Josh Sargent not on US roster for World Cup qualifiers

Norwich says forward Josh Sargent will not be on the U.S. roster for the Americans' final three World Cup qualifiers.

The team made the unusual annoucement Wednesday, a day before U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter is scheduled to issue his roster.

"Josh Sargent has been named on the reserve list for the USA’s upcoming World Cup qualifying matches,"

A 22-year-old from O'Fallon, Missouri, Sargent was on the roster for the first three qualifiers in September, starting at El Salvador and Honduras, and appearing as a second-half substitute against Canada.

He has four goals in 28 matches in his first season with Norwich, including two in 25 Premier League games. Sargent scored twice in the League Cup against Bournemouth on Aug. 24 and twice against Watford in the league on Jan. 21.

Seeking to return to the World Cup after missing the 2018 tournament, the U.S. plays at Mexico on March 24, hosts Panama three days later and closes at Costa Rica on March 30.

Canada leads North and Central America and the Caribbean with 25 points and the U.S. is second with 21, ahead of Mexico on goal difference. Panama is fourth with 17 points, followed by Costa Rica with 16 and El Salvador with nine.

The top three nations earn berths for this year’s tournament in Qatar and the fourth-place nation advances to a playoff in June against the Oceania champion, likely New Zealand.

Jamaica and Honduras have been eliminated.

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