Inside Middlesbrough's USMNT Takeover featuring Aidan Morris, Sebastian Berhalter, Max Arfsten, and Rokas Pukštas: Men in Blazers 09/23/26

0:00The one question I get most after all that football memory making we experienced across America this summer is, how do I keep the magic going? I'd start by saying, articulate what you love the most and then build on it. First step, find the team that will most probably break your heart and then add all the supporting necessities to build your weekend tradition. The key to so many of mine, it's Walmart, the place that has it all, the snacks, the coffee, the pies. You can also get the TV at Walmart, the hoodie to wear on your couch. Get the couch if you need it. And wait, it gets better. Because their express delivery can get it right to your door so you're all set for kickoff.

0:40Whatever your matchday needs are, you can find them at walmart.com slash soccer. Delivery timing varies by order size, traffic, weather and demand. Subject to availability, fees and terms apply. You're listening to the Men in Blazers Media Network. Suboptimal Radio.

1:07My guest today are four Americans who are part of one of the most intriguing stories in English football right now. From my perspective, making Middlesbrough FC USMNT side, it's an incredible joy to welcome Aidan Morris, Sebastian Berhalter, Max Arston, and the newest face, Rocky Pukshas. Hello, gents. How we doing? Thanks for having us. Thanks for having us. Your accents, they've all changed. You're going mid-Atlantic by the day. Listening to you. Yeah, it's not. I think we just got here. Aiden might have a little bit of that, but I don't think we have that yet. Max and Sebastian, let's start with you.

1:44You're a month into the championship season. What one thing would you both say is the biggest difference, the biggest surprise maybe, about the adaptation into English football? honestly i feel like the referee is just letting things play um i quite enjoy it you know the tackles and you know little stuff doesn't really get called and for me it's fun you know like there's some stuff you can get away with and some stuff that uh just kind of goes under the radar so for me it's been it's been a fun part of it yeah for me i'd say the intensity of the games and just you know how loud the fans are and how much they get into it i've noticed that a lot and it's just really cool to be a part of and just super fun to you know feel that atmosphere i want to talk about all that in a moment but the connection between all of you is Middlesbrough FC it's an incredible town former steel iron coal country in the northeast incredible passionate working class football town if you were to describe the place each of you to someone who's never been there how would you describe it in a word or two I would say family orientated I feel like everyone's just so welcoming and such a big group and you know it doesn't matter that we're Americans or that we're not from you know Middlesbrough everyone's so welcoming so I would say that yeah I just got here so I don't really have a car so I've just been training I've been uh staying around the training facility so I just say farmland reminds me that's all you see yeah imagine a mom there you go yeah it reminds me of Oklahoma yeah I like that uh for me I would say passionate just in terms of the people and the love and joy they have for the football club I think that's one of the biggest things I've noticed for sure.

3:19Yeah, I'd say just hardworking. You know, I think the culture here is very hardworking and you could see it in the fans and in the stadiums every weekend. You can tell what they appreciate, you know, and it's just the football comes, but I think just the effort is what they really admire in players and what they appreciate in certain players is probably just the effort. So I just say hardworking. Yeah, I mean, the love of football in Middlesbrough is really welded into that place. When you walk around up, the borough is everywhere. Can you You described what it's like to run out at the Riverside Borough Stadium, just an old school cauldron, 33 ,000 fans bellowing.

3:52I mean, I've traveled a good amount around the country since I've been here and I've seen a lot of different atmospheres and fan bases, but I think Middlesbrough is just special in terms of that. There's an energy and it's like a fortress, you know, it's your place where, you know, you step on that field, it's go time and the fans will be on your side. So I think you said it perfectly, you know, it's got a special energy to it. What have you learned that the fans want from their footballers? It is a place where they want certain qualities. I think we take a lot of pride in how we play here. So obviously they want to be entertained in terms of good football and progressive football.

4:26Nothing. Just to keep the ball to keep the ball, they want to be entertained. So they want us to go forward with a purpose. And then also, like I said earlier, they want us to give it everything. You know, they want us to be on the knees by the end of the game, just exhausted because we give it everything. Aidan, I want to start with you because out of this group, You were the first to blaze that trail from the United States to Middlesbrough. You arrived summer 2024. Quickly established yourself as a key figure in that midfield. Started all the three games in the club's run through the promotion playoffs last year.

