Profile

Josh
Sargent

Position Forward
Number 9
Date of Birth Feb 20 2000
Hometown O’Fallon, MO
Height 5' 10"
Club Werder Bremen (Germany)

As a young forward with natural goal-scoring ability and determination to keep improving his game, Josh Sargent has shown plenty of promise for a growing role with the U.S. Men’s National Team. A product of the U.S. Youth National Team setup, Sargent was a high-profile member of both the U-20 and U-17 MNTs at their respective 2017 FIFA World Cups, winning the Silver Boot in Korea Republic before captaining the younger side at their tournament in India. Those performances opened the door for him to sign for German Bundesliga side Werder Bremen, and it wasn’t long before he was scoring in his debut with the full U.S. Men’s National Team in May 2018. While still early in his professional career, Sargent has already carved out a number of notable moments for U.S. fans to be excited about.

EARLY YEARS

Josh was born in O'Fallon, Missouri, just outside of soccer-loving St. Louis, in February of 2000, making him among the youngest players currently in the MNT player pool. As a child, he played for Scott Gallagher Missouri, a U.S. Soccer Development Academy Club. Later, as a part of the U-17 MNT Residency Program, he turned heads at the 2016 Nike International Friendlies registering four goals and two assists while captaining the USA to the tournament title. A year later, he led the U-17s at the 2017 CONCACAF U-17 Championship, which saw him net five goals including two against Mexico. The team placed second in the tournament, securing a place at the U-17 World Cup in India later that year and setting the stage for what would be a Sargent's breakout year.

THE BREAKOUT

Just days after finishing his Concacaf duties with the U-17 MNT, Sargent was on a plane to South Korea after being named as the youngest player on the USA roster for the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Making his U-20 debut in the opening game of the World Cup, Sargent was unfazed by the rise in competition, scoring two goals in a 3-3 draw with Ecuador to become the youngest American to score at the tournament. He'd go on to score two more and claim the tournament's Silver Boot as the USA drove to the quarterfinals.

Returning to the U-17 MNT for their World Cup in India that fall, Sargent scored two more goals and captained the U.S. to a quarterfinal finish. On his way back from India, Sargent received notification that he had been called up to the MNT's year-end friendly against Portugal. While a minor injury kept him from taking part in the 1-1 draw, Sargent did become the first player to take part in U-17, U-20 and MNT camps in the same calendar year and capped 2017 by running away with U.S. Soccer's Young Male Player of the Year award.

His senior team debut wouldn't be far off...

THE MOVE

Scouted by a number of clubs since his performance at the 2016 Nike International Friendlies, Sargent took a liking to Bundesliga side Werder Bremen. Impressed with the club’s development plan for him and finding similarities between the city and his hometown of St. Louis, Sargent moved to Germany in early 2018 and officially signed with the club on his 18^th birthday that February.

Unable to play in official matches until the following season, he trained diligently with both the first team and Academy sides, biding his time until he became officially eligible at the start of the 2018-19 season.

Beginning with the club’s reserve side, Sargent started the campaign with an impressive seven goals in 12 matches. Just prior to the Bundesliga’s winter break, he was called up to the first team for a home match against Fortuna Düsseldorf and was inserted into the game with the team leading 2-1 late. Less than two minutes after entering, Sargent scored his first professional goal on his first touch, heading home a rebound from close range to ice that match at 3-1. Shortly after the game, Sargent earned a full-time promotion to the club’s first team.