Sebastian Berhalter's first assist on English soil was a clever header. Max Arfsten was in the build-up. Will Lankshear finished it. Middlesbrough beat Wrexham 1-0 in the Carabao Cup opener, and two new Americans fist-pumped their way into the Riverside crowd's affections — convincingly enough, given neither has much practice at it.
The third American, Aidan Morris, watched from the touchline. He'll get his turn.
Morris, Berhalter, and Arfsten are Middlesbrough's USMNT contingent, and they're also housemates. All three have Columbus Crew connections — Arfsten and Morris played there, Berhalter's father Gregg managed the club from 2013-18, and Berhalter himself featured for Columbus in 2020-21. The club's head of recruitment Chris Jones has made regular trips to the States, and it's clearly paying off. This isn't a coincidence; it's a pipeline.
Why This Matters for Middlesbrough's Season
Boro are entering their 10th consecutive Championship season. That's a long time to be knocking at the door — and last season's play-off exit still stings. They reached the final only after Southampton were expelled from the play-offs over the 'Spygate' affair, then lost to Hull City with a goal in the fifth minute of added time. A gut punch doesn't cover it.
This summer they've reinvested the Hayden Hackney fee from Everton and a sell-on from Morgan Rogers' £117m move from Aston Villa to Chelsea. Six permanent signings in, including goalkeeper Radek Vitek from Manchester United. The ambition is clear. West Ham and Wolves — both relegated from the Premier League — will dominate the automatic promotion conversation, but the play-offs now extend to eighth place, which opens the door. Middlesbrough's promotion odds are worth tracking; they have the infrastructure and now, arguably, the squad depth to back it up.
Kim Hellberg, just 38 and only 10 months into the job, has built on Michael Carrick's possession-first identity. Morris, who has worked under three Boro managers, puts it well: "We have the humility of running and working, but also this calmness aspect on the ball." That's a team that knows who it is.
The USMNT World Cup Shadow
All three were touched by the summer's World Cup on home soil. Berhalter and Arfsten were on the pitch in Seattle when the US went out 4-1 to Belgium in the round of 16 — a brutal end to a tournament that had genuinely captured the country. LeBron James was tweeting about Folarin Balogun. Celebrities were filling stands. Pochettino's squad had made people care about American soccer in a way that felt different.
Then Belgium happened.
Pochettino's final speech to the squad is worth noting — not the usual platitudes. "Try to remember how you made people feel," he told them, rather than dwelling on the scoreline. Berhalter says Pochettino was honest about his own uncertainty: "He said he didn't know what was going to happen regarding himself, but that this nation is just getting started." By the time Berhalter and Arfsten landed on Teesside, Pochettino had signed a contract extension.
Both owe their international debuts to the Argentine. Arfsten hadn't been involved at any national team level before Pochettino arrived. That loyalty runs both ways — they sought his advice on Middlesbrough, and he spoke warmly of the club and owner Steve Gibson. Berhalter texted him when the move was confirmed. "He said congrats and to keep working," Berhalter recalls. "I told him, 'One hundred per cent.'"
Morris missed the World Cup squad cut. He has 14 caps and wants more. A strong Championship season — consistent minutes, goals, assists — is the most direct route back. At 25 (all three hit that milestone by November), this is exactly the moment to be playing regular football at a club with genuine promotion ambitions.
Pochettino called Middlesbrough "the mecca of soccer"? No — that was Berhalter on Europe generally. But the sentiment is pointed. These aren't players parking themselves in a comfort zone. They came here to be tested. Friday night's Carabao Cup win was one data point. Thirty-seven more Championship matches will tell us whether they were right to believe in it.
