Photograph Credit score – LASK
4 years since embarking on the primary membership transfer of his profession, American defender George Bello is flourishing within the Austrian Bundesliga.
Bello and his LASK teammates are rapidly getting ready for the resumption of their home schedule after having a six-week winter break. LASK will sq. off with city-rivals BW Linz within the quarterfinals of the Austrian Cup on Friday, searching for a spot within the semifinals for the sixth time prior to now eight seasons.
As well as, Bello and LASK may even proceed their push for a top-six end this spring once they resume league play in opposition to WSG Tirol on February 7. The membership at present sits second within the Bundesliga standings, three factors behind league-leading Crimson Bull Salzburg after 17 matches performed.
Bello praised the squad’s general togetherness in serving to them to a powerful first half of the season
“I feel there’s loads of features that go into it for certain, however I feel the primary factor was simply all of us coming collectively, getting nearer to one another, and understanding we every have a typical purpose,” Bello instructed SBI when requested about what led to LASK’s first-half success. “All of us have our particular person objectives, however I feel the primary factor was simply all of us actually coming collectively and taking part in as a crew, taking part in a mode that we need to play and executing it each single sport.
“We will’t wait to get kicked off once more, beginning with this cup match on Friday in opposition to a metropolis rival,” Bello added. We need to go as excessive as potential. We’re all in a very good scenario proper now, however we all know there’s nonetheless a protracted approach to go so we’re staying grounded as a result of we all know we haven’t been good at instances this season. For us, we simply have to maintain working arduous, keep humble, and good issues will occur.”
Bello is within the midst of his third season with LASK since becoming a member of the membership from German aspect Arminia Bielefeld in 2023. The 24-year-old wingback/left again has scored one purpose and added three assists in 17 appearances this season, persevering with what has been a productive spell in Austria.
He’s closing in on 100 appearances for LASK and 200 for his first-team as an entire after beforehand coming via the ranks of Atlanta United and that includes within the top-two divisions of Germany with Arminia Bielefeld. Bello has credited every cease of his membership profession thus far, revealing his unlucky back-to-back relegations with Bielefeld performed a serious function mentally in his improvement abroad.
“Each transfer has helped me out so much and I thank god to have stayed wholesome and play in as many matches as I’ve,” Bello mentioned. “Getting all of these matches beneath my belt has helped and given me confidence to continue learning. I’m nonetheless younger and I do know I nonetheless have so much to work on, however persevering with to earn these reps in a very good, aggressive league just like the Bundesliga has helped me for certain.
“Atlanta was my place to begin and being at Bielefeld the place I discovered a lot about being mentally sturdy due to every part that the membership and I went via throughout these instances additionally helped,” Bello mentioned. “I don’t remorse one bit going there from Atlanta. I feel I’ve been capable of develop as an individual and a participant in addition to being extra mature in each methods. So every step has given me a possibility to actually develop as a soccer participant, but in addition develop exterior of the soccer pitch too.”
Bello is at present one among simply two American gamers within the LASK squad, following Samuel Adeniran’s transfer to the membership final January. The Austrian Bundesliga has a small variety of People general compared to different of Europe’s prime leagues, with former DC United defender Donovan Pines additionally that includes usually for Grazer AK.
Though Bello doesn’t have many American connections in Austria, it hasn’t stopped him from having fun with the nation as an entire and relishing the competitiveness throughout the league. He thanked LASK for making his adjustment a snug one, particularly making the transfer from one European nation to a different.
“I felt like I used to be capable of get into the tradition right here actually quick,” Bello mentioned. “Already spending a while in Europe helped with that, however I’ve felt good right here, it’s felt like a second dwelling to me. I can’t complain, I felt snug the primary week I acquired right here in order that undoubtedly helped get my confidence again after some harder moments at Bielefeld.
“It’s good to have some People right here as effectively,” he added. “Pinesy [Donovan Pines] and I chatted earlier than our match in opposition to each other and we swapped our jerseys after. Once I was going dwelling for winter break, I additionally ran into him on the airport so we have been chopping it up. Austria is a gorgeous nation and never a nasty nation to play in in any respect.”
2026 won’t solely see the newest version of the FIFA World Cup come to United States soil, however it additionally marks 5 years since Bello made his U.S. males’s nationwide crew debut. Bello has earned seven USMNT caps thus far for his nation, along with his final coming in opposition to Grenada in November 2022 throughout Gregg Berhalter’s reign as head coach.
Mauricio Pochettino has since taken over for Berhalter, profitable 13 of his 22 matches in command of this system. The previous Tottenham, PSG, and Chelsea supervisor watched because the USMNT closed 2025 with a five-match unbeaten run, which included outcomes in opposition to Uruguay, Paraguay, Australia, and Japan.
Though Bello has but to function beneath Pochettino, he’s one among many gamers preventing to be a part of the USMNT’s last roster later this spring. Bello is aware of the significance of delivering a powerful second half of the season, understanding it may function a springboard again into the USMNT image.
“It’s a dream to signify your nation so it was a dream come true for me to play with them again then,” Bello mentioned about his USMNT experiences. “I haven’t been there for some time however that doesn’t form how I play. I need to maintain taking part in, maintain being humble, and know if I maintain taking part in effectively that I’ll get one other alternative.
“He’s equal,” Bello mentioned about Pochettino’s decision-making talents on USMNT rosters. “When you’re taking part in effectively, it doesn’t matter the place you play, you’ll get a possibility. It’s good for the U.S. as an entire heading into an enormous yr. I’m actually trying ahead to it, it’s a extremely good yr to work and a extremely thrilling yr for the nation to indicate our help in the direction of the game.”