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New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Why are U.S. forwards spying opportunity in the Championship?
At least for USMNT scouting purposes it is a tidy remit: one division, five contenders to fill out the striker spots on the World Cup roster. Expect to see Mauricio Pochettino's staff glued to videos of games from the English Football League (EFL) Championship in the forthcoming season. The summer transfer window has seen two U.S. international attackers sign for clubs in England's second tier, joining the three American forwards already there. Damion Downs' move from Koln in Germany to Southampton, plus Gold Cup star Patrick Agyemang's switch to Derby County, means they join more experienced USMNT forwards Josh Sargent, Haji Wright and Daryl Dike — whose stint at West Bromwich Albion has been so wrecked by injuries — in the same division. But what is it about the Championship that has attracted the quintet — all of whom, to varying degrees, will still aspire to make Pochettino's 2026 World Cup squad? And what qualities do they bring that appeal to clubs vying for promotion to the Premier League? The Championship might be second tier, but it is not second rate when it comes to Europe's most competitive leagues. Opta's Power Rankings, published in June and assessing football's global hierarchy, has the Championship listed sixth in the Top 30 leagues based on their 'advanced performance metrics' used to 'identify which leagues are home to the highest concentration of elite clubs'. That is higher than the Dutch, Belgian and Portuguese top-flights. That said, last year The Athletic reported how a data-driven model by Twenty First Group, a sports intelligence firm that advises clubs, leagues and investors, had the Championship ranked 12th. Its World Super League model uses a machine-learning algorithm to generate a single rating for every team in world football. League strength can then be calculated from the average rating of each team. Advertisement Either way, with its gruelling 46-game season (the Championship has 24 clubs compared with 20 in the Premier League, La Liga and Ligue 1, and 18 in the Bundesliga), it represents a formidable challenge. Add to that two domestic cup competitions and Championship players are pushed to their physical limits. Danny Higginbotham played for a string of English clubs as a defender and featured in the Premier League with Manchester United, Derby County, Stoke City and Southampton. He also made 100 Championship appearances during a 17-year professional career, but now lives in the U.S. where he worked for Philadelphia Union before becoming a match analyst for Major League Soccer broadcasts. He sees similarities between MLS and the Championship which may make young players from the former attractive to English clubs. 'The speed and physicality of MLS is, to a certain extent, increasingly quite similar to the Championship,' says Higginbotham. 'It's probably fair to say the quality is a bit higher in the Championship but there are key qualities they share now. 'Recruitment teams in the Championship are seeing that these guys have all the attributes. They're asking: are they good enough or with their age, can we make them better? 'They see that the players are physically and mentally robust. They're used to the long travel time in MLS, the flights and time differences. Then there's the extreme weather these days. Plus they play a lot of games too. Factor all this in and they're probably not going to be as fazed by a 46-game season. 'I feel they're well placed to acclimatise quickly to the Championship.' For Downs, who broke into the USMNT picture earlier in the summer and has made five appearances under Pochettino, the number of games he faces at St Mary's under new manager Will Still is a positive. 'For me to be an option for that (the USMNT World Cup squad) as a striker you need to score goals,' he told Jimmy Conrad and Tony Meola in an interview with CBS Sports Golazo America. 'Obviously you don't play more games anywhere than in England and that's a big chance for me.' MLS clubs are increasingly focused on creating their own homegrown stars, spending time and money on producing elite coaches capable of finding players capable of elevating the league's standing. 'There are some good quality players coming out of MLS academies now,' adds Higginbotham. 'You only have to look at the Philadelphia Union and Cavan Sullivan. 'If they're good they are also likely to get opportunities when they're young in MLS so they have experience of first-team football. 