USMNT: Josh Sargent getting closer to Bundesliga debut

Up and coming American striker and USMNT prospect Josh Sargent is nearing his Bundesliga debut as he continues to impress the coaching staff at Werder Bremen.

It has been only a brief time at Werder Bremen for Missouri native Josh Sargent but he is already having an impact. The American forward and USMNT hopeful only joined the German club earlier this year. That, though, has not stopped him, showing an eye for goal that can take him to the first team.

As the international break approaches, Sargent finds himself with an opportunity to impress manager Florian Kohfeldt when Bremen host a pair of friendlies during the break.

Since Sargent will not be heading to international duty for the United States Men’s National Team, this will serve as a way to show he deserves to get more first-team minutes.

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Sargent has been in impressive form as of late, scoring four goals in five matches for the U-23 second team. The 18-year-old has been clinical in his finishing and has been using the momentum from his first USMNT goal in May to his advantage. There appears to be little stopping his progression to earning more playing time with the first team.

When Bremen host their friendlies next week, Sargent would be playing against a club from the Dutch Eredivisie as well as a German third-tier side. These will be good tests for him if he sees the playing field. Sargent has yet to really show what he has against first-team, top-flight European football clubs. As such, he can use the upcoming matches as a way into the possibility of reaching that level this season.

Where can he find minutes?

In turn, the Bundesliga debut may come sooner than later for Sargent this season. Bremen have a fairly decent pair of strikers they can turn to, including summer signing Davy Klaasen. Veteran Claudio Pizarro is another player that provides quality at the centre-half position. However, after those players, Bremen don’t truly have many other outright options in reserve. As a result, this is where Sargent could come in and make a difference.

Overall, it is more likely that Sargent could see his debut in a non-friendly fixture in the DFB Pokal. Bremen have an October match on Halloween in the domestic cup and that could be where we see him get a role as either a starter or a substitute.

By the time the winter break in the Bundesliga occurs, it will be interesting to see if Sargent might be pulled into the first team for the remainder of the season. Bremen have done a good job of ushering him into the club and their style of play as he still continues to get a grasp at European football.

The decision to not allow Sargent to play in the USMNT international friendlies by the club shows they do not want to lose the striker to injury or overwork him early in the season. This may point to future plans in the campaign to utilize Sargent on the first team. But, for now, we will have to remain patient to see his Bundesliga debut.