Tommy Wilson can tell the story of Brenden Aaronson’s rise to the Philadelphia Union first team as a fighter’s tale. Wilson saw Aaronson’s talent before he saw Aaronson’s struggle, and he saw the young man build gritty, determined mental fortifications to combat his physical limitations. At the academy, Aaronson’s intelligence and touch were clear to even the casual observer. Equally clear, though, was his slight build and the ease with which he could be eased off the ball in the tight spaces he fearlessly took up.
In 2018, while playing for Bethlehem Steel, Aaronson’s collarbone was cracked by a hard tackle, and when he returned later in the season, replays showed him getting clocked in the face as he released a pass that became an assist.