Significant American presence in Middlesbrough's win over West Brom, their fourth in five contests
Middlesbrough's USMNT-fuelled quest for Premier League promotion continued on Saturday with a 3-1 victory over West Brom.
But it wasn't a straightforward effort per se. Seventeen minutes after Will Lankshear gave Middlesbrough the lead in the 48th minute, Jimmy-Jay Morgan would bring West Brom level for almost 10 minutes. West Brom also controlled the majority of the game's possession, doing so by a 53%-47% margin, but Lankshear and Alfie Jones ultimately rendered that margin invaluable with their respective game-winning and insurance goals.
The win brought Middlesbrough up into fifth place in the Championship standings. The six points accrued through three Championship matches has Middlesbrough in a three-way tie with Millwall and West Brom on points, but they are ahead of both teams on goal difference.
For West Brom, the loss was the first match this season in which the club failed to score more than once. Through their first four competitive matches, West Brom scored 11 goals; that tally included six goals during a two-round run in the EFL Cup.
Despite no goal contributions, three of Middlesbrough's four Americans all see the pitch vs West Brom
Aidan Morris played the full 90 minutes against West Brom, while Sebastian Berhalter and Max Arfsten came into the match as substitutions.
Berhalter played 45 minutes and recorded a shot on goal, while Arfsten played 51 minutes and added a noteworthy presence in the passing department.
Rokas Pukstas, who was recently signed by Middlesbrough, did not make his Championship debut on Saturday.
There was also an American presence for West Brom during the match
The USMNT wasn't just represented through Middlesbrough. Center back George Campbell, who made an appearance for the USMNT in 2025, featured for West Brom during their loss against Middlesbrough. He played the full 90 minutes, recording a tackle and a foul against during the proceedings.
What's next for both sides?
Middlesbrough will travel to Turf Moor to play Burnley on Wednesday in Championship action. Burnley is coming off a 4-1 loss to Norwich City in their third Championship contest of the season; they'll enter the next matchday in the relegation zone with just one point to their name. Kickoff is set for 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Meanwhile, West Brom will play host to Charlton Athletic in their fourth Championship match of the campaign. Charlton went three-for-three through their opening stretch of the campaign, defeating Derby County, West Ham, and Preston in the process. That game will take place on Wednesday, with kickoff slated for 2:45 p.m.
