da dobrowin： U.S. men's national team striker Folarin Balogun had a hilarious blunder in camp, not realizing that the Aaronson brothers… were in fact brothers!
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USMNT's Balogun had ZERO idea team-mates were relatedBrenden and Paxten Aaronson both in USMNT campChris Richards excited to see duo in actionWHAT HAPPENED?
USMNT centerback Chris Richards outed team-mate Balogun for not realizing that Brenden and Paxten Aaronson were related. Richards had a laugh about the confusion as he believes it's quite obvious, considering the duo look alike and share a last name.
The Crystal Palace defender also added that it's a unique moment for the group to get them both in the same camp, and he's excited to see how things work out for them this November.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT RICHARDS SAID
"It was funny. We were warming up today and Flo had no idea they were brothers. He thought that they just had the same last name. I was like, 'Bro, they look exactly the same, sound the same, play the exact same!' They're both kind of quirky. They're both pretty similar going like 100 miles per hour all the time. You can see that whatever their family is doing, they're doing pretty well, and it's funny because they're kind of still big brother and little brother. You're gonna give your little brother a little bit of smack but it's funny to see to like the exact same people just few years apart," he said.
"I think [Paxten] needs a little bit of time because B was [quiet] at first, too. They're both funny. They have the exact same personality both on and off the field. I think they just got in yesterday, so I'm really interested to see how they are outside of the field."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The younger Aaronson of the two – Paxten – has been impressing of late for Bundesliga club Frankfurt, and with both Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah out this month due to injury, he could be called upon.
Crafting his trade a a winger instead of an attacking midfielder like Brenden, Paxten could seemingly slot into either role, but the competition is stiff. Both Kevin Paredes and Alejandro Zendejas are with the group as well, and each has more experience with the senior team.
Regardless, though, the Aaronson brothers could both play a major role as the USMNT looks to earn a berth in the 2024 Copa America.
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR THE USMNT?
A pair of crucial games against Trinidad and Tobago are on the cards as Gregg Berhalter and Co look to secure their spot in the Copa America next summer. The matches take place on November 16 and 20, and with results in their favor, they'll clinch a spot.