Report: USMNT starlet Josh Sargent nears first-team debut with Werder Bremen

Despite already having three caps with the United States Men’s National Team, Josh Sargent has yet to make his first-team debut at the club level, Werder Bremen. Well, if Werder Bremen Sporting Director Thomas Schaaf is to be believed, that will be changing in the very near future.

“I think it will not be long,” Schaaf told German television channel Sport1 (via Goal.com). “We know what we have with him.”

The 18-year-old striker has scored five goals in nine appearances with Werder Bremen II in the Regionalliga Nord (fourth division). He was recently left off the latest USMNT roster in order to stay with his club, a decision that appears to have paid off.

Sargent’s experienced a meteoric rise over the past few years, beginning with standout performances at the U-17 national team level. After a surprise inclusion on the 2017 U-20 World Cup roster, he claimed the tournament’s Silver Boot with four goals and an assist. The St. Louis native scored his first senior international goal in May’s 3-0 friendly victory over Bolivia.

The jump to earning playing time in the Bundesliga is the next logical step up for Sargent’s career. Thus far, he has responded to every challenge with aplomb and is considered a centerpiece for the national team’s current youth movement. If he’s able to score consistently with Bremen’s first team, then he has a chance to challenge Jozy Altidore for the top spot in the striker rotation.