It was a busy and productive week for Josh Sargent and Norwich City.
The Canaries earned four points out of six available after tying Leeds United 1-1 and defeating Hull City 4-0. Sargent scored twice for the club, continuing a fast start to the EFL Championship season and earning SBI Americans Abroad Player of the Week honors.
Sargent’s 15th minute penalty kick on Tuesday helped the Canaries claim one point against visiting Leeds United. Despite coughing up two points in the second half, Norwich City will be happy to continue its unbeaten run.
Sargent was at it again on Saturday as Johannes Hoff Thorup’s squad made it four matches unbeaten. His one-time finish extended the hosts lead to 2-0 in the first half before the Canaries added two additional goals after halftime.
The 24-year-old now heads into U.S. men’s national team duty on a positive run of form.
With four goals and three assists in nine league outings this season, Sargent has been one of the Canaries better players yet again.
Here is a look at some of the other top Americans Abroad performers from this past week:
Christian Pulisic
Another Serie A weekend, another goal for in-form attacker Christian Pulisic.
Pulisic scored the tying goal for AC Milan in a 1-1 road draw with Fiorentina on Sunday. The USMNT forward has now scored in each of his last four league appearances, continuing what has been a career-best run of form for him.
Now Pulisic heads into USMNT duty for the first time under Mauricio Pochettino.
Paxten Aaronson
Back-to-back goalscoring performances for Paxten Aaronson have helped FC Utrecht remain in the top-two in the Eredivisie.
Aaronson’s belting left-footed finish on Saturday helped FC Utrecht to a 3-2 home victory over RKC Waalwijk. The Eintracht Frankfurt loanee has scored in back-to-back weeks, continuing to show his final-third abilities on a consistent basis.
With six wins out of seven to start the league season, FC Utrecht and Aaronson are certainly riding high.
Folarin Balogun
Saturday marked a day of mixed emotions for Folarin Balogun.
The USMNT forward scored for the third-straight match as Monaco defeated Rennes 2-1 away from home. However, he left the match in the second half due to an upper body injury, which has ruled him out of international duty.
It his a huge blow to Balogun, who started to hit his groove in recent weeks.
Auston Trusty
Celtic’s unbeaten start to the Scottish Premiership campaign continued Sunday with a 2-1 comeback result over Ross County.
Auston Trusty delivered his best 90 minutes yet in a Celtic shirt, as he continues to fill in for the injured Cameron Carter-Vickers. Trusty completed 104 passes, won eight duels, and made two interceptions as Brendan Rodgers’ men moved to 21 points this season.
What did you think of these individual performances this past weekend? Was there anyone left off the list that you would’ve added?
Share your thoughts below.
I’d personally take odds Sargent wins the starting job outright under Pochettino. The first thing you have to have to start for Pochettino is the willingness to run and rip your lungs out…and Sargent’s the most active and relentless presser we have in our striker pool and his work rate is exceptional. If that happens, I could see Balogun moving to LW and Pulisic to RW where he plays for AC Milan to get both guys on the field. Both are guys who will certainly play in the inside channels at those positions and that’s what Pochittino seems to want, with the fullbacks coming up and and providing width playing basically as wingbacks in a 3-5-2 in possession. His scheme only morphs into a 4-2-3-1 when defending.
What fascinated me about Pochettino’s scheme is that in his usual 4-2-3-1, when in possession, one of the 6’s becomes a forward shuttler whose job is to advance the ball, and the other 6 serves as a defender who drops back and effectively becomes the CB in a 3-man backline. And right here’s where I’d expect Aidan Morris and especially Tanner Tessmann to start making cases for themselves because Poch wants that defensive mid to be clean on the ball, capable of winning physical challenges, very good with their long passing, and very press-resistant, aware, and good at reading the game. It’s hard to see Tyler Adams not having a spot when he gets back…but Adams’ problem is that he’s not particularly good in the ball, his passing range is not great, and he’s not at all press-resistant…so he doesn’t really fit Poch’s scheme though Poch will love his work rate and range. But I do think Morris and Tessmann likely have the most to be excited about as far as opportunity knocking.
I wouldn’t write off Zendejas either. Gregg didn’t have a clue what to do with him but he fits Poch’s fluid, interchanging attacking scheme far better than he did Gregg’s rigidly up-and-down-the-railroad-tracks one. Zendejas also likes playing in the inside channels, he’s nifty in tight spaces and exceptionally technical, and he’s also a relentless presser. I think he’ll get a good long look at RW and I think he may well stick this time.
Clearly, missing a penalty, is not as bad when the result is not in doubt, as is not being allowed to take a spot kick while teammate insist on taking the pk, even though the coach has named you the pk taker. And they miss!
Pax sure seems more suited at CM then out on the wing. Hope he keeps it up.