“He’s bending over backwards for us”

Kohfeldt on Joshua Sargent
No matter what, Josh Sargent always give it his all on the pitch (Photo: nordphoto).
First Team
Thursday, 30.01.2020 / 16:09

It was one of the moments in which Joshua Sargent shared a glimpse of the talented footballer he already is, while also hinting at what he could still become. The 19-year-old got on the end of a long ball from Nuri Sahin, chipped it over Augsburg’s keeper Tomas Kobek, trapped the ball yet again and then buried it in an open net. The goal handed Werder a 2-1 lead nearly six months ago. Since then, the United States international has scored once and provided two assists in 11 matches. A modest haul, to be sure, but Sargent’s qualities extend beyond being strong on offence, as head coach Florian Kohfeldt shared in a press conference on Thursday afternoon.

As Werder’s lone man up top in both of the opening two matches of the Rückrunde, Joshua Sargent was supposed to be a threat in front of goal against both Düsseldorf and Hoffenheim. However, the 19-year-old was held at bay by the experienced centre-backs at both of Werder’s last two opponents, and was unable to register a shot on goal against Hoffenheim. “He lacks a bit of ease up front sometimes,” said Kohfelt, who made reference to an injury Sargent picked up in December that he is still feeling the effects of. “He was out injured for a while and is still on his way back. When we were in Mallorca he also only took part in light training.”

Joshua Sargent made his Bundesliga debut in December 2018 against Fortuna Düsseldorf (Photo:nordphoto).

Although Florian Kohfelt would love to see his strikers score, he also values Sargent’s discipline on defence. “The boy is bending over backwards – I have to tip my hat to that,” the Werder head coach said in praise of the striker, who is always ready to serve his team. Instead of waiting to receive a pass from his teammates, Sargent will often also cover important ground in his own half in order to help his teammates win back possession. However, he then often lacks the energy to react quickly on the counter.

Even if Sargent as already made 13 Bundesliga appearances this season and has been capped for the United States, one cannot forget that he is just 19 years of age. Additionally, Sargent only made his Bundesliga debut in December 2018. “I have a lot of other expectations for Josh in my mind in terms of how he plays. But, it’s difficult to always expect that from a 19-year-old,” said Kohfeldt.

That’s why ‘patience’ is a key word in this situation. Kohfeldt is optimistic that Sargent will “be able to help the team over the next weeks and months,” both on offence and on defence. Perhaps this weekend’s upcoming match against Augsburg will see Sargent score another goal to send the fans wild.

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