The United States Men's National Team (USMNT) is gearing up for its first Copa America appearance since 2016. Christian Pulisic and company will try to best its fourth-place finish from that year, but Josh Sargent's foot could throw a wrench in those plans.
The forward won't play in Saturday's friendly against Colombia, and he may be out of commission for a while, via Fox Sports' Greg McIntyre.
“#USMNT striker Josh Sargent (foot injury) is out of tomorrow’s pre-Copa America tuneup against Colombia,” McIntyre tweeted. “His status for the final roster is also uncertain, per U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter.”
If Sargent can't go for the tournament, it will add pressure on Pulisic, Gio Reyna, Tyler Adams, and Tim Weah. Berhalter sounded off on Sargent's ailment, via ESPN's Jeff Carlisle.
“We've been unloading him, then giving him some more, and then we've been testing him just to see where he is at,” Berhalter said Friday. “And for us it's about how do we get him ready and prepared in a good way and then make a decision if he'll be available.”
Berrhalter doesn't currently know if Sargent will be ready in time for the tournament, but Wednesday's friendly against Brazil will be crucial towards that decision.
“We'll have to see if he makes it for the Brazil game and then we'll have to make a decision if he makes it on the Copa América roster,” Berrhalter said.
While this is a significant blow, injuries are never an excuse to be non-competitive. After qualifying for the Round of 16 in the 2022 World Cup, the USMNT needs to keep proving its progress towards becoming a legitimate threat in world football.
Colombia will provide a good litmus test for where the USMNT is at
Colombia has been red-hot, and Saturday's friendly will be a good indicator of how the USMNT stacks up against solid South American squads, via ussoccer.com's Michael Lewis.
“After missing the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Colombia enters the match on a tear,” Lewis said. “The South Americans boast a 21-game unbeaten streak (16-0-5) that dates back to early 2022. After losing 1-0 at Argentina in a World Cup Qualifying match on Feb. 1, 2022, they blanked Bolivia 3-0 at home on March 24, 2022, and haven't lost since. That streak includes victories over Germany, Spain, and Brazil. Colombia has recorded 13 clean sheets and conceded only 13 goals during the streak.”
Meanwhile, the USMNT is coming off of a tournament win in the CONCACAF Nations League, defeating Mexico 2-0 in the final on March 24th. However, the squad also lost a friendly to Slovenia 1-0 on January 20th and also lost to Panama in penalties in the Gold Cup Semifinal on July 13th, 2023.
The United States has typically fared well in North American competitions, dominating the continent along with arch-rival Mexico. However, recent losses to non-powerhouse countries show that the team is still prone to losing games that it shouldn't. If it were to get results against Colombia and Brazil without Sargent, it would go a long way towards proving its legitimacy. History shows, though, that it'll be an uphill battle.
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