'I think as well that the younger players (in MLS) have benefited from the big names going there. Guys like Lionel Messi, Emil Forsberg, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and now Son Heung-min and Rodrigo De Paul. That highly professional elite mentality of these guys, how they prepare and conduct themselves, is rubbing off on the younger American players.' Advertisement All of which makes those developed in MLS attractive to suitors from Europe. Championship clubs can also find value for money with fees for players from MLS. In July Derby spent an initial £5.8million ($8m) on Agyemang after the 24-year-old, a native of East Hartford, Connecticut, scored 18 goals and provided six assists in 63 career games with Charlotte. That tally included eight, with two assists, this year before the move to Pride Park. Agyemang has also become one of the bright points for the national team making all 12 of his appearances in 2025, including playing every game of the Gold Cup. By contrast this summer, Norwich City forked out £6.9m ($9.2m) on Denmark international forward Mathias Kvistgaarden, 23, who scored 23 goals in 38 appearances in all competitions for Brondby in 2024-25. Then Birmingham city signed 30-year-old former Celtic forward Kyogo Furuhashi for a reported £10m ($13.4m) after he scored 10 goals in the Scottish Premiership for Celtic before a short-lived move to Stade Rennes in France earlier this year. Agyemang has yet to make his Derby debut after undergoing hernia surgery that is likely to see him miss the season's start, but he is backed to make an impact. 'At almost $8m — and that could rise — that's actually a lot of money for an MLS team,' Higginbotham says of the Agyemang fee. 'But he has got something. He is raw but he is a player who is quick, strong and knows how to finish. 'Now the question is can he improve? If he can do that then Derby could get significantly more than what they paid for him down the line. 'You've got to imagine that Dean Smith (former Aston Villa manager and now Charlotte FC boss) has assessed that he's good enough to make that step.' Similar logic may have been behind Downs' move to the south coast, although the German-U.S. dual national was plying his trade at FC Koln in the second-tier 2 Bundesliga last season, where he delivered 10 goals and three assists. Advertisement 'I see it (moving to the Championship) work with a lot of other players, and Southampton has a great resume of players who have taken the next step with their careers here,' said Downs. 'I think I have a great switch of coming short and getting the ball to my feet but also running in behind — giving the defence different things to worry about. And I'm pretty versatile as well. I'm a young player with a lot of stuff I can develop on… with all kinds of things to work on to take my game to the next level.' In an interview with BBC Radio Solent he added: 'I think English football is the most attractive you can play so it was a no-brainer for me. 'Their (Southampton's) ambition is to get to the Premier League and stay in the Premier League and that's something I want to do as well.' The two relative 'elder statesman' of the USMNT roster in England, Sargent at Norwich and Wright at Coventry City, have long since proved to be successful MLS exports to the Championship. Sargent also enjoyed a brief stint in the Premier League. And Higginbotham thinks their impact, along with the growth of MLS' popularity around the world, means the flow of talent to the English second division is likely to continue. Another 24-year-old American striker, Max Arfsten, has been mooted as a potential new arrival at Middlesbrough from Columbus Crew during this window. 'With the Apple TV deal there is greater accessibility to the MLS brand and overseas fans watching these players,' adds Higginbotham. 'So I don't think the optics of signing these players are viewed as a risk so much by fans in England, where maybe they once were. They can tune in and see the quality of the league.' The hope is that Pochettino's staff, and everyone invested in the U.S. hopes for progress on home soil next year, will be tuned into Paramount Plus' coverage of the Championship. (Top photos: Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
BBC News
04-08-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Lampard pleased to see Sky Blues strikers on target
Coventry City boss Frank Lampard is happy with the competition he has among his strikers after a 2-2 draw with St Pauli on Saturday in their final pre-season Thomas-Asante and Ellis Simms were on target as the Sky Blues completed their warm-up programme before the Championship opener at home to Hull City on Saturday (12:30 BST)."It's nice to have strikers scoring goals - we've been a bit short of that in pre-season," Lampard told BBC CWR."But that's the hardest part of football, the sharpness and ability to finish so we can be happy with that."We've got competition up there and we need the players to perform but I'm well aware that strikers who are scoring and in confident runs can score more. It's a good feeling for them."Haji Wright finished last season as Coventry's top scorer with 12 goals and was able to play 15 minutes against the German Bundesliga side as he continues his return from an Achilles injury."Haji's a big player for us and he came on having progressed very well with his injury - he's really keen and very positive and we're pleased to get him some minutes," Lampard added."He has some work to do to bridge the gap but it puts us in good stead having players of the calibre of Haji playing in that central area," added Lampard.
