The USMNT’s Door Stayed Open for Josh Sargent

The striker went a year between call-ups, but he’s in form at the right time and could wind up leading the line for the U.S. at the World Cup.

AL RAYYAN, Qatar — The door is never completely closed, Gregg Berhalter likes to say.

Rejection is just about that particular roster, and time away from the U.S. national team could always wind up being temporary. Out of sight doesn’t mean out of mind.

Josh Sargent’s absence probably felt more permanent as the months dragged by, as the goals dried up and as Norwich City plummeted toward relegation last spring. He seemed to be very much a part of Berhalter’s immediate plans back in the summer of 2021. Sargent started both the Concacaf Nations League…