USMNT Trio Shares a Unique Living Situation After Middlesbrough Transfers

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.

“It’s different,” Berhalter said after the match of his first game against an EFL Championship opponent. “It’s physical, and it’s definitely intense.”

The pass before his assist came from Arfsten as well, a contribution that would count as an assist in MLS record-keeping, but not in other competitions around the world.

“We gotta change that,” Arfsten added. “We played really well for the most part, and the special thing is we’re only going to get better when we’re more familiar with one another. A lot of us are still new. It was good vibes, good energy. Happy to get the first win of the season in a competitive match.”

While the Middlesbrough fans chanted “U-S-A” from the stands, the American feeling has taken over far more than just the Riverside Stadium to kick off the season.

USMNT Trio Pulls Back the Curtain on Living Arrangement

Aidan Morris, Sebastian Berhalter — Aidan Morris (left) has welcomed Sebastian Berhalter (right) and Max Arfsten to his house. | Trevor Wilkinson/MI News/Getty Images

Instead of securing individual housing arrangements, the trio is all sharing Morris’s abode, with the longtime friends and former Columbus Crew trio linking up with each other to usher in the new season.

All set to be 25 years old in November, none of the players are married, and Arfsten and Berhalter’s partners have not made their way over to England yet. According to The Athletic, Morris has treated the duo to the British classic of Nandos, a Portuguese-style chicken restaurant, while also showing the new duo around the city.

Unfortunately, there haven’t been any new Taylor Swift dancing TikToks on Berhalter’s page, which has grown in popularity since the move thanks to a 2020 video he made alongside Morris. However, a U.S. Soccer interview of him singing George Ezra’s “Budapest” from 2025 has started to re-emerge among the fanbase.

“We’re trying to stay tidy. We cooked Aidan dinner last night—pasta and some salad,” Berhalter told The Athletic. “We’re doing our best. He’s been great. We’re so lucky to have him. You’re going to have to ask him if he enjoyed our food.”

Pushing for Promotion

Max Arfsten is hoping to help Middlesbrough to the Premier League. | Trevor Wilkinson/MI News/NurPhoto/Getty Images

After missing out on Premier League promotion by losing to Hull City in the EFL Championship play-off final last season—benefiting from Southampton’s disqualification from the spy-gate scandal—the club is aiming high this season.

Berhalter and Arfsten’s first showing gave glimpses of what they may be able to contribute, especially as it came against a Wrexham side dreaming of the next tier after a heartbreaking end to a 2025–26 promotion bid as well.

It was clear the duo won’t need much time to get up to speed, bringing match fitness and rhythm into their debut, while Morris works his way back from injury ahead of the league opener against Lincoln City on Saturday.

This season, at least four U.S. players—Fulham’s Antonee Robinson, Bournemouth’s Tyler Adams, Leeds United’s Brenden Aaronson and Crystal Palace’s Chris Richards—are set to play in the Premier League. And while Zavier Gozo, Real Salt Lake’s 18-year-old phenom, looks to be joining Richards as well, the new Middlesbrough trio are hoping to add another three to that total for next season.

Middlesbrough, as a club, was founded 100 years after the United States gained its independence, and is celebrating its 150th birthday this season. As the U.S. celebrated 250 years since separating from Britain, an American takeover in England could be in the cards.

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