutes compared to the club captain’s 696.
It’s enough to wonder how much longer a budding virtuoso can carry on playing second fiddle.
Quote of the weekend
“I play in attack. I’m happy. It’s a big thing for me, I feel like a striker. I prefer the outside role. Today I am happy, but for the team, we have to continue like this because when we play like tonight, we are strong. Now the game against AC Milan awaits us, it’s important, also for me and for my family history.”
Tim Weah’s father George played 147 times for the Rossoneri across four highly successful seasons. He scored 58 goals, won two Serie A titles and the Ballon d’Or in 1995.
Weah Jr scored his fourth goal in eight Serie A appearances this term for Juventus on Saturday as they beat Torino 2-0 in the Derby della Mole. Deployed on the right of the attack, he made himself a menace and also won praise from manager Thiago Motta, who was happy with Weah’s form when he moved further forward after regular starter Dusan Vlahovic was substituted.
Weah celebrates his goal against Torino (Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images)
“I think Weah is doing very well at the moment,” said the Juve boss to his club’s website. “But (Francisco) Conceicao is always an extra weapon. He can help us in the match and we can alternate them, or use them together.
“For the role of centre forward in the absence of Vlahovic, I’ll evaluate match by match. It’s impossible to say an exact name at the moment.”
Jeff Rueter’s graphic of the weekend
How did other U.S. players get on?
Name: Tyler Adams
Club: Bournemouth
Position: Midfielder
Games (in all competitions): 3
Another key moment for Adams in his return to full fitness as he made his first start of the season for Bournemouth.
The USMNT star played 67 minutes as his team lost 3-2 against Brentford, but he had a busy game with one chance created and more tackles (four) than any team-mate, according to Fotmob.
Name: Tanner Tessmann
Club: Lyon
Position: Midfielder
Games: 9
Tessman got onto the field as a second-half substitute to sample the atmosphere of a Ligue 1 derby win as Lyon beat bitter rivals Saint-Etienne on Sunday. He had a bright cameo with three passes into the final third, and the American won both of his two ground duels.
Lyon gears up for the Rhone-Alpes derby (Olivier Chassignole / AFP via Getty Images)
Name: Johnny Cardoso
Club: Real Betis
Position: Midfielder
Games: 15
Cardoso created a goal for striker Vitor Roque as Real Betis drew 2-2 with Celta Vigo on Sunday. It was his first assist in nine La Liga games for his team so far this season.
Name: Christian Pulisic
Club: Attacker
Position: AC Milan
Games: 15
Goals: 7
Such is his sensational form at present, it is rare to see a Milan game when the USMNT hero does not get on the scoresheet. But he was relatively subdued as Milan drew 3-3 at Cagliari on Saturday — even if he did play a part in the team’s third goal when his shot was palmed away for Tammy Abraham to convert the rebound and make it 3-2.
The 26-year-old was withdrawn on 82 minutes by manager Paulo Fonseca, and wasn’t on the field when Gabriele Zappa’s late goal snatched a draw for the hosts to leave Milan frustrated.
Pulisic had started in a central role behind 16-year-old striking prospect Francesco Camarda, and at times seemed to miss his ability to drift inside from his usual wide position.
Name: Haji Wright
Club: Coventry City
Position: Striker
Games: 16
Goals: 6
Another week, another goal for Wright. The striker helped Coventry draw 2-2 at Sunderland just days after manager Mark Robins was sacked.
His near-post finish — that’s six goals so far this term — pulled one back for the visitors, who went on to grab a point, but a late ankle injury spoiled the striker’s day. He hobbled off the pitch but then needed a stretcher to get to the treatment room, and he will not be involved in the USMNT games against Jamaica during the international window.
Wright departs on a stretcher (Steve Welsh/PA Images via Getty Images)
What’s coming up?
(All times ET)
We enter an international break now but, when domestic fixtures resume in a fortnight, you can watch Antonee Robinson in action for in-form Fulham against Wolverhampton Wanderers 0n Saturday, November 23 (10am, Peacock Premium).
Also that day, Pulisic and Yunus Musah could go head-to-head with Weston McKennie and Weah as AC Milan face Juventus (12pm, Peacock Premium). The following day, Joe Scally and Borussia Monchengladbach face St Pauli in Bundesliga (Sunday, 11:30am, ESPN+).
(Top photos: Getty Images)
