The soccer analyst believes that the Norwich City forward needs to find the right balance between his performances for club and country
Sargent's impressive club form contrasts with USMNT strugglesLalas emphasizes the importance of translating club success to international levelSargent hasn’t scored for the USMNT since 2019Getty Images EntertainmentWHAT HAPPENED
Josh Sargent continues to shine for Norwich City, recently netting a dramatic stoppage-time winner against West Bromwich Albion. However, his performances for the USMNT in the recent CONCACAF Nations League matches didn’t quite hit the same heights. This inconsistency caught the attention of Alexi Lalas, who tackled the topic on his State of the Union podcast, acknowledging the frustrating gap between Sargent’s club form and his national team contributions.
“This is where the Josh Sargent discussion gets interesting,” Lalas said. “He’s having a hell of a year, and we always talk on S about looking at things through Red, White, and Blue-colored glasses. What American players do at their clubs matters, but ultimately, there’s a direct line to what they do for the national team.”
Lalas stressed that while Sargent was handed the No. 9 role during the recent USMNT window, he struggled to make an impact – though so did the team as a whole. “He didn’t produce in a system that didn’t produce, so it’s not all on him,” Lalas noted. “But when Josh Sargent scores a goal, the American in me says, ‘Hey, that’s great – an American scoring goals, no matter the level.’ I love to see that.”
Still, Lalas couldn’t ignore the lingering concerns about Sargent’s ability to replicate that success for the USMNT. “But the other part of me says, ‘OK, fool me once.’ This is a player who still hasn’t consistently translated his club form to the national team. So while I’m happy for him, my excitement is tempered until he proves he can do it in the Red, White, and Blue.”
AdvertisementWHAT ALEXI LALAS SAID
The former USMNT defender further added that Sargent needs to figure out a balance between his performances for club and country.
“And I totally get why the reaction from many out there, ‘Yeah, that’s fine and well but you didn’t do it for the national team’. And if you’re going to be an international, in this case, Sargent is an international, there is going to have to be a balance. And we’ve said times that just because you’re playing well for your club, doesn’t mean it necessarily translates to the national team. And by the way, the opposite is true too, just because your playing like crap at the club team, doesn’t mean you can’t come into the national team and do great things," he continued.
“Josh Sargent has been far from doing even great things when it comes to the national team and that’s why I think that there is this tempered balance type of opinion when he does something like that. And it shouldn’t only apply to Sargent."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Sargent has been in superb form for Norwich City this season, netting 13 goals for the Canaries in 25 league appearances out of which nine have come in his last 11 games. However, in contrast, the USMNT international has scored just 5 goals in 28 caps for the team, with his last goals coming against Cuba in November 2019.
Getty Images SportWHAT’S NEXT?
Following their win over West Bromwich Albion, Norwich City have moved back into the race for a promotion playoff spot and are five points behind sixth place Baggies. They face Plymouth Argyle next on April 4 on the road before hosting Sunderland at Carrow Road on April 8 and then go back on the road to face third-place side Burnley on April 11.