Aaronson wedding allows USMNT to reflect on growing together

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Brenden Aaronson briefly left USMNT camp for his wedding, giving teammates a chance to reflect on family, growth and the bonds that have shaped this World Cup group.

ATLANTA -- On the third day of the USMNT's World Cup training camp, Brenden Aaronson was nowhere to be found.

It wasn't an injury. It wasn't anything serious. Aaronson's absence was excused, and for good reason.

He was getting married.

In the midst of all of the World Cup chaos, Aaronson briefly departed camp for his own wedding. There would be no extended celebration or honeymoon period built in; it's a World Cup wedding, and World Cup weddings are something unique. Aaronson jetted out on Thursday, is getting married on Friday, and will be back in Atlanta for Saturday's training session. Calling it a whirlwind is underselling it

The celebrations weren't limited to Aaronson and his family, though. His 25 teammates back in Atlanta had their own plans to relish the moment, even if circumstances meant they couldn't be part of it in person. For those who have been a part of a World Cup before, the big takeaways was to celebrate the little things. Aaronson's wedding is no little thing, but it is a moment of joy and, for many of them, a moment of reflection.

This week, Aaronson's life changed, both personally and professionally. For the other 25 guys in the USMNT, life is changing, too, albeit in different ways.

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A unique wedding

There was no big send-off for Aaronson as he left Thursday's training session. There was, however, a universal message, according to USMNT goalkeeper Chris Brady.

"Good luck," Brady said, "And don't f*ck it up."

While Aaronson prepares for his big day, his teammates at USMNT camp are eagerly awaiting his big moment, too. They're also awaiting clarity. The hope is that they will be able to watch the ceremony as a team. That hope depends on two things: the work of Gio Reyna's wife, Chloe, and the phone policy put in place by those in attendance.

"We don't know if it's a no-phone wedding," Cristian Roldan said. "We're trying to get clarity on that. Gio's wife will be FaceTiming in, and we'll all be able to watch a livestream if it is a phone wedding. We'll see. We're still trying to get confirmation on that. One of the guys will put it on their laptop, and it's right around dinnertime, so we'll all enjoy that together."

Should that plan fail, though, Matt Turner believes he can get some inside access.

"I could get some eyes on that wedding," Turner said, "Because I know exactly where the venue is, and I know how to get there. My parents have a house down near there, so maybe they can row a boat up and tell me what's going on.

"These are the big life moments that you have to sprinkle in whenever you can, and it's great for him to be able to go and do that. We're just jealous that we're not all there."

Aaronson's wedding isn't the first of its kind, either. Christian Pulisic famously left camp ahead of the 2016 Copa America to attend senior prom and, as it turns out, another one of Aaronson's longtime friends and teammates had a very similar experience two summers ago.

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A similar experience

Mark McKenzie has been in Aaronson's shoes. His wedding was in the summer of 2024 right in the midst of Copa America preparation. He, like Aaronson, took a brief trip out of camp to make it all work. For him, the focus was on just getting there. For his now-wife? There was a little bit more to it.

"It was quite stressful for her, more so than anything, I'd say," McKenzie said. "You're hoping there's no flight cancellations or there's no last-minute changes...When you get married in the middle of a tournament, it's not the easiest thing, but you make it happen."

McKenzie has known Aaronson since the two were kids in the Philadelphia Union academy. They rose through that academy, played in MLS, and then embarked on their own European adventures. Now, they're together again as two of four Philadelphia Union players on the team for this summer's tournament. It's why Aaronson's wedding isn't just a life event for the midfielder himself, but also for those who have been a part of all of the ones that came prior.

"I'm really happy for him," McKenzie said. "I've known B since we were 10 years old, 11 years old. So, yeah, to see him get married now - he still hasn't grown any facial hair."

Beard or no beard, Aaronson has grown up these last few years. So, too, have many members of this USMNT pool, who continue to grow up together.

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Watching each other grow up

A total of 13 players from that squad are back in the summer. That means that half of last team is still here, making up half of the team this year.

Aaronson went from 22 to 25. Reyna, meanwhile, was 19 at the last World Cup. He's 23 now, young by regular standards, but also no longer the kid experiencing all of this for the first time.

"A lot has changed," Reyna said with a laugh. "I'm married now. I have a dog. I've matured and grown up in many aspects of my life."

Reyna isn't alone. Several members of the USMNT have become fathers in recent years. Some, like Reyna, have become husbands. Many have moved clubs and taken new steps in their professional careers. Then, every few months, they come together. For some of the players, the USMNT has been one of the few constants in their lives.

Turner said being around the national team over the past seven years changed the way he thought about life away from soccer. Watching teammates with their kids and hearing them talk about their wives, families, and the stability that came with that life made him want to become a father and husband himself. It gave him balance, he said, and showed him how players continue to grow off the field while finding new motivation on it.

"It's just really nice to see how everyone grows off the field as well as on the field, and how they're using new motivations every time they step out there," he said.

Because of that, camps have changed for many. The Turners are a family of four now, which means there are occasionally two little Turners running around the hotel lobbies. They aren't alone, either, as new members, young and old, have been welcomed to the USMNT family.

"It changes the dynamics of our team, but I think it, in the end, makes us a whole lot closer," Roldan said. "We all have our responsibilities because we've grown up and we've seen each other grow up through time, but now it's awesome to see Christian [Pulisic] interact with my daughter, right? It's incredible to interact with Matt Turner's kids.

"It's just making our family grow even more, and I think that's the beauty of seeing our team grow within the last four years. It's a beautiful thing, and I hope that we can accomplish something great together, because that'll make it feel really, really special."

The process of getting to that accomplishment began this week and will continue over the next few as the World Cup truly gets rolling. It's another major life event for those in the USMNT squad, another moment that promises to change all of their lives, as a group and as individuals.

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The next steps

For those who played in 2022, one of the biggest takeaways was to not take any of it for granted, and that some of the little moments were actually some of the biggest. Many cited the days in the Players' Lounge as their favorite moments in Qatar. It wasn't neccesarily the goals or games that stood out; it was the time together.

It's why, even with a World Cup coming, there's more than enough time for a wedding. Aaronson may be the only USMNT star in attendance, but, even early in camp, this is a unifying event, one that reminds everyone to enjoy everything that's coming.

"I think a lot of us have been through something of that magnitude," Roldan said. "For me, it's obviously my wedding, my child. We're a family, and we want to make sure that everybody gets their moment together. For us, it's not a distraction at all.

"Brenden had asked way ahead of time, and he was a responsible young adult to do so! So credit to him, and the coaching staff was on board with it. If the coaching staff is on board, we're all trying to be involved and have a good time with it."

Then, on Saturday, it'll be back to business as usual. Aaronson will rejoin the team, and the group will head to Charlotte for their pre-tournament friendly against Senegal. There will be little time to reflect or celebrate. This is the World Cup, after all.

"It's a special moment," McKenzie said, "Everyone is understanding of that and excited for him. When he gets back, we'll be sure to break him in a little bit, but we'll welcome him back with open arms."