Friday was a momentous day for U.S. Men’s National Team stars Max Arfsten and Sebastian Berhalter, with both starting for Middlesbrough as they beat Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac’s Wrexham 1-0 in the First Round of the EFL Cup.
The first competitive game of the season for both sides, the game also marked both Arfsten and Berhalter’s debuts for Boro at the Riverside Stadium.
Fresh off their first-ever FIFA World Cups this summer, with both players having been a part of Mauricio Pochettino’s squad which reached the Round of 16, they subsequently joined USMNT teammate Aidan Morris at Boro.
Berhalter was the first to make the move, joining from the Vancouver Whitecaps for a fee believed to be in the region of $2 million, whilst Arfsten joined shortly after from the Columbus Crew for around $7.5 million, as per MLSSoccer.com.
Friday’s game under the lights was ultimately decided by fellow new arrival Will Lankshear, courtesy of an assist from Berhalter in the 61st minute. Middlesbrough will find out their next EFL Cup opponents during the draw on Monday.
Speaking to ITV after the game, Berhalter described the experience as “great,” praising the “incredible support.”
“This is a dream come true. Being able to play a game in Europe is everything I've ever wanted. So this is amazing.”
The midfielder later noted the “USA chants” they heard from the crowd, commenting, “Hearing USA chants is pretty cool. I think we both just had a moment there and just said, ‘That's crazy.’ But yeah, super thankful, and we want to keep going.”
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Reflecting on their memorable summer together, Arfsten noted, “A lot's happened in three months. But me and Seb wouldn't want it any other way. And we're very happy to be at a great club with a great fan base.”
As for what drew him to Middlesbrough, currently coached by Kim Hellberg, Arfsten said, “Just the style of play, the way they play football. Obviously, as you can see, it's exciting for the fans, the way we keep the ball. And obviously Aidan Morris being here saying really good things about the club. And the fans at the end of the day are the heartbeat of the team.”
Both players vowed to give every game everything they had this coming season, with Arfsten saying of what to expect from him, “First and foremost, just a lot of effort. Good attitude, good mentality and some quality along with it.”
Berhalter followed this with, “Yeah, we're going to give everything we got. We have one goal this season, and I think everyone knows that. So we're going to give everything we've got towards that.”
Middlesbrough finished fifth in the Championship last season, missing out on promotion to the Premier League following a 1-0 Playoff Final defeat to Hull City. They will kick off their next promotion push on August 15 against Lincoln City, whilst Wrexham return to action on August 17 against Cardiff City.
Source: Alloutsoccer.com
