It’s been a good start to 2024 for American forward Josh Sargent.
Sargent netted his sixth league goal of the season on Saturday to help spring a comeback 2-1 EFL Championship victory for Norwich City. The U.S. men’s national team striker equalized for the Canaries in the 60th minute before Borja Sainz scored a winning goal against Coventry City.
Despite conceding an opening goal to Coventry’s Victor Torp early in the second half, Norwich battled back through Sargent’s equalizer. The 23-year-old slotted home on the hour mark to make it 1-1 with 30 minutes to play.
The visiting Sky Blues were reduced to 10 men in the 71st minute and Norwich City took advantage only 13 minutes later. Sainz finished off Ashley Barnes’ assist for the Canaries winning goal, moving them level with the Sky Blues on 44 points apiece.
Sargent led all players in chances created (3) and dribbles completed (4), while also winning nine of 11 duels. Saturday marked his goalscoring performance in his last six appearances at club level.
Up next for Norwich City is a trip to struggling QPR on February 10.
Quozzel,
Sargent is in a very nice run of form. Agreed, he is on the path to get called in for the March 2024 roster.
With Teemu Pukki moving on after last season, and when healthy, Sargent has earned a lot more playing time as the #9 this season. How much of Sargent’s play this season is reflective of playing in the Championship? If on a mid table team in the EPL, would his productivity translate?
2tone,
Agreed, Pepi has cooled off since having a decent run of form in November / December, and Balogun has not been able to find a rhythm this season or replicate his productivity from last season.
Vazquez played 83 minutes last night in his first “big game” in Liga MX vs Club America. He was pretty quiet. I am really glad Vazquez got off to a good start for Monterrey, but I believe the true litmus test for him will be his performances against the 5 or 6 “big clubs” in Liga MX.
Pepi was not in the game day roster vs Ajax due to injury.
Quozzel and 2 tone,
As of right now, which of the aforementioned 4 players should be called up this coming March?
Sargent’s game translates upwards, IMHO. He’s still a work in progress but he’s a lot better now than he was the last time he was in the Prem. He always had good movement, good understanding, good technical ability, and good physical tools, but his finishing was terrible and he had the yips something awful. His last go-around in the Prem, he’d do everything right…right up until the moment he was in on goal and would scuff it from three yards in front of the net. He’s not completely there yet – if he was he would have had that hat trick yesterday – but he’s also not that skittish guy struggling with his confidence anymore either. I’ll go back to: he really, really reminds me of (a poor man’s) Karim Benzema, and I think he’ll continue to get better for awhile.
The thing I like most about Sargent is: he’s ambitious. He tries the big runs and the hard technical stuff. He doesn’t always pull it off but you can see him getting closer and closer. (The difference between him and Benzema is, Benzema pulls that audacious stuff off more often than not, Josh not yet.) Herc Gomez insists Sargent’s the most-talented #9 in our pool…I dunno about that, but he’s right there with Pepi and Balogun and I think it’s put-’em-into-a-hat-and-pick-em to see which one ends up having the best career. And I think when healthy those are the three you call right now.
I do like Brandon Vasquez and Haji Wright a lot too. I’d personally put Wright on the roster if I was to put it together tomorrow…as a left winger/striker. I expect to see more 4-4-2 and possibly 3-5-2 from us going forwards, and if you’re going to roll out two strikers it’s good to have four guys who can play the spot and Wright gives you both that fourth winger and fourth striker in one guy. He’s definitely in far better form than Brendan Aaronson at the moment, and so it’d be between Aaronson and Zendejas for that last winger spot. (I’d personally lean in Zendejas’s direction at the moment, at least until Aaronson finds his feet again. So…yes, as of right now, I’d leave Aaronson out.)
