Americans Abroad: Christian Pulisic chases first goal of 2026, Balogun looks to get back on track, Brendan Aaronson has a chance at history

Balogun did not have a very good window for the USMNT. Against Belgium, he was remarkably ineffective. That was no fault of his, in fairness. The U.S. pinged balls into his feet and asked the striker to play as a target man rather than in the advanced forward role in which he tends to excel. In effect, he was set up to fail.

His showing against Portugal was not much better. The U.S. were largely out of the game when he entered the fray, and Balogun struggled. In 23 minutes of play, he managed just five touches and was never really involved.

That was a bit of a shame given his run of form for Monaco prior to the break. He scored seven goals in seven matches as Monaco enjoyed their best stretch of the season. This should have been a time for Balogun to kick on for the U.S. Now it feels like a bit of a reset.

Indeed, this weekend will be crucial for the American. Marseille make for a captivating opponent. They are third in Ligue 1, three points ahead of sixth-placed Monaco. If Balogun and co. get a win, they will be right back in contention for a Champions League spot. Given they have won five in a row and are playing at home, it might be time to dream.

It is not happening for Christian Pulisic at the moment, who hasn't scored since the start of 2026. The reasons are many. He is making the wrong decisions in attack. His teammates are not finishing the chances he creates. Then there is the stark reality that he has not found the net when he really should. Pulisic is missing chances in bunches. The USMNT attacker has not been particularly effective all year.

Those struggles continued for the USMNT during this break. Pulisic was not necessarily poor against Portugal and Belgium, but he did not score or assist when the U.S. really needed him to step up. So what gives? This has always been part of Pulisic’s story. Inconsistency has held him back at times. He goes through dry spells every year, and this feels like one of those moments. At some point it has to end. These things always do.

The timing would be ideal. Milan’s match with Napoli is one of their biggest of the year. It is a clash of second against third, and although Inter are pulling away in the title race, there remains a chance that one or both teams could go on a run and make things interesting. That begins with beating each other. They meet Monday afternoon, and Pulisic will be key if Milan are to do anything against the reigning champions. The good news? Milan have the second-best road record in Serie A, and Napoli’s star man Romelu Lukaku will almost certainly not be involved.

Leeds are probably safe from relegation by now. They are in 15th place, and with other teams dropping points around them, it might be time for Daniel Farke and co. to think a little bigger. The good news is that they have landed a kind FA Cup draw. They will take on fellow strugglers West Ham in the quarterfinals, who also need something to brighten their season.

The Hammers, though, have more to fight against. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are 18th, but one point away from safety. If Tottenham drop points, they will surely smell blood.

Leeds, then, can perhaps go for this one a bit more. There is no real need to save legs, and even away from home, the Lilywhites will fancy their chances. Aaronson had a surprisingly restful international break. Pochettino did not use him much in either friendly, despite him not picking up an injury of any kind.

His USMNT future, then, might be in question. But he certainly has plenty to play for in Leeds colors. An FA Cup run would not be a bad place to start.