Pre-match: US v Ecuador, Oct 10 2025

Let me really be specific, and specify my take right here, ahead of time.

I am Sargent backer and a consistent one. Despite that, and despite predicting ahead of time that he'd struggle w/o a central playmaker to provide him balls to finish in the box, I still can't justify an inclusion in the October window under any circumstances save injuries to Balo AND Pepi. If Pepi and Balo both are out, well, okay, then call him 2 or 3 of Sargent, Wright, Agyemang, and Downs, but if one or both of Balo and Pepi are a go, I'm 1000% leaving Sargent behind, period. He's played with these teammates in '21, in '22 at the WC, and in fall '24 and in '25. He knows his teammates, he just largely has not gotten it done beyond an offsides goal and a bad luck post last March. It's time to give his minutes to Pepi (whose always been better), or Downs (who might be, at least with this group of player, he's certainly been more dangerous anyway), once we get to the human racquet ball wall, Agyemang, I think start to make throat clearing noises, as I saw more than enough from him to move on this past summer, but even acknowledging that truth, Agyemang was actually god in january and march, whereas Sargent hasn't actually looked good since '21-'22 and even then he mostly did not look good.

So yeah, I don't care how many goals he scores the next month, he's not on my call up list, barring a litany of injuries. He knows Pulisic, McKennie, Adams, Balo, and Weah, he's played with them all, he doesn't need to be integrated quickly if we have another year of catastrophic striker injuries at the top of the position group like we had in '24-'25. It's time to move on this cycle barring that horror, and I am nearly 100% sure Poch has even less complimentary thoughts than I currently do, and again, I'm a Sargent backer, but I can't just ignore window after window where he's an active negative like this. He would need to be doing what Tillman does with club, or what Reyna or Weah does in the shirt, regardless of club form, for me to change my mind, and he isn't doing either of those things.

 

Before the September window, I said it was Sargent's chance to change the narrative and make an impression.

He didn't do so.

If Pepi is healthy (which I'm increasingly worried about)..........................I go with Balogun, Pepi, and Wright for October.

 

Sargent got 60 minutes this window. Yes he didn't score. But he played ok. Not like he was terrible. Surely Balo is #1 and Pepi is #2 if fit.

If I had to set the roster today I still have Sargent as my #3. He can play wing. He's better defensively than any striker in the pool.

 

The main issue with Sargent is that he's only produced in Championship for a long while now and he has had multiple chances. It's dire at this point. It's frankly ridiculous. His tool set always looked like the best in the pool. Yet, it's not happening outside of Championship.

The second issue is that Championship level strikers are a dime a dozen in the pool.

That's just not a recipe for success.

 

I'd normally agree, but I just read a backheeled article chock full on video that has Josh not really doing much of that at all against South Korea. A lot of folks had called him out for poor play against Panama, and they were right.

I expected him to come in like his hair is on fire, but he looks like he was either one of the guys that Tyler said was missing triggers or just didn't want to press. Our frontline made it really easy on Korea.

 

But he didn't press against SK, even while his teammates near him were. I saw no intention from him to try to press--just a lot of jogging around holding space, not even trying to block passing lanes. Call it what you want, but it wasn't pressing.

EDIT: I see you and I posted pretty much the same thing at the same time!

 

Agree. I didn't really notice in the game but just read Lowery's article and while I remember one specific moment he did in the game ... he clearly was not much of it.

He is a good presser for Norwich. He was a good presser for us. I don't really get it at all -- Tyler said the team was missing pressing triggers, but you'd think of all people Sargent wouldn't be confused on that.

You'd also think after missing the Gold Cup, he'd come in and overplay if anything.

I dunno. Maybe the pressing triggers were too complex. I doubt it; that's never really been Pochettino's thing. Maybe because other people were missing them, Sargent held back, too -- no much worse than just half your team pressing. Maybe he's so in his head about scoring, he's let other parts of his game slip for the US.

But yeah, it looks like he just doesn't give a shit a lot of times, including in some of the lead up to the goals.

