Toronto FC star says his kids keep pestering him to score more
Toronto FC star striker Josh Sargent has been on the receiving end of some criticism this MLS season.
The American striker arrived in Toronto on an MLS record-setting deal in February with expectations of helping turn the club around, but his start wasn't exactly what fans thought they'd be getting from the $22-million man.
Sargent went five consecutive games without scoring a goal. It got so frustrating that he said he was even getting heat from his own kids, who kept asking when the heck he was going to score.
That all changed on Saturday night when Sargent put three goals in the back of the net during a wild 4-4 draw against the Chicago Fire.
"My kids have been waiting for this moment," Sargent told blogTO.
"They've been pestering me every game, saying, 'Oh, you didn't score today, you didn't score today.' They are going to be very excited when I see them."
The 26-year-old from O'Fallon, Ms., has now scored four goals in his last three games, helping pull what had seemed to be a hopeless Toronto FC team back into the MLS playoff race following the June-July FIFA World Cup break.
Sargent's kids weren't the only ones waiting for him to break out.
Before his recent scoring surge, fans on social media were labelling the striker "bad" and a "bust."
Toronto FC manager Robin Fraser said he kept hearing questions from the media, including, "What's wrong with him?" and "What do we need to do to get Josh off the mark?"
But Fraser never lost confidence in his striker.
Toronto FC's Josh Sargent celebrates his hat-trick goal against Chicago Fire at BMO Field on Sept. 5. (Kevin Sousa/Imagn Images)
"He's tremendous," Fraser said.
"Not only because of his goal-scoring ability, but also because of his willingness to work for the team. I couldn't be more excited to have him as a player."
Toronto FC will need Sargent to keep producing if the club wants to make a push for the playoffs. As things stand, the Reds sit 11th in a tightly contested Eastern Conference, just two points outside of eighth place.
Their toughest test comes Wednesday night at BMO Field against Nashville SC, the league's top team.
Lucas Medeiros/Offside
