The ideal present for a young man celebrating his 18th birthday is a shiny new sports car. In Joshua Sargent’s case, a vehicle is a distant second behind scoring a goal.
KMOX Sports reported last Wednesday the 17-year-old St. Louis soccer prodigy is slated to sign his first professional contract in February (his birthday month) with the German Bundesliga club SV Werder Bremen. According to ESPN FC’s Stephan Uersfeld, Sargent will formally arrive in northern Germany after he fulfills his duties playing for the U.S. under-17 team at the World Cup in India in early October.
“Josh can get to know the club and the city. He will train with our U23 team, and play matches from the summer on,” Bremen squad manager Tim Steidten said to Uersfeld.
The rabid fans who religiously follow United States soccer knew this announcement was in the making when the former St. Louis Scott Gallagher player demonstrated his remarkable talent on the international youth stage. After netting five goals in three games at the Nike International Friendlies last December, Sargent quickly cemented his presence as THE dominant striker of the future.
He then proceeded to take his game up a notch once the tournaments became bigger and better. Sargent helped lead the U.S. under-17 squad to the championship match of the CONCACAF U17 World Cup Qualifiers, notching five goals and two assists. It was South Korea’s turn to witness his well-rounded game on the pitch. At the Under-20 World Cup in “The Land of the Morning Calm”, Sargent tallied one assist and scored four goals in a span of five games, tying Jozy Altidore (2007), Eddie Johnson (2003), and fellow St. Louisan Taylor Twellman (1999) for most goals scored by an American player in an Under-20 World Cup tournament.
Despite numerous training sessions from elite soccer clubs like PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands) and Schalke (Germany), Sargent knew his development as a player would be in good hands with SV Werder Bremen.
“They made great efforts to get me, and in the past have shown they can help young talents like me to an ideal start to their professional career,” Sargent explained to Uersfeld. “Therefore, the decision to continue my career in Bremen was not difficult.”
The word “effort” is an understatement when it comes to describing the northern Germany club’s relentless recruitment of Sargent. It was more of a “mission” based on the club’s recent history. SV Werder Bremen last won a League title during the 2003/2004 season and last claimed a Mid-season crown in the 2006/2007 campaign. With the acquisition of Sargent, the fortunes of the club will hopefully turn into positive results.
“He has a great understanding of the game and he is one of the most promising talents of his age in the world,” exclaimed Steidten to Sports Illustrated.