4:57What was that like for you, making that jump across the Atlantic solo, that process of settling in as a player and a person? I don't think I really knew what sacrifice was until I moved over here in terms of being so far away from family. The time zone obviously makes things difficult. difficult. So I was on this journey by myself and like I tell them all the time, I went through some tough times, you know, feeling alone and feeling so far away from my people. But I think it shaped me into who I am today. So I wouldn't trade it for anything. And the football is special, but I think as a person and the human being side of things, I think I've grown a lot because of it.

5:30And I love this place. I call it one of my homes now. I've met a lot of amazing people here, a lot of amazing teammates. So, so yeah, it's a very special place and I love being What was the hardest aspect, Aidan, and how did you handle it in that moment? I don't have a family to go home to every night, or I can't have my family come fly up on the weekend and watch my games, or friends that I went to high school with come and watch a game. I think every game on the weekend, I didn't have anybody in the stands. At night, I'm going to call family, and it's 11 o 'clock my time, and I have to go to bed, so I can't really talk for long, and just being out of touch with things back home, so probably that.

6:03Sebastian and Max you spent the summer together with the U.S. men's national team you're at the world cup it's been an incredible year of growth for both of you um so let's start with you Sebastian I've got to say I admired your fight so much during the world cup in every moment when did you start to think that you were going to move and how did you process the options that were available to you going to Europe was always you know a dream of mine it's something that you know I knew that if I wanted to push myself to the highest level you know had to be in Europe had to be at the mecca of where football's played and yeah for me it was just seeing what was right you know it wasn't that I needed to go at this moment but you know trying to weigh up you know what option I had and you know picking the best place and ultimately this this place felt like home you know I've been watching the club for the last two years because of Aiden and you know he told me great things so for me this is this was the right the right step.

6:54Max your move to Borough was announced a week after Sebastian's I think when did you learn the others move was happening and the sure thing and how much were you both talking together in the weeks leading up to it all yeah i've been obviously speaking with aiden um we played together in columbus so ever since he left been keeping in touch with him and obviously he told me a lot about the club and then with sebastian yeah i feel like we waited till after the world cup to really like talk to each other about it obviously we at a certain point knew that there was interest for both of us so um i would say i was in communication with you know aiden and seb like basically throughout the whole window to to be honest with you.

7:30And then once it became clear to me that this was a place I wanted to go to and the interest was mutual, then yeah, I was just ready to go. Yeah, we were spamming his phone for sure. Caught him like every night for a week. Aiden, do you remember where you were when you heard both deals were possibly moving forward? And what was your reaction? Are you stepping in? Are you selling? Yeah, I was probably just at home after training or something. And I still, this might sound weird but I still feel like it hasn't even sunk in we were playing golf yesterday and and Sebastian was like on the tee box and I do what's my best friend doing right here right now playing golf in Middlesbrough with me so yeah I was probably at home when I got the news and it was obviously uh special news but we got work to get done so I mean what does it feel like to know not just having Americans but guys you you said you you know you're not just your friend your best friends coming over to play with you from Columbus to move into your spot I mean how has that changed your life you know it makes it feel a little bit closer to home like I said earlier there was some there was some tough spots uh some tough times when I got here in terms of feeling so far away from from people and family and friends and I think them being here allows me to feel a little bit closer to it you know and I obviously have history with with all of them yeah it's special So it's something I try to be appreciative of every day.

8:54Rocky, I'd love to tell you a little bit more about your journey. It's been singular. I know you grew up in Stillwater, Oklahoma, spent time in the Sporting KC Academy, and then you signed for Hajjuk Split in Croatia. I think the age of just 16, you were so young. What made you confident taking that path, that unconventional path for an American, could be the phase for you to get you where you are today? Yeah, I was a bit lucky because I had a European passport. So I knew that European football was the next step for me at 16. So I was lucky enough for Haiduk to bring me in and develop me, help me with what I need to work on.

9:33And I was pretty lucky to be involved with senior football, super young. So just to have that experience and to build on that and then to come here and have these guys, which I'd say are like my big brothers. So just to have them around and have them here. And I see I see how I can develop. It's nice seeing the mountain I have to climb, seeing where I have to improve, stuff like that. So I think these steps are really going to help me in my career and we're all going to help the team succeed. Four seasons after signing for Hajduk, you arrived here. Midfielder, 21 goals, 10 assists. Rocky, can you describe your game, your style of play, for those of us who aren't watching the Croatian League week in, week out with an eagle eye?

