Late winners from Haji Wright and Patrick Agyemang snapped long droughts for two USMNT striker hopefuls in the English Championship—punters should consider anytime-scorer bets on Wright/Agyemang in upcoming matches and favor Coventry/Derby in tight fixtures, while being cautious backing Folarin Balogun until he rediscovers form.
USMNT Strikers Break Droughts as Pochettino Demands Regular Minutes
U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino has urged his players to secure regular club minutes and stay healthy as the World Cup squad race tightens. Scoring had been scarce for the U.S. attack, compounded by Ricardo Pepi’s fractured forearm and Josh Sargent’s absence amid transfer unrest. This weekend, however, two forwards reignited their campaigns with late, match-winning strikes in England’s Championship.
Championship Drama: Agyemang and Wright Deliver Late
Patrick Agyemang ended a four-game drought with an 82nd-minute downward header that sealed Derby’s surprising 1-0 victory at Preston, his seventh league goal and a sign of growing confidence since becoming a regular starter. Haji Wright, off the bench for the second straight game, ended a 14-game barren spell with an 85th-minute tap-in to lift league leaders Coventry to a 2-1 win over Leicester. Both goals are timely for players angling for World Cup consideration.
Striker Picture and World Cup Stakes
Folarin Balogun remains the leading candidate for the USMNT strike role but is still searching for form, failing to score for a fourth straight game. Behind him, Pepi’s recovery timeline (out until March) and Wright’s and Agyemang’s recent scoring could reshape selection conversations. Pochettino will assess players’ form before his March camp — featuring friendlies against Belgium and Portugal — ahead of naming a 26-man roster in late May.
Europe Roundup: Key Club Notes for US Players
England
Brenden Aaronson played 89 minutes and Antonee Robinson 90 as their side improved its recent form and moved further from the relegation zone with a 1-0 result. Crystal Palace’s struggles continued with a 2-1 loss at Sunderland, while Chris Richards completed 90 minutes in a side slipping to 13th. Aidan Morris logged 90 minutes in Middlesbrough’s 3-2 victory at West Brom. Josh Sargent was absent from Norwich’s squad again amid transfer speculation and trained with the under-21s.
Italy
Christian Pulisic extended his scoring drought to four matches after a 72-minute outing in AC Milan’s 1-0 win over Lecce, missing a clear opportunity before Niclas Füllkrug netted the winner. Weston McKennie played 80 minutes in Juventus’ 1-0 loss at Cagliari amid renewed transfer interest as his contract nears its end. Yunus Musah made his first start in five matches for Atalanta, while Jonathan Klinsmann continued to stake a case for World Cup consideration with regular starts for Cesena.
France
Folarin Balogun assisted in Monaco’s attacking play but remained goalless in a 3-1 loss to Lorient. Tim Weah scored with a header as Marseille thrashed Angers 5-2. Tanner Tessmann started for Lyon in a 2-1 win over 10-man Brest, part of Lyon’s strong run, while Mark McKenzie missed Toulouse’s 5-1 victory with a foot issue.
Germany
James Sands scored for St. Pauli in a 3-2 loss at Borussia Dortmund, marking his first goal since joining the club. Malik Tillman remained a midfield regular for Bayer Leverkusen despite a 1-0 defeat at Hoffenheim. Gio Reyna has seen limited minutes for Borussia Mönchengladbach, while Noahkai Banks continued his run of starts for Augsburg in a 2-2 draw.
Other Notes
Pepi remains sidelined until March, and Sergiño Dest missed PSV action with a minor issue. Johnny Cardoso earned his first La Liga start since August in Atletico Madrid’s 1-0 win over Alavés. Auston Trusty was rested by Celtic ahead of a Scottish Cup tie. In Liga MX, Club America winger Alex Zendejas remained sidelined with an injury.
Betting Implications for Punters
Strikers who just scored late—Wright and Agyemang—are attractive targets for anytime-scorer markets in the short term, especially in tight Championship fixtures where late goals are common. Consider backing Coventry or Derby in narrow-match scenarios and look at markets favoring late goals/unders with those teams. Exercise caution backing Balogun to score until his form returns, and avoid expecting immediate returns from Pepi before March.
Why FIFA Stripped Colombia of Hosting 1986 World Cup
As the World Cup clock ticks louder, the weekend provided fresh evidence of who is pushing forward in the USMNT player pool.
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