When Josh Sargent began to break through with the U.S. youth national teams, American soccer fans quickly anointed him as a future star. He had everything you'd want out of a modern striker. The key, though, would be when it would all click together. He had the talent, but at what point would that potential combine with experience to produce a true star striker?
Over the last few years, many thought that day may not truly come. An ill-advised club decision stalled Sargent's career before it really started. A move to the Premier League then came a bit too soon. Sargent made it all the way to the 2022 World Cup roster, of course, but as a puzzle piece, not as the star of the show.
Now, staring down another chance at a major tournament, it's all starting to finally come together for the 24-year-old. Sargent is starting to look like the player that many believed would dominate at the highest levels of the game. It could be argued that Sargent is the world's most in-form striker at the moment, and there's no bias to that statement. Aside from perhaps Harry Kane, there's no No.9 in the world right now running up numbers like Sargent.
The American has found his feet at club level, and he's beginning to reach the heights many expected of him. As a result, it appears he's heading for a big summer. Big clubs are taking notice of his success with Norwich this season, while on the international stage, Sargent has turned a two-horse race for the USMNT's starting striker berth into a three-horse race ahead of the Copa America. As things stand, he may just be in the lead, too.
Sargent, then, is having a career-altering season, and it's coming at the right time for both him and his national team.
