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**USMNT Striker Search: Lalas Highlights Sargent’s Struggles, Hints at Championship League Options**

**[City, State] –** With the US Men’s National Team facing a persistent need for reliable strikers behind Folarin Balogun, former USMNT defender and FOX Sports analyst Alexi Lalas has weighed in on the current state of affairs.

Lalas particularly highlighted the situation of Josh Sargent, who experienced a strong start to the Championship season with Norwich City, even earning Player of the Month honors in August. However, according to Lalas, that form hasn’t translated to the national team, with a disappointing showing against South Korea in September. “We saw what happened with Josh Sargent,” Lalas stated on his podcast, “State of the Union”. “Now, Josh Sargent’s on the outs when it comes to the national team, and he’s struggling when it comes to the Championship with where Norwich is. So that’s not a good thing for club or country when it comes to Josh Sargent.”

Lalas also expressed skepticism regarding the reliability of club form translating seamlessly to international success, stating that “form is fallacy. It often is. Not always, but for the most part, it is.”

With Ricardo Pepi dealing with injury issues, Lalas believes Haji Wright, currently playing well, will continue to receive a look. He also suggested Pochettino might need to cast a wider net, even considering options from England’s second division like Derby County’s Patrick Agyemang, acknowledging that the U.S. is in a position where “beggars can’t be choosers.”

While American forwards like Wright, Sargent, Pepi, and Balogun have shown flashes of brilliance at the club level, none have definitively secured their spot in the national team setup. Balogun impressed during Copa América and against Japan. Pepi boasts a solid scoring record of 13 goals in 33 appearances when healthy. Agyemang has five goals in 12 appearances, while Wright and Sargent have combined for 10 goals in 46 appearances.

As the USMNT prepares for friendlies against Ecuador and Australia in October, manager Mauricio Pochettino will have opportunities to further evaluate options like Balogun, Wright, and potentially give Agyemang a look, in hopes of solidifying the team’s attacking depth.

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