Leeds United: Pascal Struijk shares what he did to Jesse Marsch when Netherlands beat USA
Leeds United defender Pascal Struijk has shared that he “looked” at Jesse Marsch after the final whistle when Netherlands won 3-1 against USMNT and described the moment as “pretty funny”.
The defender, who missed out on the final 26-man Dutch squad for the World Cup, has been rooting for his country as a fan, but it was a tricky situation for him on Saturday [3 December].
Along with cheering for his nation, Struijk shared that he wanted his club teammates, Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson, to do well as well for the USA as well.
It must have been an awkward moment to look at Marsch, who is an American, right after the final whistle.
“[Although there’s] all the controversy going on, I think the games have been fun to watch, some interesting results,” said Struijk to Yorkshire Evening Post.
“A good result for Holland [3-1 winners over USMNT] yesterday. I kind of had to support both. I support Holland, but I also want my team-mates [Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson] to do well. It’s a tricky one, but when the final whistle went and I looked at Jesse, it was pretty funny.”
Future
The 23-year-old defender has got a bright future ahead of him and he will be looking to work harder and get into the senior squad for the next big tournament.
He has been outstanding for the Whites over the past two seasons.
Struijk made a strong impression under Marcelo Bielsa, who often used him in defensive midfield. It became clear that he is more comfortable playing at the back, but very few would have imagined that he would become one of the key players for the club in such a short time.
In the absence of a proper left-back at the club, the Dutchman has played in the left-back position this season which proves his versatility. He has been simply terrific in his new role.
Fabrizio Romano reported on 1 December that the Whites have reached an agreement on a new contract with Struijk that will keep him at the club until 2027.
He will be getting an improved salary which shows that Marsch keeps strong faith in his abilities and that the club want to secure his prime years at Elland Road.
In other Leeds United news, the Whites are aiming to get this “human wrecking ball” out of Elland Road in January.