American Sargent scores two minutes into Bremen debut
BREMEN: Josh Sargent scored on his first touch two minutes into his professional debut, a 78th-minute header by the American that helped Werder Bremen beat Fortuna Duesseldorf 3-1 in the Bundesliga.
Sargent, who left O’Fallon, Missouri, to join Bremen last winter, scored on Friday after Davy Klaassen sent a pass into the penalty area from 30 yards that was toepoked by Martin Harnik. The ball bounced off a shoulder of goalkeeper Michael Rensing, and Sargent raced in to nod the ball into the goal from close range.
“Beginner’s luck,” the 18-year-old Sargent tweeted.
Sargent also scored in his US debut, a May 28 friendly against Bolivia, and became the first American since at least 1990 to score in his national team and professional club debuts, according to the US Soccer Federation.
The forward left St. Dominic High School in the middle of 10th grade to join the US Under-17 team’s residency camp in Bradenton, Florida, scored four goals in the 2017 Under-20 World Cup and three more at that year’s Under-17 World Cup. He has two goals in six international appearances, also scoring against Peru in October.
He turned 18 on Feb 20 and was not eligible to play for Bremen’s first team until the 2018-2019 season. He has seven goals in 12 games this season for Werder Bremen II in the fourth tier.
Bremen won for the first time in six league games to move up to seventh place.
Max Kruse set up Kevin Moehwald for Bremen’s opening goal after 20 minutes. But last-place Duesseldorf equalised near the end of the first half when Belgian forward Dodi Lukebakio scored a penalty after centrehalf Sebastian Langkamp was penalised for a handball.
After Lukebakio went close to putting the visitors ahead, Harnik put Bremen back in front from inside the penalty area in the 71st. Five minutes later, Sargent replaced Milot Rashica and was soon celebrating his first Bundesliga goal.
Promoted Duesseldorf have lost nine of 14 matches since its topflight return as Second-Division champion.