Leeds United will end 2024 at the top of the English Football League Championship table.
Brenden Aaronson scored the game-winning goal as Daniel Farke’s men defeated Derby County 1-0 at Pride Park on Sunday. It marked Aaronson’s seventh goal of the league season, continuing a productive return in Yorkshire for the U.S. men’s national team attacker.
Following a goal-less first half, Leeds United picked up the pressure and eventually were rewarded with 12 minutes to play.
Joel Piroe’s through ball pass hit Aaronson in stride before the 24-year-old drilled a low shot into the bottom-right corner.
Aaronson was substituted off in the 89th minute, watching Leeds hang onto the lead for a crucial three points.
Leeds United sits two points clear at the top of the league table following Sunday’s results.
Aaronson, who spent last season on loan at Union Berlin, has certainly been one of Leeds United’s top performers. He now has seven goals and two assists in 24 league appearances.
Leeds United will open its 2025 schedule on New Year’s Day against Blackburn Rovers.
BA is so close to being a really nice player.. so I do get that his flaws can sometimes be frustrating for fans. But… the mental gymnastics many Leeds fans take to avoid giving Aaronson due credit are equally frustrating. The slightest misstep is elevated compared to similar missteps by team mates and then he gets conditional, yeah-but, backhanded compliments when he does well. I do think the move back to Leeds has been good for him. He’s doing his usual good work tirelessly pressing but with a little more discipline, and he’s improved in not going to ground with the slightest touch. And- the week in week out play in the middle of the field in a tough physical league vs bunkered teams is starting to bear fruit with his game in the final 3rd. Still a work in progress, but he is picking up his head and seeing the pitch much more- his runs and through ball passing has greatly improved. Vs. Derby, he had 3 really nice balls that could / should have been assists. He does need to put in work, be more aggressive, incisive, accurate with his shot, efficient with his finishing- he consistently puts himself in good positions, but too many chance are left wanting. That said, his goal production is second on the team, so….
hey rico, appreciate your comment. BA’s played those through balls well for years, but staying on his feet more is a change and improvement, as is avoiding some of those hits he used to take
He’s more a second striker than a #10 for Leeds. More interested/adept at making runs off guys than playing guys in. Which is fine it fits his skillset better. Leeds has been the loudest rumor on Diego Luna, I wonder if they see him as a like for like for BA or to enable BA to move wider?
JR,
BA is not a wide player.
In theory, Luna has a higher ceiling than BA who is more track star than soccer player but unless Leeds sees Luna as the next Bruno Fernandes, why not just stick with BA?
During BA’s first go around with Leeds they were a disorganized mob. BA is a player who needs more systemic stability.
Farke has put together a pretty nifty team and is making very good use of him. I don’t know what Jesse wanted to with BA but whatever it was it did not work. Farke has put BA in a position to learn how to be a better soccer player at this level.
Whether BA or Luna are good enough to play in the EPL should they get there, I don’t know but right now I’d rather bet on BA.
.
His greatest asset is his persistence, allied with a huge capacity for work. Americans love him because USMNT fans still equate value and commitment with how dirty your shirt is and how much you sweat. That’s why they hate Gio.
Leeds fans are wary of BA because he cost them 30 million and they expect more than what he has done so far. He’s done well since coming back but 30 million is a lot of money. Should they get promoted, I’m sure all will be forgiven but if they miss promotion and BA has even a little to be blamed for, they will run him out of town on a rail.
Vacqui: you may not see Aaronson as a wide player but Philadelphia, Salzburg, Leeds, and USMNT have seen him as an option as wide option. My best guess is if Leeds sign Luna it will be to be a backup for Brenden for the 2nd half of the season. BA has started 23 of 25 matches this season including every match since Aug 23.
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Do I think Luna will actually head to Leeds? I’d give it maybe 25%, there does seem to be some interest even Leeds based media has talked about it. There does also seem to be interest from Netherlands and Belgium too. There’s been several posters here wanting him to head to PSV but they are signing Esmir from the New England this week. I’ve been watching Luna since he was scoring goals on minor league baseball field in El Paso and I want him to succeed in Europe. But also not naive enough to think it’s a lock.
JR,
“Vacqui: you may not see Aaronson as a wide player but Philadelphia, Salzburg, Leeds, and USMNT have seen him as an option as wide option.”
“Option”, means he can play on the wing if necessary, under certain circumstances, occasionally.
Wing was an option for Jozy, Clint, Josh, Haji, etc. but none of those guys were or are really wingers or “wide players”. However, they can play there more or less credibly if necessary.
I just go by what his MLS, Salzburg, BL and Leeds stats say.
I am not saying BA cannot play as a winger but based on his stats, his clubs, who know him better than I do, do not see him as a winger. They do not start him there. You can look it up.
They see him mostly as some kind of AM {attacking mid}, CM {central mid} or LM, RM (left or right mid).
There are a number of ways you can interpret those abbreviations but there is also RW or LW and you must go a long way to find them listed as such at Philly, Salzburg, Leeds or the Bundesliga.
Of course, you can start at AM and then drift wide and cut back in. Thierry Henry used to do that but BA ain’t no Henry.
So, if Leeds brings in Luna centrally, moving BA out wide, well these teams decided a while ago that wing was not BA’s primary thing.
I would see that as BA down, Luna up, which would be odd.
I respect BA’s sheer drive and persistence; he has basically made himself from comparatively very little natural ability or talent into a part time CONCACAF level AM. I would like to think the USMNT can do better but they are running out of time waiting for the likes of Luna and Gio to develop.
