Norwich City doesn’t have much going for it in Premier League play this season, but hopefully Josh Sargent’s return to action could give the Canaries a needed spark.
Dean Smith’s side visit Crystal Palace on Tuesday, aiming to start a surge up the league table ahead of the new year. Sargent made his return to action on Sunday in a 5-0 loss to Arsenal, playing 72 minutes from the start of an eventual lopsided defeat. The U.S. men’s national team striker only has two goals to his name at Carrow Road this season, with both of those coming in the early rounds of the Carabao Cup. Sargent’s need for goals will not only be important for Norwich City, but for the striker to get his name back in consideration for USMNT involvement as World Cup Qualifying resumes in late-January.
Elsewhere, Christian Pulisic and Chelsea host Brighton & Hove Albion in Premier League play while Antonee Robinson, Tim Ream and Fulham visit Reading in the EFL Championship. Reggie Cannon and Boavista face off with Guimaraes in Portuguese league play this week, with the American defender hoping to stay in the starting lineup.
Here is a closer look at this week’s Americans Abroad:
England
PREMIER LEAGUE
Christian Pulisic and Chelsea host Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday.
Josh Sargent and Norwich City visit Crystal Palace on Tuesday.
Zack Steffen and Manchester City visit Brentford on Wednesday.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson and Fulham visit Reading on Wednesday.
Duane Holmes and Huddersfield visit Ethan Horvath and Nottingham Forest on Thursday.
Matthew Olosunde and Preston North End’s scheduled match with West Bromwich Albion on Thursday is postponed.
LEAGUE ONE
Lynden Gooch and Sunderland host Sheffield Wednesday on Thursday.
Portugal
PRIMEIRA LIGA
Reggie Cannon and Boavista visit Guimaraes on Wednesday.
Alex Mendez and FC Vizela visit Maritimo on Tuesday.
Turkey
CUP
DeAndre Yedlin and Galatasaray host Denizlispor on Tuesday.
Haji Wright and Antalyaspor host Giresunspor on Tuesday.
Josh is interesting.
He’s been playing in the BL and the EPL on a regular basis for a few years now. 105 games combined for both teams since 2019.
His teams did not/do not rely on him to score goals but rather as a support player for that person.
And in that role he is a regular.
But Werder Bremen and Norwich are both beyond terrible and especially offensively challenged. One can argue that few, if any players , were they to change places with him, would score any goals.
And it is reasonable to assume that this affects his national team performances.
Right now he doesn’t look like the USMNT’s favorite forward but I wonder if he could get a move to a team that had any kind of offensive potency could he come anywhere near to playing the way we all hoped he would?
I would like to see him in the Dutch league with a team other than Ajax. PSC? Herenveen?
That would be a step down.
And even if he tore up the league his detractors would just say that it doesn’t mean anything because Jozy tore up the league too.
It’s amazing how Jozy all by his lonesome self utterly devalued and delegitimized an entire league.
That’s quite an accomplishment.
That is a league that has had players like Robin Van Persie, Dennis Bergkamp, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, and Luis Suarez just to name four not bad forwards who came from there.
Josh can’t win really. He’s not a bright and shiny new toy anymore like Dike, or Hoppe or Pepi, though I notice that all three have cooled off just a bit from their greatest thing since sliced bread days.