Vasquez is probably the fifth striker on my list at the moment, and unlike Wright, he’s a pure #9 who can play nowhere else. Which leaves him out at present, though if he goes into Beast Mode with Monterrey that could change too. If any of Balogun/Sargent/Pepi are hurt I’d bring him. Because injuries do happen – I mean, Pepi’s out this second – I’d give Vasquez a fair chance at making Copa America.
Our big problem has been: we have a pretty good starting 11. We do not have impactful attacking players we can bring off the bench who can change a game. But that is starting to change.
Another thing to consider is, we can get away with only bringing three outside backs now with Robinson/Dest/Scally because Dest and Scally can play either side, and Weah and McKennie have played the RB spot for Juventus. That opens up a spot for another attacking player…so I do think we’ll bring three strikers while still bringing four wingers. FWIW.
I think you find that extra roster spot somewhere else given Dest’s red card frequency and both Dest and Robinson have had some injury history. At least in tournaments, in a friendly window sure why not. Weah played some straight FB time last year for Lille but I wouldn’t equate Wes’s time as a WB to even experience as a RB, especially in say a Copa America. I’d rather bring Lund or Reynolds, rather than have Weah or Wes move back and be replaced by Luca or Zendajas. When you have guys like Malik, Gio, and Brendan (eventually Luna) that can play central or wide that makes me feel better to leave one CM off instead of a FB. That’s why Gregg gets the big money and the fame though. I do hope if he wants to play with 2 CFs as he did against TnT that he brings a third.
“he’s a lot better now than he was the last time he was in the Prem.”
The last time Josh was in the Premier, Pukki was the #9. At that point, Josh was being used as a wing forward.
Josh is finally being allowed to play his “natural role” as an all around #9. He did a bit of that at Werder but during his time there they moved him all over the place. Even when they used him as a #9 it was a bit weird as they would ask him to shield the midfield, as a sort of a defensive #9.
Even though all that moving around might have made him a better all around player, it’s nice to see him back to “normal”.
JR,
“given Dest’s red card frequency and both Dest and Robinson have had some injury history.”
Frequency?
In his entire first team club career Dest has one red card. And his iconic red card vs TNT is Sergino’s only USMNT red card.
Vac, oops. I think you forgot about the game against Mexico. Dest got red there also. I think he has 2 red cards in his last 7 games for US.
Tele57,
You’re right I forgot about a game that was pretty hard to forget.
BJ’s first game managing, a semi against El Tri. Weston was also red carded for grabbing some guy by the throat, 2 players from both sides thrown out, 4 in all and the game ended with 8 minutes left in extra time due to homophobic chanting. Yeah, how could I forget that?
The TNT red card was a bit of a train wreck. You could see it coming for most of the game but in general I haven’t found Sergino to be a red card waiting to happen. So if it’s up to me I’m not worried about playing Sergino. He’s in a much better place today, having a great time in Eindhoven. Besides as good as he’s playing, he has to start somewhere for the USMNT.
The highlights are up on Youtube now. They’re worth the watch. My word Sargent was dominant. His movement was unreal; he was getting on the end of everything and was absolutely everywhere and in the middle of virtually every highlight in the first two-thirds of the reel. He was getting behind Coventry’s backline at will and was unlucky not to have three or four goals. Besides the one he did get Sargent also created the foul that drew the red that reduced Coventry to 10 men when he got behind them yet again and a fried Coventry defender hacked him down from behind in desperation.
Wright was quieter for Coventry but he did have some moments. They’re playing him as an inverted winger, and he does seem to be at his best when he can come from out wide, put the ball on his right foot, and drive from left to right. Also interestingly, they shifted him to CF after they went down to 10 men.
I’d put Sargent’s chances of making the next USMNT roster at pretty close to 100%. We can now get away with only bringing 3 outside backs. It’ll also be interesting to see if Wright makes the roster as a winger. He may.
Injured, I read.
He has been in good form. Unfortunately neither Pepi nor Balogun have been. Vazquez and Sargent are the two in form strikers at the moment.
Pepi wasn’t in the game day 18 today. Anyone have info as to why?