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After Brenden Aaronson took the field for Leeds on Friday, the rest of the contingent of United States men’s national team players will be looking to stake their claim this weekend.
Josh Sargent: Norwich City vs Hull City
Saturday, October 5 (7:30 a.m. ET Biggest+)
Josh Sargent may be known for his goals, but his creativity has impressed as of late. Now with three goals and three assists in eight games, Sargent has been required to be central to the attack and he is thriving in the way he is needed. It’s not that he doesn’t shoot either, so there will be more goals to come, but if players want to impress the new United States coach, Mauricio Pochettino, the one to do that is Sargent.
Mark McKenzie: Lille vs Toulouse
Saturday, October 5 (1:00 PM ET beIN en Fubo TV)
After beating Real Madrid in the Champions League, we will have a Concacaf clash as Johnathan David and Lille host Mark McKenzie and Toulouse. The American central defender has quickly become a permanent fixture in the French team’s line-up, but has yet to achieve a milestone. Familiarity with Lille’s main striker is where McKenzie could have a moment to shine as his mobility will be needed in this match.
Weston McKennie and Tim Weah: Juventus vs Cagliari
Sunday, October 6 (6:30 a.m. ET CBS Sports Golazo and Biggest+)
Juventus will be hoping this match will be a little less eventful than their 3-2 Champions League victory in midweek, but one thing is certain: Weston McKennie is firmly in Thiago Motta’s plans. After almost leaving the club over the summer, McKennie has now started four consecutive games and scored a goal in that time. It will be music to Pochettino’s ears with McKennie playing a huge role for the national team. Tim Weah wasn’t as present in the Juventus line-up, but this is the kind of match where rotation could work in his favor, so it will be important to see what he does with that opportunity.
Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah: Fiorentina vs Milan
Sunday, October 6 (2:45 PM ET Biggest+)
Milan may have suffered a setback against Bayer Leverkusen, but this is a chance to get back on track before the break. Christian Pulisic has been the attacker under Paulo Fonseca and that will be no different in a difficult away match. Yunus Musah could also get a look as the midfield isn’t much to write home about, but at this stage of the season Milan will go as far as Pulisic takes them.
Brenden Aaronson: Sunderland vs Leeds
A versatile player who has done a little bit of everything over the years, Aaronson plays strictly as a number 10 to get the best out of Leeds United’s dynamic attack this season. He used strong substitute performances to break into the XI, where he could set up those around him. Although Aaronson has only created seven chances this season, he doesn’t need to create a ton as the Whites focus their attacks from out wide.
It’s a different role to what Aaronson is used to, with most of Leeds’ chances coming through Junior Firpo and Willy Gnonto, but he still thrives by creating the fourth most chances of anyone in the team, while also applying defensive pressure to keep the to force the opposition to convert. That’s something Sunderland’s young attack will need to pay attention to as Aaronson and Mateo Joseph will put plenty of pressure on their defense and any mistake can quickly be turned into a goal.
By taking a consistent position, Aaronson knows what is expected of him and can make things happen in Daniel Farke’s setup. A win over Sunderland would be a big step forward for Leeds to make their promotion intentions known, and Aaronson will be at the heart of what they do.
How to watch and odds
- Date: Friday October 4 | Time: 3:00 PM ET
- Location: Stadium of Light – Sunderland, England
- TV: CBS Sports Network | Live stream: Biggest+
- Chances: Sunderland +190; Sign +220; Leeds United +140
Let’s take a look at other Americans to watch ahead of the international breakthrough