The question is do you hope for BA to mold himself into an halfway decent AM, or do you hope Luna blossoms?
V: Philadelphia and Salzburg at the time BA was there used a 4-4-2 so they didn’t use RW or LW, their wide players were RM and LM. Jesse used him 10 AM, 8 RW, 1 CF. Even Farke thought that BA was better suited for LW (I get transfermkt called it a LM but it’s the same spot Gnoto played on Boxing Day that BA subbed in for in August) to start the season until he realized Piroe up top with Aaronson underneath was better than Bamford up top with Piroe underneath. Farke seems to like speed in his wingers. Mastroeni didn’t like Luna as an AM but then gave him freedom to move centrally into the space cleared by the AM rather than try to get behind the FB. The Championship is a grind, 46 matches with possibly 3 more for the 3rd place playoffs. Aaronson has started and gone 92% of the minutes since Aug 23, that’s not likely sustainable for 5 more months. If Leeds signs Luna it will probably be to use him off the bench to spell Aaronson at the end of matches and maybe to give him an occasional rest. Diego hasn’t played since Oct. 19 so it’s unlikely he’ll be even 60 minutes fit for awhile. If Leeds sign some besides Luna I would still imagine they will try to rest Aaronson more down the stretch.
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Who is better? Obviously Aaronson has much more experience. If you compare last year in MLS I’d give it to Luna. However, Aaronson made a huge jump in his first year in Europe, and continues to learn there’s no guarantee that happens for Luna. Aaronson has played a season in EPL and one in Bundesliga. He has 47 caps 8g 6a. If everything goes right for Luna he could be better by 2026, but how often does everything go right in life. Aaronson is a better player in Jan 2025, but if Farke wants someone who can play passes to Piroe, Gnoto, Solomon, or James behind the defense acting as a true 10, then it could be he takes that position from Aaronson.
JR,
“Aaronson is a better player in Jan 2025, but if Farke wants someone who can play passes to Piroe, Gnoto, Solomon, or James behind the defense acting as a true 10, then it could be he takes that position from Aaronson.”
Thanks. That is pretty much what I was saying.
I don’t know that BA is going to get much better than what we are seeing now but if Diego becomes what most of you seem to think he will be, then he will be an upgrade.
But whether that actually happens? I guess we’ll see.
It was the run off the ball he made that was fantastic. Too often in USMNT games the players pass and stand in their 4-4-2 or 3-5-1-1. Classy and incisive run that his teammates rewarded
I think we’ll see more runs like this under Poch. I think for a young team Berhalter’s prescribed actions were helpful, but as the team matured it hindered them and made them easy to play against.
Top goal scorers for US players in Europe all comps:
Pepi-13
Tillman-10
Pulisic-8
Aaronson-7
Wright-7
Very good goal by Aaronson. His run off the ball into the 18 was superb.
How do you think the EFL Championship stacks up against the Dutch first division?
Pepi and Tillman are scoring a lot in a league that is a cut below the top five, and which is known for bad defense and lots of goals. Jozy scored a ton there and couldn’t score at all for Hull, and Michael Bradley also scored a ton there.
Are Aaronson’s 7 better than Pepi and Tillman’s output?
Plenty of “league strength” numbers out there that put The Championship on the same level as MLS. Pulisic’s numbers are the only ones here that are impressive.
It’s a bit “the figures don’t lie but liars can figure.” MLS isn’t playing other top leagues so it’s kind of hard to say since their competition is primarily Concacaf and Leagues Cup which are at home. So even if you’re using computer rankings it’s still rankings against themselves. Another factor is depth, because of roster rules MLS 1-20 anybody could beat anybody. Hence why Supporters Shield winners rarely win MLS Cup. Eredivisie drops off dramatically after 4th or 5th and spending does too. The Championship is more like MLS in its parity at least 1-20 again. OptaAnalyst did a nice article explaining some of this. They first rated leagues by their league average team, MLS was ranked 9th with The Championship 10th and Eredivisie 13th. If you only looked at top 10, MLS still 9, Eredivisie 10, Championship 12. So PSV, Feynoord, and Ajax would be favorites to win MLS or The Championship but the bottom three would be the bottom in MLS or The Championship. I would also add the mental pressure in The Championship and Eredivisie is immense compared to MLS. Most MLSers can walk into a store or restaurant in their city and not be bothered win or lose. You can’t do that in England or The Netherlands, you are going to hear about. The grind of a 46 match season in the Championship is also a physical test, granted without the heat of the US summer. I would also say if you put up those numbers in half an MLS season that’s pretty good. Not a lot of MLSers putting up over 20 goals.
For my guy Quozzel
Average Payrolls (usd)
The Championship 21 million
MLS 15 million
Eredivisie 12 million
Johnny 99
” Jozy scored a ton there and couldn’t score at all for Hull.”
Jozy went to AZ after Hull. Earnie Stewart, AZ’s technical director at the time, told him he had a lot to learn and that they would teach him. Hull was a cluster.
Jozy also had the misfortune of transferring to Sunderland. That version of the team was the most fucked up freak show in the entire multiverse and destroyed many careers. Jozy had his flaws but had he transferred to almost any other EPL team at that time I remain convinced he would have done significantly better. Which isn’t saying much.
“Are Aaronson’s 7 better than Pepi and Tillman’s output?”
There is no rational way to compare and it doesn’t matter anyway. Leeds and PSV are both on fire and in great form. It is unlikely that all three guys will face the same situation when they next report for USMNT duty. Those three are not in direct competition for playing time with each other anyway.