Americans Abroad, USMNT Stock Tracks: Brenden Aaronson, Josh Sargent Stay Hot; Mark McKenzie makes his Ligue 1 debut

It’s the start of another busy weekend for Americans in the English Football League and beyond, with Brenden Aaronson and Josh Sargent finding the back of the net, but the action isn’t limited to England. Christian Pulisic also scored for Milan in Parma on CBS on Saturday. Meanwhile, Tanner Tessmann is on his way from Venezia to Olympique Lyon while more USMNT players are heading to France.

Let’s take a look at what’s happened so far this weekend:

Stock: Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United)

In a Yorkshire derby, Brenden Aaronson made his first start of the season for Leeds and it was a moment to remember. Aaronson opens the scoring for the Whites with a great follow-up to broken play and now has two goals in three games despite starting just one. Aaronson played as an attacking midfielder and scored two shots, but it was just as much about how the Leeds attack functioned around him. Mateo Joseph had more space to lay off other players, Daniel James had space to run into and exploit and Leeds looked more like a unit than they need to open the season.

He is expected to win the championship and return to the Premier League. There is pressure on Leeds, but it is pressure that Aaronson can help alleviate if he plays more. This was the kind of performance that can spark a string of starts, so now the question is whether Daniel Farke Aaronson will continue to play.

Stock Bearing: Donovan Pines (Barnsley)

While Barnsely’s draw isn’t all about introducing Pines into the game after half-time, you never want to be a defender on the pitch when a two-goal lead has blown. After missing the end of last season due to injury, Pines is working to return to full fitness for the Tykes, so performances like these can be expected, but if promotion is the goal, they can’t afford either. He’s a player who is quite useful on set plays when available, which is one reason why Barnsley will want to do what they can to keep him involved, but it’s a fine balance.

Stock: Josh Sargent (Norwich City)

Another week and more goals for Sargent as he can’t stop scoring. Sargent will push for the Golden Boot in the Championship this season with goals in consecutive games. Norwich’s defense has plenty to worry about after a second straight game in which Sargent scored, but they would be much worse off without goals from the American. Selling Adam Idah to Celtic, this is Sargent’s team moving forward and the confidence is evident in his play.

Notable American appearances outside the EFL

Tanner Tessmann: The transfer carousel is coming to an end for the 22-year-old midfielder as reports claim he is heading to Lyon in France. Although it is a strange move for Tessmann after a move to Inter and Fiorentina fell through, the midfielder was subsequently left out of Venezia’s plans. He is ready to take a step up in his career, but there are questions about whether it is the right one. If Tessmann can earn consistent playing time, things could work out despite the big changes Lyon have gone through, but it’s the kind of move that could certainly backfire.

Foalrin Balogun: While Balogun was healthy, he did not play in Monaco’s 2-0 win over Lyon. The season has already gotten off to a rocky start after missing chances in Monaco’s opening match against newly promoted Saint-Etienne. This is not a good sign, even though it is still early. Balogun will get his chances but he must take them, having scored just eight goals and provided a further five assists in his first season at Monaco. The United States Men’s National Team needs Balogun, but with other forwards doing well around the world, he needs to play to keep his spot.

Mark McKenzie: The USMNT centre-back made his debut for French side Toulouse in the 1-1 draw against Nice on Sunday. McKenzie played 65 minutes in a fairly modest performance, winning his only tackle and also recovering three times, but winning just two of his eight matches. This is McKenzie’s first start for club or country since June, when he was still on the books at Genk. He was included in the US Copa America squad, but did not play a single minute.