{"id":171297,"date":"2025-09-21T06:43:08","date_gmt":"2025-09-21T06:43:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/171297\/"},"modified":"2025-09-21T06:43:08","modified_gmt":"2025-09-21T06:43:08","slug":"how-wrexham-shackled-the-usmnts-josh-sargent-the-best-striker-in-the-league","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/171297\/","title":{"rendered":"How Wrexham shackled the USMNT\u2019s Josh Sargent, \u2018the best striker in the league\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wrexham\u2019s first league victory over Norwich City being broadcast live on TV in the United States should have surprised no one.<\/p>\n

Last season, the club owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney were the only one of the 72 EFL members to have every league fixture shown in the U.S., underlining their big appeal on the other side of the Atlantic.<\/p>\n

Throw in the extra intrigue of USMNT striker Josh Sargent leading the Norwich attack and it really was a no-brainer for Paramount+ to make the game one of their three 3pm kick-offs shown live on Saturday.<\/p>\n

The presence of the Missouri-born 25-year-old \u2014 rated by Phil Parkinson as \u201cthe best striker in the league\u201d \u2014 meant this was always going to be a stiff test for a Wrexham back line who have been coughing up far too many chances since winning promotion.<\/p>\n

It was one they passed as a tweak of formation, with two debutants in Issa Kabore and Dominic Hyam starting in a re-jigged back five, led to Wrexham deservedly prevailing 3-2.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about striking a balance,\u201d said Parkinson when asked about fielding two holding midfielders in a 3-4-2-1 setup. \u201cFootball is about trying to be secure at one end and keep the attacking threat that we\u2019d shown so far this season.<\/p>\n

Back of the net in Norfolk \ud83d\udc4f<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udd34\u26aa\ufe0f #WxmAFC<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/UZQpbeNH6x<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) September 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWe set out in pre-season with the two systems but the injuries we\u2019ve had meant we were unable to implement it with the personnel we wanted. This was the first chance.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ploy worked well.<\/p>\n

It not only afforded Wrexham the freedom to get at their hosts, as two-goal Josh Windass and Lewis O\u2019Brien provided excellent support for lone striker Kieffer Moore. But the defence also looked much more secure than it has all season, even allowing for the two lapses in concentration that were punished ruthlessly by Jack Stacey and Jovon Makama.<\/p>\n

It was certainly a big improvement on the mess from the previous week, when QPR were effectively granted the freedom of north Wales in a resounding 3-1 victory that could have been even more emphatic<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Josh Sargent has been ruthlessly efficient this season (David Watts\/MI News\/NurPhoto via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Parkinson\u2019s response was to bring Manchester City loanee Kabore in for his debut at right wing-back, as Ryan Longman switched to the opposite flank. Hyam also got the nod ahead of Conor Coady at the heart of the defence, as Callum Doyle and Max Cleworth slotted in either side of the former Blackburn Rovers man.<\/p>\n

The changes worked brilliantly. Not only did Kabore provide two stunning assists from the right flank \u2014 Windass and Longman the beneficiaries \u2014 but there was a cohesion to Wrexham\u2019s defensive efforts that had been totally lacking against QPR a week earlier.<\/p>\n

Along with the pace and power provided by Kabore, perhaps the most eye-catching aspect of the afternoon was how seamlessly Hyam slotted into the back three. He read the play well, never shirked a challenge and was a tower of strength in the air.<\/p>\n

Considering Hyam was up against Sargent, that was no mean feat. Having been recalled to Mauricio Pochettino\u2019s USMNT squad earlier this month for the friendly double-header against South Korea and Japan, the Norwich captain is eyeing a place at next year\u2019s World Cup<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A glance at Sargent\u2019s metrics for Norwich points towards someone who makes the most of any service that comes his way. Prior to Wrexham\u2019s visit, his five goals had come from 121 touches of the ball spread across five games, according to Opta.<\/p>\n

That was a goal \ud83d\ude06<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udd34\u26aa\ufe0f #WxmAFC<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/KZ5bxruikM<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) September 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Just 21 of those had come in the opposition penalty area, suggesting a ruthless efficiency when the ball did find the striker. Those five goals had come from a mere 16 shots this season.<\/p>\n

Moore, by way of contrast, had four goals from the same number of shots but he\u2019d been much more involved, chalking up 195 touches including 11 headed clearances.<\/p>\n

Against Wrexham, Sargent saw slightly more of the ball. He had a season\u2019s high 35 touches in total, including six in the opposition penalty area. And yet his three attempts came with a combined expected goals (xG) of just 0.09, underling what a good job Hyam and his team-mates did on the U.S. striker.<\/p>\n

The one time Sargent did briefly find space from a first-half corner, a combination of Hyam and Doyle ensured he was quickly forced wide before hitting a shot that was blocked.<\/p>\n

Otherwise, it was an afternoon to forget for Norwich\u2019s talisman, who turned down a big-money move to Bundesliga side Wolfsburg during the summer.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were up against probably the best striker in the league today in Josh Sargent,\u201d says Parkinson. \u201cWe did a lot of work on him, how we felt we had to deal with him. He\u2019s a dangerous player but our concentration levels were good.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a lot of fatigue out there eventually, as they tracked his runs, they got tight to him and limited a really good player to very little.\u201d<\/p>\n

Parkinson was also full of praise for Kabore, who had an exemplary afternoon down the right. He had 48 touches (only Cleworth with 66 and Ben Sheaf with 61 managed more for the visitors), sent over nine crosses (six more than anyone else in red) and managed two headed clearances to go with his assists for Windass and Longman.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Phil Parkinson congratulates Issa Kabore (David Watts\/MI News\/NurPhoto via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat can I say about Issy?\u201d adds Parkinson. \u201cThe medical team were behind me and saying, \u2018His sprint distances are completely off the scale, can we get him off?\u2019 But he was doing such a good job defensively.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor us, we have had very attack-minded wing-backs in recent years. He is that. But we also needed someone with a defensive mindset as well. In one-v-one situations against a really good player in (Papa) Diallo, he had to stick to his task.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just hope Pep (Guardiola) doesn\u2019t get a video of the game as he might want him back!\u201d<\/p>\n

Wrexham are far from the finished article defensively. How can they be when their expected goals against (xGA) stands at 14.5, at least two goals more than any of their peers. They\u2019ve also faced 115 shots, 14 more than anyone else.<\/p>\n

But, there was enough in the Norwich victory to suggest a corner has been turned and that things should continue to improve in the coming weeks as, effectively, a new squad gets to grips with the Championship.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted the lads to enjoy this game,\u201d adds Parkinson. \u201cFour years ago we were down this way and playing King\u2019s Lynn away in front of 800 people. I want people to understand how far we have come.\u201d<\/p>\n

(Top photo: Joe Giddens\/PA Images via Getty Images)<\/p>\n