Brenden Aaronson recorded his first goal for Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg on Wednesday, delivering a memorable game-winning finish for Jesse Marsch’s squad.
Aaronson pulled off a nifty dribble and finish inside the penalty area, helping the league leaders down Austria Vienna 3-1 at home. It was Aaronson’s first goal of the season since his move from the Philadelphia Union and it also capped off a strong outing for the 20-year-old.
After falling down in the 59th minute thanks to a Georg Teigl opener for Wien, Red Bull Salzburg would hit back to swing the match in its favor. Sekou Koita’s equalizer came in the 65th minute before Aaronson came up clutch with a confident finish.
The midfielder danced his way into the left side of the penalty box before creating enough space to send a right-footed curler into the right corner of the goal.
Brenden Aaronson's first goal for @RedBullSalzburg was a 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐘. 🤩
(@ForTheFansHQ) pic.twitter.com/uhZSFzCE4F
— U.S. Soccer MNT (@USMNT) February 10, 2021
Aaronson was substituted off in the 84th minute, but watched his teammates cap off an important come-from-behind win as Luka Sucic scored in stoppage time. It was a victory that kept Red Bull Salzburg on top of the Austrian Bundesliga table, one point clear of second place Rapid Vienna.
The New Jersey native also completing four of his six dribbles, winning six of his 10 individual duels, while making one interception.
“It was fantastic to be there for the team,” Aaronson said post match. “Austria really tested us, and it was therefore a really important win. Our mentality was the key to our success today. The confidence we gained in recent weeks carried us through when we went behind.”
Fellow American Erik Palmer-Brown played 90 minutes in the defeat for Austria Vienna, continuing to rack up minutes in the club’s starting lineup.
Salzburg next travels to Swarovski Tirol on Saturday while Austria Vienna hosts Hartberg on Sunday.
This reminds me of a goal that was scored on me almost 50 years ago. I was in the Air Force in Japan and our base team was playing a local Japanese team. I think the Japanese player was a little farther away than Aronson but the strike was almost identical. He faked left and then went right and got maybe two feet of space on me when he shot. The thing that struck me the most, however, was the scorer’s reaction. Being Japanese he didn’t react much, but just turned around and jogged back to his side, as if it was a shot he made all the time! That was the most deflating thing to me and why I’ll never forget it.
It’s the little things about this goal that are impressive to me. His first touch in the box to buy himself space and separation from the defender is so difficult, particular with a ball coming in with that amount of pace. I’ve played soccer for years, including in college, and could not dream of taking a first touch with that degree of control. And then of course there’s the finish. Promising start.
Not just that. I was lucky enough to have the time to watch most of this one. He had beaten those two defenders multiple times with nimble quick moves, a couple of slick one touch passes, and a nifty back heel, that clearly had them on edge.
Some might say the defending was weak, but it was a combo of what happened before, and what you described that allowed it all to happen the way it did. A couple of year at RB, and I think that is what he needs, and we will have an upper half Bliga starter on our hands.
TK – I’m glad to read your post. I watched the goal and thought…wow that defender really didn’t close him down. I wonder if Aaronson had blown by him a couple times before this? This is why watching just the goals from games doesn’t tell much…kinda like a knockout punch in boxing. So much goes into the set up.
It was a good bit of dribbling with close control. He showed his goal-scorer’s mentality by squeezing his shot through two defenders and curling it into the net. I think that was a shot most players would not even attempt.
Find his all touches video, he was very good.