Few attackers in the world scored as many goals as Haji Wright for Coventry City this season, since he takes the “Sky Blues” to the first place in the championship of nine games of the campaign. They have an amazing difference in balls plus 20: Wright scored eight out of 27 goals this season, leading a rating of scorers. This uniform brought to Wright a place in the US male team under the leadership of Maurisio Pochetnino, who will meet with Ecuador and Australia this month, where he can first perform in the USMNT since the beginning of the Golden Cup, where he was injured during the meeting with Trinidad and Tobago in June.
Wright was part of the team at the 2022 World Cup and scored the only goal for USMNT in their defeat from the Netherlands in the 1/8 finals, and, like everyone else in the Pochettino team, he wants to do everything possible to get to the 2026 tournament on his native land.
“It's no secret that I want to get to the national team of the World Cup,” Wright said, speaking before the media before a Friday friendly match with Ecuador. The striker did not use the injury on the Golden Cup as a reason for thought, instead he tried his best, using a positive mood and sensational shape.
“This is disappointing. I was very glad to be on the golden cup, to be with the guys and, I hope, continue to work and win the tournament, ”Wright said. “In the end, it is obvious that everything turned out wrong, but I was disappointed that I could not make a big contribution, and I just tried to recover, prepare for the season and, I hope, regain a place in the national team.”
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Returning to the composition, Wright does this in order to overcome disappointment associated with the golden cup. Wright, capable of playing on the flank, as an attacking midfielder or in nine, found his form this season, playing in the position of a player under the leadership of Frank Lampard. Wright liked to play under the leadership of the English coach, and this manifested itself in his form. Wright also has a sequential position on Sky Blues and shows that he needs to continue to go out in the starting line up a week after a week.
“This season I played mainly attackers, so I see myself just that, but if they ask me to play on the flank or take a step back and play position 10, it suits me quite comfortably. I feel comfortable in all positions,” he said.
Wright admitted that he did not talk to Pochettino and his team about what position they see him in, but in two matches that Wright played for Pochettino with USMNT, he played in the position of the striker and the left striker. Pochettino openly stated that he appreciates universality in the composition, and it is here that a player as Wright can help when the composition of the World Cup demand that players play several roles.
He understands that there are ups and downs in the work of the national team, and how this affects Wright’s thinking is crucial. He is focused on doing everything possible for his club and allowing an international team to take care of himself. Regardless of whether he will call him in the national team or not, his way of thinking remains the same, as well as hopes for getting into another world championship. Folarin Balogun can be a starting striker, but this does not mean that he has no place for influence in games.
The rotation and departure of the players from the bench will be important for the success of USMNT, and if Wright can embody this form in the camp, this can be of great importance to bring USMNT on the right path in preparation for the World Cup. Who knows – there is a chance that the last player who scored a goal for USMNT at the World Cup may also be the first to score a goal for them on their native land when matches begin in 2026.
