Most kids in the well-off suburb of St. Louis where Josh Sargent grew up probably don’t have to choose their career paths until they’re in college.
Sargent had to do it at age 17.
After breakout performances for the United States at last year’s FIFA under-17 and under-20 World Cups, he started picking up professional suitors. Sporting Kansas City lined him up as a potential homegrown player signing, and German club Werder Bremen offered him a contract that would take effect on his 18th birthday.
Sargent found the allure of the Bundesliga to be too hard to resist.