Americans Abroad, USMNT Stockwatch: Haji Wright and Josh Sargent are thriving, what’s going on with Brenden Aaronson

It was a busy weekend for Americans around the English Football League and for many it was a weekend to forget. From championship-caliber strikers scoring with ease to a big move to France for Mark McKenzie, the highs were high for Americans abroad, but the lows were also pretty low. There may be changes in the ranks of the US Men’s National Team goalkeepers and more, but let’s take a look at how the Americans in the EFL and beyond fared this weekend.

You can follow the championship and the rest of the English football league Biggest+, CBS Sports Golazo Network And CBS Sports Network all season long.

Stocked to: Haji Wright, Coventry City

Haji Wright has a flair for the dramatic and his performance to lead Coventry City over Oxford United was one to remember. With a 3-2 win Wright scored a brace to pull the Sky Blues through on a day when their defense was struggling. Wright operated from the left flank during the attack and was able to switch well in the forward line and grab a brace to take all three points. As Coventry look to gain promotion to the Premier League, every point will matter and Wright’s performance will be central to that. Although it is still early in the Championship season, Wright is second among all players behind Middlesbrough’s Emmanuel Latte Lath with 1.88. It’s a number that shows Wright’s commitment.

However, he is not happy with just scoring goals.

“Assists are something I can improve in my game. I think I got six or seven last season, but even the last game I had a few chances to take out other teammates in promising positions that I couldn’t take, so I’d like to improve that,” Wright said on Morning Footy.

That level of being able to reflect on a performance, especially after a win where he had a brace, is impressive. Wright is thriving in the move to become a winger for Coventry and it is something that could push him into the starting lineup for the United States Men’s National Team if he can continue this pace. With Christian Pulisic able to play as a number 10, it will provide the flexibility to move Wright around in attack.

Stock lower: Ethan Horvath, Cardiff City

With Matt Turner on the bench for Nottingham Forest, that could well happen a chance that the starting role will open up for a goalkeeper who decides to go one step further and take it, but the early start to the season was not good for Ethan Horvath and Cardiff City. With seven goals allowed in just two games, Horvath has allowed the most goals in the Championship while conceding just eight shots on target. But that’s not the worst thing to come out of his performance for Cardiff. This is.

Horvath turned a simple back pass into an own goal and opened the scoring just eight minutes into the match. While things like this could happen early in the season, Horvath will have to shake it off sooner rather than later or have a small window into a future as the USMNT’s number one contender could slip away sooner rather than later.

Stock: Gaga Slonina, Barnsley

When a goalkeeper faltered, Gaga Slonina has used his move to Barnsley as an opportunity to shine. With seven saves in a win over Lincoln City, Slonina shows what he can do at the age of 20. A player who needs starting minutes under pressure, Slonina will get just that in League One. Playing for a Barnsley team pushing for promotion, he faces a lot of meaningful shots and plays games every three to four days.

By continuing at his current pace, Slonina will put himself in contention for the starting role for the USMNT if he can continue his strong start to the season.

Stock Bearer: Brenden Aaronson, Leeds

Two games for Leeds were the story of two Brenden Aaronsons. In their opener he scored the equalizer but then missed a chance that would have won them the match. He then followed up that performance by coming off the bench for an anonymous appearance as the Whites drew again, this time to Portsmouth. Despite the sales of Archie Gray, Crysencio Summerville and Georgino Rutter, Aaronson is still not back in the starting line-up under Daniel Farke.

It’s too early to worry about the young midfielder’s playing time, but with Leeds struggling early in the season, this is something to watch as the game progresses.

Stocked to: Josh Sargent, Norwich City

It is an American battle for promotion between Wright and Josh Sargent. Sargent had a goal and an assist for Norwich in a draw against Blackburn Rovers as he put in a complete performance from the nine. The team around Sargent, expected to challenge for the championship’s Golden Boot, may not be in the best shape to start the season, but Sargent certainly is. He’ll have to do a lot to put Folarin Balogun atop the USMNT strike force, but he’s doing what he can to stay in that conversation.

Notable American appearances outside the EFL

Mark McKenzie: McKenzie moves into the top five and is challenged in Ligue 1 with Toulouse, a team that allowed 46 goals in the league last season. The addition of McKenzie will help strengthen the defense while also giving him the opportunity to grow as he takes another step up. He has already flourished, moving from the Philadelphia Union to Genk, but will now be tested again in his next move. The spot next to Chris Richards is open for the USMNT, so if McKenzie can take his game to the next level, it could be enough.

Yunus Musah: Milan may not be happy with the draw in their opening match against Torino, but it could have been worse without Musah’s assist to Noah Okafor deep in stoppage time. All American eyes may have been on teammate Christian Pulisic, but after being introduced into the match, Musah’s work rate played a major role in turning Milan’s fortunes around. To impress new manager Paulo Fonseca, this is a step in the right direction to secure more starts.