The atmosphere at the Riverside is at an all-time high as Middlesbrough soars to the top of the Championship.
After defeating Bolton Wanderers 5-1 at the Toughsheet Community Stadium on Friday, Middlesbrough surpassed Swansea City to take the top spot in the Championship standings.
On paper, it was an impressive summer window for Borough, and that is turning out to be the case. Sebastian Berhalter, Rokas Pukstas, and Max Arfsten, who will all be enjoying life in the North-east at the moment, joined Aidan Morris on Teesside.
Max Arftsen has replied to Middlesbrough supporters’ chanting
After two years on Teesside, Morris has been joined by fellow countrymen Berhalter, Pukstas, and Arfsten. Hellberg has already benefited from the addition of an American contingent.
Morris has now scored two goals this season after failing to do so in his previous two seasons with Borough. Following his first goal away at Burnley, teammate Arfsten responded to the “USA” cries they have heard from the club’s supporters.
When asked what it was like to hear the “USA” chants in an interview with UnderwayPod, Arfsten responded, “Yeah that was super cool.” It was a huge moment for him because it was his first goal for the team.The chants from the USA are insane. Even now and then,
as I walk over to retrieve the ball after a corner kick, I hear chants of “USA” coming from the entire crowd.I’m in England, and everyone is talking about the USA, so it’s sort of weird.
After switching from the Columbus Crew to Middlesbrough, Max Arfsten has had a strong start to his career.
Arfsten, 25, moved from Ohio to Teesside in the summer for about $7.5 million (£5.6 million), and he has had a good start to life in a new nation despite only scoring one goal in 11 Championship games thus far.
Arfsten, who can play anywhere on the left flank, has been utilised as a substitute most of the time because he has been behind Brazilian defender Neto Borges in the early going of this season.
Despite this, Arfsten is still clearly a part of the plans at the Riverside and has made a significant contribution to the club’s current outstanding feeling. He will undoubtedly have played a significant role in Boro’s success if they are able to return to the Premier League after a ten-year hiatus.
With Premier League promotion in the sights, Kim Hellberg will be watching for Max Arfsten to make an impression at Middlesbrough.
Middlesbrough and head coach Hellberg will do everything in their power to ensure that they remain at the top of the table come May.
There will be many highs and lows along the way, but there’s a strong sense in Borough that this year might be their year, and with their American contingent boosting morale, there’s no reason they can’t finish.
Every member of the squad, including Arfsten, who will undoubtedly get more playing time as the campaign progresses, will contribute to any success that occurs.
The 21-capped USA international will continue to be an important part of the Borough team going forward since he has more than enough high-level playing experience to handle the demands and difficulties the Championship may bring.
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