It was always a dream for Sebastian Berhalter and Max Arfsten to play European soccer. As they beamed in an interview after helping Middlesbrough to a 1–0 win over Wrexham in their Carabao Cup debut, they couldn’t have dreamt it up any better.
The two made their first starts in the club’s first competitive fixture of the 2026–27 season, and Berhalter picked up his first assist outside of North America. Yet the two U.S. men’s national team World Cup representatives displayed their skills without longtime friend Aidan Morris, who was recovering from a preseason injury.