The U.S. men’s national team still has a little while to go until the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil, but strikers across the world are looking to earn spots on the roster. 

Fresh off the international break, which saw head coach Mauricio Pochettino’s side lose 2–0 to South Korea and beat Japan by the same scoreline, several players stepped up their game in the return to their clubs. 

Especially, at the striker position, where Josh Sargent picked up an award while Ricardo Pepi and Haji Wright found the back of the net.

Ricardo Pepi Shines for PSV in First Start Since Injury

Ricardo Pepi looked no worse for wear as he returned from a knee injury suffered in the Champions League against Liverpool in January, scoring twice in his first start for PSV Eindhoven in their win over NEC Nijmegen on Saturday.

The former FC Dallas striker scored in the 12th and 49th minutes to help PSV to the 5–3 win in the Dutch top flight, on a night where USMNT teammate Sergiño Dest also picked up an assist in the effort. 

While Pepi had played two matches off the bench, getting the start and starring in a victory was a critical step as he looks to impress Pochettino and reintegrate himself into the USMNT striker conversation. 

Pepi has 13 goals in 33 appearances for the USMNT, and hopes his form can send him to the tournament. 

“I’m going to work hard to make it my season for sure, and I’m really looking forward to it,” Pepi told ESPN. “I think it was a very important game, very happy to be back. Overall, l’m happy to get the win, of course, happy to score two goals, so I think, yeah, the definition of being back.”

Pepi and PSV kick off their UEFA Champions League season on Tuesday against Belgian champions Royal Union Saint-Gilloise.

Sargent Wins EFL Championship Player of the Month

Josh Sargent.
Josh Sargent's club form as been stellar, despite struggling with the USMNT. | Courtesy of Norwich City FC

Despite an underwhelming showing with the USMNT in the loss to South Korea, Sargent was awarded the EFL Championship Player of the Month award on Saturday for his hot start to the season with Norwich City FC. 

The 25-year-old has scored five goals in five matches with Norwich this season, and came into the USMNT camp with high hopes of making his first significant contributions since the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Instead, he continued to struggle, failing to score for the USMNT since 2019, a run of form which likely would hold him out of the World Cup squad. 

At the club level though, he’s doing what he can to stay within the conversation, but will be surrounded by doubt at the national team level in a hotly contested striker battle. 

Haji Wright Scores for Coventry, Ties Sargent 

It was a battle of American strikers in the EFL Championship as Haji Wright’s Coventry City took on Sargent’s Norwich City. While Sargent came away with the Player of the Month honors, Wright found the back of the net in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time to secure a 1–1 draw. 

It marked the 27-year-old’s fifth goal of the season in five matches, bringing him level with Sargent’s tally with the two now leading the EFL Championship Golden Boot race over Wrexham’s Kieffer Moore. 

With five goals in 17 matches for the USMNT, Wright could be in contention for the World Cup roster and should be competing with Sargent for a spot through the rest of the season in the English second tier. 

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Hopeful USMNT Striker Trio Cast Latest Attempt to Wow Mauricio Pochettino.

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