Brenden Aaronson lives up to Leeds stereotype as USA media react to display vs Turkiye
Leeds United attacker Brenden Aaronson was handed his first start of the 2026 World Cup as the United States fell to defeat against Turkiye.
The contest in Los Angeles in the early hours of Friday morning was the ultimate dead-rubber.
USA were already assured of top spot in Group D, while Turkey already knew they were heading home heading into their third game.
That allowed Mauricio Pochettino to rotate his side at SoFi Stadium with the last 32 in mind.
Aaronson was an unused substitute in the United States' 4-1 opening-game win over Paraguay, before coming on as a substitute in the 2-0 win over Australia.
Unfortunately for the Leeds ace, however, he could not make his impact felt against Turkiye.
Brenden Aaronson slammed over one moment in particular for USA
USA may already have been safely through to the first knockout round, where a clash with Bosnia-Herzegovina now awaits next week.
However, those who splashed out to watch the showdown with Turkiye felt short changed.
Auston Trusty had put the USA ahead in LA, before Arda Guler and Baris Yilmaz put the visitors ahead before half-time.
It looked like it would remain all square until Sebastian Berhalter struck with the final kick of the game.
Aaronson had been taken off by that point, but he was still heavily criticised for his overall display.
NBC Sports gave the 25-year-old a 5/10 and wrote: "Butchered a prime chance to make it 3-2 and that pretty much sums up the day for the Leeds United energy man."
Others honed in on that missed opportunity, which really would have changed the context of the fans' mood.
USA Today also gave a 5/10 and wrote: "Everyone knows Aaronson brings energy to the team.
"What he lacks is final product and that once again proved to be true as he missed an open goal on a rebound and failed to connect on some important passes going forward."
ESPN gave Aaronson a 4/10 rating, which only goalkeeper Matt Turner scored lower than with a three.
"There were a few moments when he facilitated some attacks and even earned a corner within the first 30 minutes," the publication wrote.
"But he also had times when he struggled to carve a place for himself. An example of that came in the 71st when he had the ball on the edge of the box before losing possession."
Leeds fans can relate to Aaronson criticism
In many ways, what has been written about Aaronson in this game sums up many of his Leeds performances.
He brings an incredible amount of energy, which Daniel Farke clearly loves.
That is not to say Aaronson does not have other strengths, but he is a lightning rod for criticism.
Aaronson has now played a combined 94 minutes of USA's three World Cup games to date.
Unfortunately, on the basis of what has been written on his display in this final group outing, he is unlikely to be handed another start in the next game.