New York Times
29-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
How to watch the USMNT vs. Costa Rica: Tournament legacy on the line in 2025 Gold Cup
The United States returns to the Concacaf Gold Cup quarterfinals Sunday under the dome at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, facing a depleted but familiar Costa Rica squad with tournament pedigree and a long memory. Here's how to watch as the USMNT tries to keep its tournament run on track against an old rival. Advertisement International streaming via Concacaf GO. Chris Richards was everywhere in the group stage, breaking up plays, winning headers and volleying in the match's only goal in a 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia. The U.S. finished atop Group D after defeating Haiti and reminded viewers that, for all its volatility, this young squad still knows how to close. Now comes Costa Rica. These teams know each other well, and while the U.S. enters as the favorite — BetMGM has the squad listed at -175 — recent history says this fixture tends to get complicated. Costa Rica will be without striker Manfred Ugalde and winger Carlos Mora (both suspended), as well as injured attackers Ariel Lassiter and Warren Madrigal. It's a short bench, but not a soft opponent. Up front, the USMNT still lacks a clear finisher. Haji Wright remains unavailable, and no striker has fully claimed the job. Off the field, the most competitive battle may be for bragging rights in the team's Clash Royale matches. The U.S. has reached the semifinals in all but one Gold Cup since 1991. A win keeps them on script. A loss would mark just the second time in 34 years they've missed the final four. Streaming and ticketing links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photo of Matt Freese: Omar Vega / Getty Images)
New York Times
22-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
How to watch the USMNT vs. Haiti in final leg of Concacaf Gold Cup group play
The United States men's national team closes out the group stage of the Concacaf Gold Cup this Sunday when it takes on Haiti. Following a four-game slide, the USMNT opened group play with a 5-0 blowout of Trinidad and Tobago, then booked a quarterfinal spot by beating Saudi Arabia 1-0. International streaming via Concacaf GO. Diego Luna and Malik Tillman have emerged as breakout performers, while striker Haji Wright and veteran center back Chris Richards have anchored the offense and defense. Now, the U.S. will be without Wright for the rest of the tournament and will next face a Haiti side that hasn't backed down from anyone. Despite taking just one point from its first two matches, Haiti has outshot both Saudi Arabia and Trinidad and Tobago, and generated more expected goals in the latter match. Advertisement Frantzdy Pierrot remains a bruising presence up top, Duckens Nazon continues to create chances out of chaos, and veteran keeper Johny Placide has kept Haiti in every match. If it can convert just one of the chances it's been carving out, Haiti could absolutely punch above its position and spoil someone else's bracket. Mauricio Pochettino's U.S. side emphasizes structure and rhythm, building patiently through possession and control. Sébastien Migné's Haiti, on the other hand, adopts a more direct approach, pressing high and attacking quickly when the ball is regained. The team that successfully dictates play is likely to influence the match's outcome. A win guarantees the USMNT the top spot in the group and likely keeps Mexico on the other side of the bracket. A draw might still do the job. However, a loss changes everything. A result for Haiti here, win or draw, wouldn't just shift the bracket; it would be a disrupter from the tournament's most resource-strapped team, proving there's more to Haiti than a plucky underdog story. Prediction: The USMNT takes it 2-1, but Haiti refuses to go down without a fight. Streaming and ticketing links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photo of Chris Richards: Omar Vega / Getty Images)
The Guardian
21-06-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
USA forward Haji Wright out for rest of Gold Cup with achilles injury
US forward Haji Wright will miss the rest of the Concacaf Gold Cup because of an injured left achilles. A 27-year-old from Los Angeles, Wright scored in the 84th minute of last weekend's opening 5-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago, 11 minutes after entering. He did not play in Thursday's 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia and the US Soccer Federation said Saturday he will return to Coventry City for evaluation and treatment. US coach Mauricio Pochettino said Wright arrived from the League Championship season with the achilles problem. Wright cannot be replaced on the tournament roster. The US, who already have clinched a quarter-finals berth, play Haiti on Sunday in the Americans' group stage finale. 'The problem increased the pain,' Pochettino said. It's unclear whether midfielders Tyler Adams and Johnny Cardoso will he healthy enough to start Sunday. Adams (turf toe) and entered in 62nd minute against Saudi Arabia and Cardoso (illness) entered in the 89th. Three days after Juventus players, including Americans Tim Weah and Weston McKennie, stood behind US president Donald Trump during an Oval Office media briefing, Pochettino said he hopes the national team gets a White House invite. 'Very jealous because we didn't receive an invitation,' Pochettino said. 'Maybe we will have the luck and they will invite, one day for sure.' Juventus players stood behind Trump during a 16-minute briefing. 'It was all a surprise to me, honestly – they told us that we have to go and I had no choice but to go,' Weah was quoted as saying after a 5-0 victory over Al-Ain that night in the Club World Cup. 'I was caught by surprise, honestly. It was a bit weird. When he started talking about the politics with Iran and everything, it's kind of like, I just want to play football, man.' Seated aside Pochettino, American defender Chris Richards was asked what he felt like having to answer questions about international events. 'I think what makes America beautiful is we can all have different opinions, but kind of strive for the same thing, which is freedom in the prosperity,' Richards said. 'In this tough political time, there's a lot of stuff going on in the Middle East and things like that, but I think one thing that we can do is kind of give hope to people. That's all we can do at this point, and we're not politicians for a reason.'
