Clint Dempsey says fans should be excited to watch USMNT in World Cup
Former USMNT player Clint Dempsey urges fans to get excited after the team’s strong Gold Cup showing.
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It was a subdued weekend for Americans Abroad, with many key players only fleetingly involved after lengthy travel and quick turnarounds in the wake of the international break.
That break also resulted in injuries for two U.S. men’s national team fixtures in Christian Pulisic and Malik Tillman, while Antonee Robinson continues to struggle with a knee issue that kept him out for Fulham this weekend.
Even though many USMNT regulars were quiet this weekend, several players left off the October roster turned in encouraging displays.
We’ll kick off this week with one player who very much was on the October squad, and is continuing to make the most of his chances for club and country.
Let’s get to the Five.
Balo keeps rolling
Folarin Balogun continued the momentum he built up with the USMNT upon his return to Monaco, scoring off the bench in the club’s 1-1 draw with Angers on Saturday.
Balogun has taken firm control of the USMNT striker role, scoring in both the September and October windows while some of his major competitors (save Haji Wright) have tailed off.
But club consistency has been hard to find for the 24-year-old since his move to Monaco, as injuries and spotty form have slowed his progress.
Balogun’s goal showcased the best of his abilities, as he found a pocket of space between defenders, muscled off a challenge and buried a low drive to put Monaco in front.
Pepi and Dest looking healthy
Ricardo Pepi and Sergiño Dest missed October camp with minor injuries, but the PSV duo both look to be on track to earn call-ups next month.
Pepi and Dest both saw the pitch in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Go Ahead Eagles, the former coming off the bench for the final 20 minutes and the latter playing the full match.
Dest actually managed to start PSV’s last game before the international break, so his participation wasn’t a surprise. But for Pepi, who’s gotten off to a slow start in his first campaign as PSV’s undisputed starter, returning to the field was a major boost.
With Balogun in strong form and Wright impressing with the USMNT this month, Pepi needs to kick into gear in a hurry.
Banks back in the XI
If Noahkai Banks wants to push for a World Cup spot, earning a November call-up after being left off this month will be imperative.
And if Banks wants to get a November call-up, keeping hold of his starting role at Augsburg will be imperative. So when the 18-year-old was in Augsburg’s lineup on Saturday against FC Köln — just his second start of the season — it was a hugely positive sign.
Banks was steady, not stellar in a 1-1 draw, but the teenager has now started back-to-back games in which Augsburg earned four of the seven points it has accumulated in the league all season.
It’s unlikely head coach Sandro Wagner is going to mess with that formula, which should mean more opportunities for Banks to make his case.
Sargent slump continues
After a red-hot start to the season, the goals have dried up for Norwich City star Josh Sargent.
Sargent posted his sixth consecutive goalless match on Saturday as the Canaries fell 1-0 to Bristol City for their third straight loss.
The striker was hardly involved despite playing 90 minutes against Bristol, posting just 29 touches, completing five of eight passes and managing one shot.
After Sargent scored in all five of his opening games, his drought has been poorly timed for his USMNT chances after he was dropped for the team’s October matches.
Reyna returns
Gio Reyna did not do much in his 30 minutes off the bench in Borussia Mönchengladbach’s 3-1 defeat to Union Berlin on Friday.
But after missing two games with a muscle injury, simply returning to the field was essential for Reyna as he pushes for a World Cup roster spot that increasingly appears to be slipping away.
There’s no reason a healthy Reyna can’t be a weekly starter for a Gladbach team now at the foot of the Bundesliga table and in dire need of the kind of creativity the 22-year-old offers.
Next weekend brings a massive test in the form of Bayern Munich, which has won all seven of its league matches thus far.
