In today’s #AskAlexi segment, Alexi Lalas and David Mosse debate whether USMNT players such as Brenden Aaronson, Tyler Adams, and Weston McKennie are struggling to adapt to the play in European competition.
#StateOfTheUnion #USMNT #WestonMcKennie
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About Alexi Lalas’ State of the Union Podcast:
U.S. Soccer legend Alexi Lalas discusses the biggest stories in the world of soccer from an American perspective. Join Alexi and soccer guru David Mosse, as they break down the USMNT, USWNT, MLS, Bundesliga, Premier League, World Cup & everything in between.
Is Brenden Aaronson, USMNT players STRUGGLING to adapt to European competition? | SOTU
Alexi Lalas’ State of the Union Podcast
https://www.youtube.com/c/StateOfTheUnion
13 Comments
How much longer until US players catch up to the rest of the world?
Unrealistic
No problems at all. Brendon is the exception. Aaronson needs to put on some bulk. He’s too easily moved off the ball. He lacks the physicality of McKinney and the pure frigging drive of Adam’s. He will adjust, just like Ream has in France. This generation of players have been through the riggers of club futbal, unlike Alexis generation. No offense Lexi, no way would you survive the PL these days.
By now he needs to be on it 👈👁
While I think the USA has more technically gifted players than previous generations because this is the first generation to be professionally trained in the MLS academy system as kids, I’m not sure the current generation has as good players as the best players from previous generations. I think players like Dempsey, Donavan, McBride, Howard, Friedel, Jermaine Jones, Gooch have more high end quality than the present generation, but the present generation have a bigger pool of decent players. I just think the US soccer media went over the top in thinking more Americans in the major leagues of Europe, suddenly meant the USMNT were big players on the international stage. If you look at most top 30 national teams, they have players spread across the big teams and big leagues, so the USA is not a unique emerging giant because they have same. In fact you find more key players in the big leagues from other nations lower ranked than the USA. Like Croatia, Serbia, Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal. South Korea and Japan. And I think the USA soccer media haven’t the acknowledged a big reason Europeans teams are seeking America players is their commercial value. It hasn’t gone unnoticed to European teams that Premier League US TV contract went from 600 million before Pulisic arrived in England to 4 billion in just 6 years. So they view buying an American player will increase their TV deal in the US market. That is why Pulisic despite not performing well enough for Chelsea still has major suitors like Milan, Juve, Barcelona and Bayern because they see his commercial value in the US market.
The World Cup is an opportunity for players to shine and be recognized. A bad performance has little to no impact at the club level while a good performance is surely recognized. In terms of Americans abroad, it is clear there are more today than ever before. That speaks to the improvement in technical proficiency more than it does the quality of the player. Technical proficiency and commercial appeal to the US market are the real drivers. To think that these clubs added these players for their ability to be game changers and lead them to the pinnacle of club level performance is just not true and yes please lower your expectations 2026 will not be any better.
Please, call it what it is Brenda '
"the hunchback" Aaronson is not PL material and will never be, stop being delusional about your players!!🤣😂🤣😂🤡🤡
Aaronson has had some good moments, but he’s lost his starting spot after half a year. Needs to bulk up and get tougher to play in the EPL
lets be real, the core usmnt players playing abroad are not that great, just average
Players used to be given time to adjust, we'll see but still early.
Aaronson is only 22. He's been held back by Jesse Marsch. In the two games under Javi Gracia he's started to look a lot more dangerous as he's using him properly.
Alexi Lalas is the Scot tGalloway of US Soccer.
I'm NOT sure the US World cup was "successful." They, got out of the first round with just one win and were clearly beaten in the knockout round. I think beating England which they should have and beating Wales would have been progress, technically success. But they NEEDED to beat The Netherlands. That is success and progress. Not just well they gave it a good show. They did what US teams always do. get knocked out in the first game of the knock out round.
Tim Ream? No. He's not going higher than Fulham are now. Midtable.