10:21Yeah, I'd say I'm a box-to-box midfielder. I can use both feet. I cover a lot of ground. I'm great in duels. I'd say I have really good timing going into the box, late runs in the box. And I'd say I'm just a poacher for a goal. So I just want to make an impact for this team. in that way and also developing areas such as my final pass

10:47i'm really interested aiden for you what's it been like in that locker room at borough to go from the sole american accent to it essentially becoming like a mini 51st footballing state we're taking over man we're taking over definitely a bit louder now than when i was just here but But yeah, it's been fun. It's been fun. Were you really? You were kind of like a fairly quiet guy, and then suddenly they're all there, and it's just like you're just getting everyone into the fantasy football league all of a sudden. That's exactly what's going on, actually. You nailed it. Yeah, we got a good little league on.

11:21Some people are turning into Americans day by day. We got Luke Ayling, who's slowly transitioning to being American. I mean, it's fascinating because all your teammates, English clubs, they're used to having cliques in the locker room of like Spanish players or Brazilians, you know, Brazilians bringing like barbecue to the English football world. How are the Borough boys getting used to having four Americans in their midst? There must be a little bit of culture shock. I think we're all pretty easy going. You know, we speak the same language still. So it's not like we're, you know, totally different.

11:51It's still, you know, pretty similar. And I don't know, I think we just get along with most guys. And, you know, I don't think we're, I don't think we look at ourselves as a clique at all. I think we're just, we're all happy to be here and we want to help the team succeed. And yeah, I think it doesn't matter, you know, where you're from, we're going to have a joke and have a laugh. And I think that's, yeah, it's fun. So let's get into one of the incredible aspects of the story, because shortly after you signed Max and Sebastian, we found out Aidan was housing both of you when you were looking for permanent places to live.

12:20I mean, it is, it's almost like a soap opera, the three of you just crashing in together, playing football across England. Whose idea was this? Was it yours, Aidan? was it the clubs for you to play house duty the club probably didn't mind it this is makes their job easier and then also like i got to play space in my place when they first got it they're obviously not living with me still but i had space in my in my place for for two others so it was easy they didn't have cars so we were just traveling together everywhere and it just made it easy and more convenient i mean it's like a late 90s sitcom the middlesbrows and sebastian you said about it you said we are quote trying to stay tidy with a with a real keyword on on trying um what was that dynamic like which one of you is like the best cook it's a good question yeah it's a good question i think we call it a frat house not a soap opera too i think that's what we were calling ourselves um but yeah aiden aiden's been cooking for a while he's he's a really good cook we do taco bowls and we'll all have a different role and and cook something else aiden gets a little bit of a me when i leave stuff around the house and it's fair it's his house um no it's been so great having him and he's like showed us everywhere and every restaurant everywhere we need to go maybe not to go we're really lucky to have someone like him you know he's been in for two years and it makes our life so much easier who's the messiest and who's like the neat freak on that spectrum i mean aiden i think aiden has answered because it was his house but i would like to think i'm pretty clean and who's the loudest it just depends on depends on the depends on the time of day honestly there's certain people that perk up at certain times a day all four of you which one of you would you say has embraced British culture the most effortlessly I would I like where Max is at right now I think Max is in a good spot yeah Max basically talks in British for 20 % of the day yeah he's really picking up the slang and he's doing trying to pick up the slang yeah he's doing a good job assimilating Max just give us a very very quick TED talk on what you've discovered about English slang they say in it a lot bruv mate um like what's up g the ends the gaff i love gaff i just learned gaff yeah so i'm learning i'm getting there you gotta bring it back with him definitely i feel like whenever i go back i'm gonna throw some british slang around um show them what i've learned and yeah i actually enjoy it i think it's fun who complains most about the english weather it could be me to be honest we've got some questions from listeners from the men in blazers discord for matt chris voss what american city is most like the town of middlesbrough these are good questions he's a fistful pick uh do you know what yeah i was gonna say still water for darlington so i mean it's pretty similar to me home sweet home which ones like middlesbrough i did look at this on uh i used ai to give me an answer and it said uh it said cleveland but the three of you have played in columbus i think that's fair yeah yeah i was thinking somewhere like midwest there is something very ohian about about the mighty mighty town of middlesbrough just like a proud industrial base working class place vanessa teeside last this is a good one have you guys tasted the local delicacy the palmo for those of you watching at home it's a local classic you have to get over and taste like it's like breaded chicken or pork cutlet covered in in like i think it's a bechamel sauce and melted cheese who's had a palme no one uh i've been here for two years and i've never had one middlesbrough fans will kill me for that um because every single time i get out after a game there's a little kid say you have a palme oh yeah one of my giles and eagleby so and i always tell my yeah i'll go but i've never been americans watching you have not lived until you've gone the riverside and have a half-time palmo it is you will never look at chick-fil-a the same take it from me lads tune for life wants to know how you're handling the accent the way in middlesbrough they pronounce heard like haired take some take some getting used to it yeah to be honest um sometimes it's hard for me to understand just because i'm not used to it and i find myself saying like can you say that again sorry but i feel like i'm getting used to it now at midwest Tam wants to know, is there a difference for you playing in a league that's got relegation and promotion?

