As the United States men’s national team prepares for the likely appointment of Mauricio Pochettino, it’s a good time to take a look at the striker’s position. A place that has defined the USMNT for better or worse. Pochettiono does not always need goals from his striker, but he does appreciate movement and pressing ability. While Folarin Balogun has added a new dimension to the USMNT, decisions will have to be made if he falls out of the starting XI due to the club’s form. Let’s see who makes the top ten:
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1. |
Folarin Balogun |
Monaco |
Balogun sits at the top of this list by default due to the lack of threat from players behind him, but if he doesn’t improve on a season in which he scored eight goals and added another five assists for Monaco, playing time could become an issue. . With just 63 minutes of playing time in the first two games of the season and pressure from players behind him, this could be a real battle for the nine. |
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2. |
Josh Sargent |
Norwich city |
Goals, goals and more goals. The old narrative surrounding Sargent was that he would be a world beater if he could just add goals to his game. After a 16-goal season and two so far in the young Championship season, the 24-year-old is doing just that. There’s not much more Sargent can do other than keep scoring to get some speculative starts at the nine for the USMNT, but he’s doing what he can. |
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3. |
Haji Wright |
Coventry city |
I’m not sure if we can still call Wright a ‘striker’ these days, but he is a striker who scores goals and can play as a nine. For Coventry City, Wright’s goals and assists are crucial as he, like Sargent, is doing everything he can to win the USMNT. |
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4. |
Brandon Vazquez |
Monterrey |
Finally back in the starting lineup and scoring for Monterrey, Vazquez has now scored 11 goals in all competitions since joining without actually making a serious run as a starter. If he can continue to score in limited minutes, it’s only a matter of time before he rockets up this ranking. |
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5. |
Ricardo Pepi |
PSV |
Just like Vazquez, playing time is the concern for Pepi who is behind Luuk De Jong. Pepi only made one appearance this season this weekend, but did well in a limited number of minutes. He came off the bench on Saturday to score in the 7-1 win over Almere. |
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6. |
Brian White |
Vancouver Whitecaps |
The drop between five and six on this list is quite significant, but White is doing his job and has twelve goals this season. He brings something different with his skills in the air, which could help in competitions like the Gold Cup. |
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7. |
Jesus Ferreira |
FCDallas |
This is quite a fall for Ferreira, but he has only made 13 league appearances this season, scoring four goals and providing two more assists. He’s only 23 and is climbing back up the ranks. |
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8. |
Jordan Morris |
Seattle sirens |
Morris has transitioned to the nine for the Sounders with great success. Morris can use his speed to play on the back shoulder of a defense and make things happen, and can work himself back for a counter-attack. |
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9. |
Duncan McGuire |
Orlando City SC |
While McGuire went to the Olympics, he doesn’t feel as close to cracking the senior team as some other Olympians. It’s a shame the move to Blackburn Rovers fell through as growth in the Championship would have been good for him. |
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10. |
Nicholas Gioacchini |
Como |
We are pulling at straws here, but Gioacchini still has another chance on the way to Italy with newly promoted Como. Only time will tell if this is the move that puts all his tools together. |
