The USMNT squad are finally playing their part, and the Futbol Americas crew gives credit to the coach. There is a time and a place for it. Everyone connected with the US men's national team is pulling for Haji Wright. It's because of the path he's taken that it's easy for him to relate. He was the next big thing in soccer in the United States. He was one of the players to watch from the U 17 national team. The two of them were back in the day. Live games and replays of MLS, LaLiga, and the Bundesliga are available on the ESPN+ streaming service.
- Soccer on ESPN+: FC Daily | Futbol Americas
- Don't have ESPN? Get instant access
While Pulisic went on to enjoy near-instant success at the professional level, Wright has found a wave of struggle. He has had to adapt to different teams, managers and cultures. His disappearance from the national-team radar to the extent that there weren't any expectations at all was a big problem.
Wright told reporters that his career path hasn't been straight. There were a lot of good patches and bad patches. I have persevered through the rough patches and enjoyed the good patches.
It's a good patch right now. Wright was called up to the full national team for the first time after scoring 15 goals in 35 league and cup appearances for Turkish side Antalyaspor.
Wright scored a penalty on his international debut and the team went on to win the game. The way in which his goal was accomplished showed how much people are behind him. The former youth international teammate was happy to take the penalty when Wright asked him. Tyler Adams was one of the youth international teammates of Wright. He ran onto the field from where he was warming up to wrap Wright up in a hug.
The goodwill has shown no signs of abating after two days. The U.S. defender talked about the celebrations surrounding Wright in the locker room after the match.
"I think Haji has gone through a lot, bounced around in Europe, I've done the same, for our captain Christian to pass up that ball to him, it just shows the camaraderie of this team," said Palmer-Brown. The ability of this team to go out there and have fun and show that we're not selfish. It was fun to celebrate with him after the locker room.
Wright's has been one of the more nomadic American clubs. After a short time in the U.S. with the New York Cosmos, he signed with the German club. He scored one goal in eight league and cup appearances, but he never really made it to the first team.
He failed to find the net in 22 appearances after moving to VVV Venlo in the Netherlands. He scored 13 goals in 35 league and cup appearances after moving to the Danes. There wasn't much reason to think that Wright was going to be a player on the rise when he was out of town.
Wright was able to find a home in Turkey. He liked the warm weather and the people there. The biggest change of all was that he met a manager who believed in Wright and that he would be used as a central forward instead of out wide.
Wright said thatSahin puts him in situations where he can help the team score goals or create goals. He taught me a lot about being a goal scorer. He's well-informed, he's played at a very high level, and he's just passing on that knowledge to me.
Wright said that he's helped him more in his build-up play. When we have the ball, he helps my positioning general. He has put me in a position where I can be in front of the goal, be the guy taking the shots, or the guy getting the rebound.
Wright has learned an important lesson from the up and downs.
It shows you that not everything is permanent. Poor form is not a permanent thing. You can always find a patch that is green.
Staff in the club's player recruitment department told the U.S. manager that they were looking for players who had suffered setbacks and for whom the road was not easy. The statement hit a nerve with Berhalter.
"For Haji, that's exactly what I see," Berhalter said.
Berhalter hit on Wright when he first took over as U.S. manager, and he has been keeping an eye on the player ever since.
Berhalter said that Wright has been doing nothing else. I've spoken to the Antalyaspor coaching staff about his journey with their club alone. He's made a lot of progress in the last year and they think he's turned the corner.
What did Wright take so long to accomplish? Every player has their own path. Wright's career was not helped by the fact that he was out wide. Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah both failed to make the grade at Chelsea before going on to have great careers.
With less than six months to go until the World Cup, Wright can still help the U.S. team, even though he has a long way to go. The ability of Wright to get behind defenses was apparent against Morocco. Wright's ability to finish is something he likes.
Berhalter would like to see improvement in Wright's hold up play and his movement inside the box, but is optimistic that can be achieved, and notes that Wright is still learning some of the nuances of the strikers position.
Berhalter said that he thinks he understands the process better now. He's working extremely hard, and his mentality is very strong, from the reports of the coaching staff, and that's important in our game.
Wright is getting to know his new teammates and getting to know players he crossed paths with in the past. The skill sets of players change. Are you talking about off the field?
He said that his U17 teammates have not changed much. The goofy guys that I knew when I was a teenager are still there. I think they are good people and we have always gotten along well. I like being around them.
Good vibes will continue if Wright can help the U.S. team.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