And on the second goal, we all have seen Berhalter get frozen, neither pressuring nor really clogging the passing lane, but when you see it from higher, you see both Pulisic and Sargent weirdly back off the passer -- who is already between them and the goal -- even though they are right there and could pressure this pass.

They both literally go to cut off the passing lane back out to the centerback almost forcing the player to attack the goal. It's really kind of mindblowing. Were they kind of hoping for a dumb pass that led to a break for them instead of closing down someone in between their lines? It's like someone gambling for a steal in basketball and letting a guy in for an easy dunk.

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If either simply go for the ball, I really doubt that pass gets through. It might not even be attempted.

 

I'm sure Big Pat will improve but i recall during the Turkiye match Demiral just licking his chops everytime the ball came to Pats feet. He was not ready for an international level defender.

Not sure Sarge would do better but if we're chasing a goal late I'd prefer someone who at least is consistently poking the ball in the back of the net.

 

Big Pat was playing with a hernia. He still managed 5 goals in 800 minutes. This includes a goal against Canada whose centerbacks play for Nice and Rangers.

 

Remember Luna's quote? "It's 90 minutes of hundreds of moments, and you've got to execute on each one." I'm thinking that's something he heard from Poch.

Josh did not have a single shot in the SK game and the rest of the team had 17 shots. His defense will not cut it.

 

i think this is the blatantly obvious and exact rationale for his exclusion. i think the way he plays the game is inherently incompatible with how we play (and "how we play" covers a very, very broad spectrum). he just doesnt fit. i dont believe its a lack of club to country translation (ie malik before the gc, cardoso).

he hasnt been hard done by in any way. hes had the same range of service every one of our other strikers have had. every one of our managers have one out of their way to give him chances. despite injuries, he has consistently been in strong form over the last two full seasons continuing into this one.

we "know" sarge w/the nats fully and completely. its not form, its not comfort, its not a string of bad lack, its not a lack of chances.

i dont have a strong argument for or against anyone else (beyond personal preferences and speculation) at the "third" st spot. but even without pepi and/or balo sarge doesnt become a more viable option.

 

In the debate over who should be the final striker in the squad, Haji Wright actually has the advantage of scoring in a World Cup as a substitute striker. Against the Netherlands too.

Flukish, maybe? But if I recall, immediately after the goal at 2-1, Pulisic also completely misplayed a pass with Wright in on goal.

 

apply your own logic for pat to sarge.

who has never shown the ability to score against "international" level cbs, even at any of his clubs.

 

I will at least give Sargent the fact that our O didn't start clicking until we moved to 3CBs... it really does change the passing lanes and a striker is heavily dependent on service. However, I have watched him a ton for Norwich and he displays a level of confidence that is just absent when he wears the crest. Like he can't get out of his own head.

AAR... Balogun and Pepi are clearly our best options at striker and right now I would go with Wright and Downs before Sargent.

 

Interesting thing about Sarge to me is that he was active and played well against Panama. He hit the post with one strike (was on frame and a defender deflected it onto the post), and he scored one with a nice finish that was called back for offsides (the offsides was in the buildup and had nothing to do with his nice finish). What would the prevailing sentiment be if either of those two turned out differently? It's a game of inches, which is why just counting goals in such a small sample size can lead you astray. He was ineffective against SK and he's still behind Balogun and Pepi in our pool, but he's far and away ahead of the others for #3 in my book.

 

At some point we have to stop giving Sargent "moral victories" for "almost scoring" against teams like Panama.

Josh Sargent's goals per cap rate is frickin' 0.17

A smidge lower than central midfielders like Weston McKennie's 0.18

That's a lower goals per cap rate than frickin' Paul Arriola had for the USMNT.

Could he make the roster for this window? Of course. Could he make the World Cup roster? Of course. We're not particularly deep at center forward.

But it also wouldn't surprise me if Poch gives some other guys a chance in October.

Goals per cap rates for active USMNT center forwards with 4 or more goals.

