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Brenden Aaronson assisted in Union Berlin’s 2-1 win over Freiburg and avoided suffering a relegation in two straight seasons. The 23-year-old moved to the German capital for the 2023-24 Bundesliga season on loan from Leeds United, for which he appeared in 36 games of the 2022-23 season that ended with Leeds United’s drop.
Union Berlin needed a win on the last day of league play to avoid relegation because of Mainz’s 3-1 win over Wolfsburg, for which Kevin Paredes scored the lone goal.
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Aaronson weaved through the Freiburg defense and delivered the ball to Benedict Hollerbach to give Union a 1-0 lead in the 68th minute. Freiburg equalized five minutes after Aaronson was subbed in the 80th minute but Janik Haberer score in the second minute of stoppage time to second Union Berlin a fifth straight season in the top tier.
The victory enabled Union Berlin to avoid a relegation playoff, which now pits 16th-place finisher VFL Bochum against second-division third-place finish Fortuna Düsseldorf. Bochum ended up tied on points with Union but with an inferior goal difference.
- Damion Downs, the 19-year-old German-born and raised striker came on at halftime a week after scoring his second Bundesliga goal. Downs was called into U.S. U-20 national team camp in April 2022.
U.S. players in Bundesliga (2023-24)
Lennard Maloney (M, Heidenheim, 8th) — 29 games (2,293 minutes) 1 goal, 1 assist
Joe Scally (D, Bor. M’Gladbach, 14th) — 31 games (2,235) 1 goal, 4 assists
Kevin Paredes (M, Wolfsburg, 12th) — 28 games (1,427) 4 goals
Jordan Pefok (F, Bor. M’Gladbach, 14th) — 26 games (1,424) 5 goals, 4 assists
Brenden Aaronson (M, Union Berlin, 15th) — 30 games (1,262) 2 goals, 2 assists
John Brooks (Hoffenheim, 7th) — 21 games (1,539) 2 goals
Gio Reyna* (M, Borussia Dortmund, 5th) — 11 games (270) 1 assist.
Timothy Chandler (D, Eintracht Frankfurt, 6th) — 6 games (12) 1 assist
Damion Downs (F, FC Cologne, 17th) — 10 games (171) 2 goals
* Reyna moved on loan to Nottingham Forest in January.
Soccer America Executive Editor Mike Woitalla has written freelance articles about soccer for more than 30 media outlets in nine nations. The winner of eight United Soccer Coaches Writing Contest awards,… More by Mike Woitalla
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