16:37Does that translate through in the day-to-day, the week-to-week, in the locker room and on the field? Yeah, I think it just feels, you know, there's obviously pressure on the line. You know, you go up 1-0 and, you know, you're thinking you don't want to lose the game. Yeah, it's a different mindset. And I think the fans also feel that. We have big goals this year and every point matters for us. So yeah, you can definitely tell that it makes a difference. and you know i think our job as players is to kind of bring that calmness and to bring that ease and you know it doesn't matter if we're up or we're down or we're going to get the result and um yeah we'll be good for me yeah i think it's just every game matters more you know what i mean there's more of a consequence dropping points um and i think it's just that adds to the intensity and it's it's also just a such a great goal to have in the back of your mind every time you're playing is you're fighting for promotion you know what i mean so i think it's um you know it's obviously a dream to play in the primary league but also it adds to the mentality of this club teddy in columbus wants to know what one thing other than family do you miss the most about america i miss american golf i miss those fluffy fairways man just nice you take a nice little divot there that's a man who spent a lot of time in the rough no i'm a fairway finder man relaxing there who's the best out of all of you by the way i feel like it changes you know it just depends on the day but it's just two pretty clear it could be any of us it could be any of us could be rocky yeah i don't know he's just just learning he's made very good progress in a day he was went from ball going two feet to 120 yards so right yeah but it's still going yeah at least 220 so he's just come on up so well for me i miss i don't want to sound like a hater but i really miss the american food and just like the selection of restaurants there's definitely good food here but i just feel like no i do i do i just think america has a lot more options that's just my opinion though no it's fair once you taste palmo i gotta tell you you just be steady diet of palmos for evs just straight palmos yeah maybe um sarah in portland what is the one thing that's hardest to get used to about life in england um what is one english thing you guys know you'll never understand i was gonna say the easy one is driving on the other side of the road but that's easy i'm gonna say the i'm the tag along with that the driving situation like obviously there's not a lot of space in this country but people can just park halfway on the road and halfway on and there's barely enough space for two cars and then there's one parking on the sidewalk so it's that's a bit of a struggle for for me i just can't wrap my head around then you'll get a speed ticket for going two miles per hour over so like when you want to order something you're just trying to have like a chill night in um and you want or like i don't know like for me i'd I'd order Chipotle or, you know, at home, I'd order like sushi or something.

19:20And I'm looking at Uber Eats. I'm looking at Deliveroo. And there's just, I don't know. I can't find, I can't find much on there. Is that fair to say? Yeah. Cellular data as well. It's a struggle. Oh my God. Service in this country. They just don't have like service. Like the service is like in and out. I was like, we're in Oklahoma all year round.

19:45I've got to say, for all of this, the adjustment from the outside seems to have gone really, really well. Middlesbrough currently in third place. Will Lankshire scoring for fun. A couple of weeks ago against Burnley, away from home. We even got to see an Aidan Morris banger. You really couldn't miss after the way Sebastian set you up. Aidan, take us to that moment. What did it feel like the moment the ball left your foot? Yeah, I knew I struck it well. There was just a tight gap to fit it between the posts and then there was a guy blocking. But it was a nice cushion set. And then I knew if I just connected on it well, I needed to hit it too hard that he'd find the corner.

20:23And yeah, I fortunately did. Sebastian, last weekend, you got off the mark. A pair of goals, 4-3 thriller at home against Norwich City. That first one, just delirious in off the crossbar, which always makes it look cleaner. It was the third multi-goal game of your club career. What do you want to add to your game in this moment to the Middlesbrough experience? I feel like this year I've been playing a lot higher up the field. And for me, the first time in career where I've really done that. And I think for me, I'm learning as I go, finding how I play in the pockets, how do I give final balls, when to go forward, when to maybe just keep the ball sometimes and not cross it and find a teammate and just keep recirculating and just the understanding of that position, that role and how I can help the team most.