Jesus Ferreira 0.65
Patrick Agyemang 0.42
Ricardo Pepi 0.39
Brandon Vazquez 0.36
Folarin Balogun 0.32
Haji Wright: 0.29
Jordan Morris 0.20
Josh Sargent 0.17

During Poch's tenure Pepi has been out, Balogun has been out, Vazquez is out, Wright missed significant time with injury, Jordan Morris is out, Ageymang is now out with a hernia, Ferreira is now playing more as a playmaker....................and Josh Sargent hasn't taken advantage of those absences.

BY the way, Josh Sargent hasn't scored against the teams that frickin' Jesus Ferreira has. Jesus Ferreira has scored against Panama in multiple competitions that mattered. Gold Cup, World Cup Qualifying, etc. A beautiful individual effort in the Gold Cup. So don't tell me about Josh Sargent almost scoring against Panama.

STOP MAKING EXCUSES FOR JOSH SARGNT. He needs to put the damn ball in the back of the net. We struggle to score goals. We aren't starting a center forward because of his defense and ability to hold the ball up alone.

 

Balogun--6 goals 4 assists in 1200 minutes. This includes tallies against Germany, Canada, Colombia, and Japan.
Pepi--13 goals 3 assists in 1600 minutes. This includes tallies against Canada and Mexico.
Wright -- 5 goals 1 assist in 600 minutes. This includes tallies against Morocco and the Netherlands.
Big Pat--5 goal in 800 minutes. This includes a goal against Canada.

Take all 4 to the Cup. In 343. Balogun and Wright could also play inside forward.

As for the rest, we have:
Cowell--still waiting for him to get it together. his physical tools are too good not for him to come good at some point
Sargent--maybe next cycle.
Downs---still developing.
Darren Yapi--not ready.

 

exactly the same, for me.

and "small sample size" is grossly subjective at this point. as i said before, we have seen him in close to every scenario and context imaginable.

you (not you specifically) have to create a fantastical, wholly unrealistic scenario to even make that argument. ie 6 straight matches over three normal camps with our first team fully fit and form in an established setup/style of play. in terms of both him and the surrounding players.

so "small sample size" is...not an argument i find compelling in the least.

 

Heck, based on our current goal-scoring challenges, I wouldn't yet count out Brian White.
14 goals in 19 MLS games this season. I'd put him behind your top 4 there, but still in that next group.

Heck, I wouldn't count him out of this camp if Pepi isn't yet fit.
And if Downs ain't ready, then Downs ain't ready.

Sargent will keep himself in the mix if he keeps playing like he is in club soccer. But at SOME POINT he has to score for the freakin' national team. Have it ricochet off his butt accidentally or something. For Pete's sake!!

 

When will Logan Farrington get the #9 shirt for FCD?

 

i will not stand for this brian white erasure!

im not nearly as convinced by agyemang as you are, but im open to the possibility because it fits what poch is trying to do. if, at the end of the day with him (final whistle of our wc), his quality/effectiveness just isnt enough i can live with that. we have what we have.

my strong (but certainly not passionate) preference for wright as the current 3rd is a combination of experience/success at solid levels and (future wc) roster constraints.

i admittedly have my eyes on the world cup more than any of the individual camps we have before then. and i think prioritizing pat in those makes complete sense. haji basically is what he is at this point.

...but with that wc focus on my part, its hard to imagine any scenario where both agyemang and wright are justifiable on that roster. by poch, any of us, certainly for me. we simply have too many gk/backline deficiencies to compensate for. even with an extended roster 2 of those spots will almost certainly be a 5th cb and 5th cb.

its hard for me to look at it in any terms other than pats potential improvement has to "beat out" wrights baseline by the end of the march window, including the positional flexibility haji has at a position of need for us (however mediocre that is).

 

ffs man, you just went off on making excuses for sarge, and youre literally making excuses for sarge.

 

I'm giving the benefit of the doubt to anyone who can play through a hernia and score goals at the rate of Big Pat.

He's an excellent veteran MLS striker.

 

They also play around half of their games in Guayaquil, which is at sea level. Bolivia, they’re not.

If they bring a full squad, we’ll definitely get a real measure of whether or not the US has progressed. They are much better than when we have played them in the past.