21:12How have you found the football, the space, the pace compared to what you experienced in MLS? Yeah, I think there's an intensity about it. I think there's a physicality about it that is different to the MLS. I think in the MLS there's a lot of physical players and fast players, strong players. But I think here, you know, in spaces when they need to close down, they'll close down quicker, if that makes sense. It's less about the physicality. It's more about just the game understanding of that it just means so much that they're just going to try to, you know, run at you 100%. But, yeah, I think that's the biggest thing.

21:46And, yeah, still trying to just adjust and trying to find, you know, ways around it. You know, the biggest differences that I see is I think it's just similar to what Sebastian said. Like, it's a lot more intense. I think the pressing is a lot more intense. just defensively seems a bit more organized. And then, yeah, in terms of my game, I just want to continue to develop positionally speaking, like being able to occupy multiple roles on the pitch to where it gives me a chance to just continue to be versatile and play more. And yeah, just be reliable on both sides of the wall. Rocky, we'll start with you on this one.

22:22We know the goal for this team is to challenge for promotion, but I'd love to hear from you all just a personal ambition about what you want to achieve as we watch you in the season that lies ahead obviously performing in the better league i think in kreja i performed well um so i think making this jump and having these players around me um and seeing that that melon have to climb that's just one of my goals just to improve just i'm fortunate enough to just being being with a team and seeing how everyone works hard everyone plays like sub said the intensity of the game so i'm just getting my feet in the water first couple weeks here.

23:00So just trying to prepare. And once I get my opportunity, I know I'm going to take it. Yeah. For me, I just want to be a, you know, reliable championship player, you know, and this is something that I've wanted to do my whole life to play in Europe and be someone that the team can count on, that the fans can count on, that, you know, I'm going to do everything I can, but then also that, you know, every single game, you're going to get 110 % out of me and, you know, help, help, helping my quality on and off the ball. And yeah, I just want to be someone that people can rely on. I just want to do whatever I can to help this team get promoted, whether that's contributing with goals, assists, intensity, offensively, defensively, really just have an open mind and just do everything I can in my power to just help this team succeed.

23:41Yeah, I just want to keep growing and keep getting better. There's elements in my game that I always need to improve on. Every game offers something different, right? Like it's not black and white football. There's a lot of gray area with it. And I think every game will give me something different and be able to understand that and be able to adapt is something that I just want to continue to work on and just continue to be consistent. Every time I step on the field, the community understands that I'm giving my all and I'm inspiring the next kid to put on a Barrow shirt that he'll give it his all as well when he gets out there.

24:09So, yeah. You guys are all so close to the Premier League. I mean, can you feel that? I mean, as Americans, we grew up over here from feel far away. The four of you are so bloody close. Yeah, I think we're taking it one game at a time. I think for us, we have a game on Saturday and we go from there. You know, it's never been more than that. And, you know, besides the game on Saturday, we have a game training on Friday. Tell Americans, so many are flocking over to watch games in England. Can you make the case about Middlesbrough, why they should be tuning in week to week? I am. What supporting the team and coming to a game at the Riverside will bring to their lives?

24:46Because it is singular and it is magnificent. Yeah, we can guarantee you good football. Entertaining, progressive goals, good defending. We'll guarantee you everything. Just a good football match, you know. Whatever you need. Yeah, whatever you need, pretty much. Yeah. And there's four Americans out there. So what else more could you want? You know, we're enjoying ourselves here and hopefully people tune in. They can feel the same way we feel about it. I've got to say, having been to Middlesbrough a ton, it is just an authentic, joyous, multi-generational, it is old school, raw, wonderful, passionate football.

25:21Do you guys feel that when you take the field? It is. It hits different. Yeah, I do. For me personally, I think every single game is, it's still new for, you know, me, Sebastian and Rocky. So I think every time we go out there, we definitely notice those little things. I think the crowd is just so loud. I think when they chant, they all have like really good chants, you know what I mean? And yeah, it's just cool to be a part of, honestly. And I would encourage Americans to follow along just because I think it's rare that you have four aspiring Americans, you know, playing on the same team together, shooting for promotion.

25:54and I think that's a unique story and I hope that they follow along and support. Godspeed to all of you. You are in your own ways individually total inspiration but the collective is just a thing of magic to witness. Big, big love. Thanks so much, guys. Thank you.